Flamenco is a Doing Word

Flamenco is one of those things that can’t be done by just thinking it.  Flamenco requires you to physically do it. You need to get that feeling of tangling your fingers in a rasgueado. But when you hit that double-triplet just right with perfect timing, it feels like magic! Now you’re in the pursuit of doing it again and again.  The trick is to do it consistently and effortlessly.  Over time, you’ll start building proper technique to achieve clarity and speed.

Here’s some tips on how to make the magic happen.

• Practice, practice, practice. Find something very, very simple and basic. Start with a Tangos or Sevillanas – and a really simple one at that.  Get the feel of the basic compás and slowly build on it.  Then start messing around with syncopation only when can play it in your sleep.  I’m going through this currently with Bulerias.
• Listen to Flamenco – a lot!  Pick a compás and listen to it often.  Get in the groove of it.
• Find a local Flamenco studio with dancers and get involved.  The best way to improve is to put yourself on the spot and play for dancers.
• Go watch live, professional performance shows. Watch and learn!

Flamenco may be a noun, a music, a thing.  But in reality, Flamenco is a verb… a doing word.