Archive for June, 2006

Easy solution for stubborn guitar string replacement

Now I dont know how many of you go through what I am about to describe but I figured if I could help just one person avoid the frustration I experienced then this article will have served its purpose.
My favorite guitar was custom made at Candelas Guitars located in East Los Angeles and I use it ninety five percent of the time. Sometimes on this guitar I cannot insert the string through bridge the easy way which for me is inserting the end of the string from the top of the bridge pushing it through and then tying it off. What happens is the string at the bottom end is not strong enough to stay rigid and usually bunches up. So I figure no problem right? Just insert the top of the string which is rigid through the bottom of the bridge and pull it all the way through leaving enough to tie off at the bottom.

Here is where the frustration begins. It seems the there is not enough angle to bend the string upwards and it gets stuck. I provided a picture below:

No matter how hard I push the string will not bend upwards allowing me to pull it through. As I am looking for a safe place to throw my guitar in anger I notice a paper clip on my desk and just like that the solution presents itself. I placed the loop of the paper clip in the bridge allowing the string hole to be centered in the paper clip loop and then pushed the string through kind of like threading a needle as shown in the image below:

Now as I push the string I pull upward on the paper clip allowing the string to bend and be pulled through.

Now all thats left is tucking the previous string ends into the loop.

Tying them off and pulling to make sure you get a secure hold.

Thats it! Hope this helps at least one person.

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Adam del Monte Online Flamenco Guitar Lessons Review Part One Flamenco Beginner Package

Have you had a chance to visit the new online Video Flamenco Courses at New Learning Vision taught by Adam del Monte? If not I suggest you do as they offer excellent material at a great price. Adam del Monte has launched an Online Video Instruction site that offers Flamenco Guitar lessons taught by none other than Adam del Monte. More lessons will be coming online shortly offering Jazz Guitar lessons by Larry Koonse, Flamenco Dance lessons by Laila del Monte and Belly Dance lesson by Amara. I will be reviewing all five of the Adam del Monte packages over the next few weeks.
Now before you start wondering how this course compares to other instructional material that is currently on the market, lets get this out of the way early. This course does not compare to other instructional materials currently available. Why? Because unlike products such as DVDs and Books the method of instruction provided by Adam del Monte is not constrained by time and cost associated with production and or limitation of space on DVDs. This gives the instructor the time needed to properly explain the lesson. A possible double edged sword this advantage can be completely useless if the instructor couldnt teach a student to hit the ground with his guitar. Fortunately for us Adam del Monte is a natural in front of the camera and can definitely teach!

The Flamenco Guitar lesson we are reviewing is the 134 minute Flamenco Beginner Package that is broken up into 10 clips including technique and skill building exercises and fundamental Flamenco theory in three styles Solea, Alegrias and Tangos. Now I know a lot of you want to jump ahead and buy the advanced lessons because you have already spent money on beginner courses. So here is one of the first reasons why I think you should start with this course and why I think Adam del Monte really does a great job in this lesson.

I dont know if its a West Coast California thing but getting an opportunity to understand how to approach Flamenco Guitar playing from a philosophical stand point as presented by Adam del Monte was to me mind blowing. Now I am not going to give away all the secrets but Adam del Monte does a great job explaining the importance of a relaxed mind and provides techniques in order to achieve this. Achieving a relaxed state of mind is not only important for practice but to master it and apply it at will especially pre-performance is a priceless lesson and skill to learn. Many guitar players are easily crippled by self imposed tension which limits practice and performance. Every step of the way Adam del Monte is teaching you Flamenco Guitar playing techniques but I think the real value in this lesson is his ability to teach you how to think differently about how you approach performance and instruction.

This leads to my second reason why I think this lesson is a good place to start. While most DVD videos strictly only show proper playing techniques due to time constraints and assume you “get it” in a few seconds, Adam del Monte has the freedom to show you the contrast of proper playing techniques versus common mistakes players usually make that become bad habits. Learning and what seems like most of the time Re-Learning fundamentals can help you make huge strides in playing clean and precise.

Over two hours of video in the Flamenco Beginner Package and not one minute wasted. Its not as rehearsed as a full production DVD so you really listen differently as you genuinely begin to understand what is being taught because the instruction is much more relaxed.

One of the phrases in this video that has really stuck with me was “Use the rule to your advantage, but dont become a victim of the rule” by Adam del Monte when explaining proper technique. And I think this in a nutshell when seen in the context of the lesson reveals how Adam del Monte goes about demonstrating proper playing techniques then shows you the wrong way with common mistakes and in the end also includes a way to break the rules of the rigid old school Flamenco way of thinking.

Visit: New Learning Vision – https://www.newlearningvision.com

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Francisco Sanchez Paco de Lucia DVD

Who is Francisco Sanchez?
Born Francisco Sanchez son of Lucia, as a child growing in a neighborhood with many children named Fransico the adults in the neighborhood would place the mothers first name at the end of the childs first name to distinguish which Paco you were calling out to. This is how Francisco Sanchez became known as “Paco de Lucia”.

I have had the Francisco Sanchez – Paco de Lucia 2 DVD set for a while now and I received it as a gift from a friend in Spain. I guess until now I have been without words for the footage captured, the messages given and the music played.

I knew who Paco de Lucia was in the sense that I was told he was a mythical performer who was untouchable and played compositions beyond anyones wildest dreams. But I had never really taken the time to listen to any of his music in depth let alone understand who he was and what he means to Flamenco music.

This all changed in the span of about a year when I received the Francisco Sanchez – Paco de Lucia DVD, really listened to his music and then finally met Paco de Lucia at a concert he gave here in Los Angeles at UCLA. And let me tell you that was an incredible year.

My experience with Paco de Lucia was without a doubt completely different due to the fact that I had watched the Francisco Sanchez – Paco de Lucia DVD before meeting him. As I understood why he deserves and commands the respect he receives.

Paco de Lucia does not come across as an arrogant, flamboyant genius guitar player but instead as a very humble, regular guy who just practiced and practiced and practiced and then practiced some more. Of course Paco de Lucia is talented but most of all he is DEDICATED. And if you have ever felt like you could never play as perfect as Paco de Lucia you suddenly realize that he couldn’t either if he practiced like you. Imagine your hardest guitar practice session and that doesnt even come close to the time and effort Paco has put and still puts into his training.

The greatest thing about the Francisco Sanchez – Paco de Lucia DVD is that unlike other musicians who claim that they always felt they were destined for greatness or better yet they always knew they were the best Paco de Lucia shares the fact that he has real fears about composition, technical playing and backstage jitters like you and I. So on top of being a great if not the greatest Flamenco guitarist, you come away with really relating to his fears, struggles and how hard it really is for him to be the best not just because of the technical guitar playing but everything else that comes along with it. The publicity, the constant traveling and the pressures of recording new material as everyone hinges on what Paco de Lucia will do next. Where will you take flamenco now Paco?

This is not just a DVD its an experience.

Paco de Lucía (b. December 21, 1947) is an internationally recognized Spanish flamenco guitarist, and leading exponent of the New Flamenco style. He is the son of flamenco guitarist Antonio Sánchez, and brother of flamenco singer Pepe de Lucía and flamenco guitarist Ramón de Algeciras. Paco is considered by many to be the greatest flamenco guitarist of all time. Not only does he dominate in flamenco, he is one of the very few guitarists who is also talented in other genres of music, e.g. jazz, classical, and world music.

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