Is it possible to learn flamenco and not be a Gypsy or a Spaniard? Since I grew up in Malaga, and later in the caves of Sacromonte in Granada spending four long summer months living with the Gypsies as one of them, I can say that the answer to that question is yes.
Does that mean every one should now follow in these exact footsteps? Of course not; everyone creates their own path to their own way of learning. However, there are a few cardinal principles I have identified for myself during my thirty-one years of playing guitar and twenty years of teaching. I think that my experiences can help people maximize their learning ability and avoid major pitfalls of wrong and harmful beliefs about the learning process.
In school we are mostly taught in a linear way. Every bit of information is supposed to be fed to us one piece at a time. Most of the information is not transmitted in full context and without any emotional value or connection to out life. Music should definitely not be taught that way. Don’t misunderstand me- there is a part of learning music that is linear in nature like learning the notes off a page or a video etc. But it should always be placed on a foundation of an emotional understanding of your particular instrument, style of music, the culture, the language, the people. In short, the total space that gave birth to what it is that you are learning. Then, and only then, does the linear part become alive and fun. This can inspire one to practice one passage slowly one thousand times and not go mad, but actually benefit from it and go deep inside your self as a result of it. Therefore, I encourage anyone who wants to learn flamenco to listen to as much as possible, see videos of flamenco dance, visit Spain if you can understand the mentality, eat Spanish food, drink Spanish wine (if you’re of drinking age), etc.
How does one go about teaching flamenco or learning flamenco outside of Spain? If you don’t speak Spanish, have never been to Spain, and didn’t grow up in a flamenco environment, how do you learn? Good question?! Well, you gotta start somewhere. But where and how? Good, solid, quality knowledge is obviously very important. You have to have a teacher that knows the forms, can play, and can transmit the information, so by the end of the lesson you feel that you own this knowledge. Whatever little bit it is – you own it; it’s yours. You then need to understand that any falseta (musical variation) or compass pattern you know (groove licks), no matter who composed them (traditional/anonymous or not). It is only one compositional example of infinite possibilities that exist within the vocabulary of the language of flamenco.
One must cultivate the ability to listen with the heart. What does that mean? When you hear the brooding sound of SeguirÃya or the agitated riding gallop of the Buleria and it makes your blood flow in the other direction – Bingo! That’s listening with the heart. Once you have this feeling inside you, you must use your intuition to find the path that connects the linear learning (the mind) of the material, sensitizing your awareness to every possible nuance of what you are learning from the teacher or the CD, video, etc, and assimilate not only what is being played, but HOW it is being played. The how will lead you to create that path to the heart. This is called learning by osmosis.
I consider Pepe “Habichuela†my master and mentor. How many falsetas did he show me over fifteen years of hanging out? Ah, about four to five tops. Why then do I consider him my mentor? Because instead of studying from him, I studied him. I understand not everyone may have this luxury, but it is my hope and wish to transmit some of this spirit in my lessons, be they private or on New Learning Vision.
I can’t stress enough the importance of studying slowly and in depth. Pepe always used to tell me, “tranquillo, la saldra.†– “relax, take it easy, it’ll come outâ€
It is my desire to utilize to the maximum, the medium of online lessons to transmit exactly that; slowly explained and in depth knowledge (linear information) that is grounded in understanding of the total process. The total process being: a correct understanding of technique and how to develop it in its various stages; a natural way of progressing through the levels of complexity and difficulty of repertoire and paying close attention to your musical execution of what you are studying. Not only the technical-mechanical, but also the expressive. They all have to be in constant balance.
Remember, once you tread on the path of learning, you will never feel satisfied because you will (at least you should be) aware of what you don’t know and how much more there is to learn. It is that feeling of dissatisfaction that will drive you to learn more and therefore make you realize that you’ll always have something new to learn and look forward to for the rest of your life.
Now that I find quite satisfying.
Enjoy,
Adam del Monte
New Learning Vision
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Ok, so then, how do i learn this thing called Flamenco guitar properly, you seem to give great advice, but I am 60 years old or young and cannot play flamenco guitar style, I spoke with Paco Arroyo today per phone and he says he is the answer, as he teaches private in Glendale, and i believe you play together at a venue, right, he says private is the only real way to go and that internet, books, cd’s, dvd’s will not make it happen……private, private, private, he says and its costs $60 an hour……..wow………….and that it would take 5-6 years once a week lessons to be able to play like a flamenco pro…but I am 60 man, and I want to play like a pro sooner, but who can afford to take lesson everyday at $60 per hour……which he says would get me to pro level maybe in less than 2 years….so really what is the answer…….how much are your classes, are they private, or per internet and how much does it cost and where do I get your info…..etc……Pasadena City College has a once a week 3 hour group class starting Aug. 9. and the instructor is supposed to be well educated in flamenco guitar, he studied with Dennis Kostner, who was a student of Sabicas…..in New York……..All I want to do is learn from the right guy, but you all want a arm and leg to teach it…why……….is that……..how much do you charge…….and why can’t you make the learning process faster and easier…..why so much mystery about all of this flamenco guitar learning and playing………how about a weekly clinic for idiots like me….so we can learn quickly and economically……..and not end up broke at the end of the process………..maybe you can call me and get me on the right path to make my fingers work quickly and correctly and take away the agony of not being able to play……..thanks….I am almost sure that i am not the only one who has these feelings of frustration and desire to get to the chase!!!!……..and not beat around the bush…………as it seems all of you……..or at most of you flamenco greats seem to make it a big mystery and just want to milk everybody bank accounts and still the student perhaps does not learn until he has paid out a ton of money to the instructor………..and the instructors are perhaps still financially broke as well………something is wrong with the system of teaching music hear in America……….why do you make it so difficult to learn and so costly and most of the time the student still learns next to nothing……..and has spent all his money to no avail……….Sincerely Spoken………..so can you make a difference in my life and make it happen as I am 60 years old and not going to live forever
Dan:
you would pay 250-500 dollars and hour for a lawyer, so why is 60 dollars so much to pay a guitarist that’s any good? The good guitarist had to also pay to take lessons, plus air fair, plus living expensive for years in Spain to be a good Flamenco guitarist. The guitarist certainly had to spend more time in study as well as suffered more for his art than a lawyer. Yet you think after all thoses years he isn’t worth it!
You’re right 60 is kind of old to learn to play professionally.
Federico
Daniel,
You shouldn’t hold your age against someone else. Your age anxiety is not Adam’s fault. Also, when you divide the fee throughout the day and free-lancing method of earning a living, you will realize that what is charged is not expensive. On your side, what you learn in a master lesson carries over to other aspects of your playing. It further shows how fair the price that you provide is. Even though you praise maestro Adam’s article, you ignore his call to avoid the narrow view of linear learning. It seeems you want to cut corners by holding the masters responsible for your anxiety. That’s unreasonable. You criticize the American method, yet that is precisely what you want – “fast and easy”. Art is not a quick training session to be certified in something. It is a process. A long one. Slow like a beautiful flower that begins its journey deep in the earth as a seed far removed from the sunny spring where everyone goes ooh and ahhh over the radiant colors and petals. But it is in winter, in the darkness of the ground where the flower begins to be nurtured by the gardener, and it will not emerge until it gets through the stage of being a seed. The gardener knows this and goes about his business understanding the process – which means time and yes, money. You seem to want spring flowers without the duties of fall and winter. There is a reason why great artists are wonderful to hear, because they have tapped into a hard to reach place in space and in the heart through hours upon hours of study, discipline and paying for lessons and the things Federico alludes to. That’s the winter and fall of their flower. I assume you don’t complain about a neurosurgeon charging lots of money for his work because I’m sure you recognize the complexity and fortitude and long years of study to be in that position. A flamenco master is no exception. It’s costly, physically and financially. So why should you get a break for their hard earned craft and your lack of perspective? Gardeners don’t get fast and easy flowers – they slowly cultivate them through hardship and stress; thus they earn their aroma and fragrance in the spring. You are no exception to this law at 25yrs or 60yrs old. I do think your death anxiety will seep into whatever music you are involved with – short cut or not. That’s unfair to you. This stuff is not bought or given, it’s cultivated. That isn’t fair either, but that’s what makes it so special. If you don’t get the gheist of maestro Adam’s message, then maybe you should be charged an expensive amount for wasting a teacher’s time and for insulting his knowledge and experience. But if you do get it, then you will begin to find the value and beauty of the hard to reach flower because you will tap into your very life of 25yrs or 60 yrs of age. Cultivate…