What is keeping you going on?

[cymro]

Good question.

I've been playing guitar for 40-odd years off and on - more off than on for more than 20 years of that time (work, family etc . . .) I've always loved flamenco but I always had to go it alone; where I live there were no teachers within a day's drive 40 years ago. So I got every book I could find on the subject from music stores and libraries, and listened to all the flamenco I could at the time. None of it seemed to work for me - I was missing something somewhere. No videos in those days of course, nor even audio cassettes on the subject that I know of.

I was made made redundant from my job last year and the job market is as tough here as it is everywhere else, especially when you're geting on 60. So I revived my interest in playing flamenco, lowered the action on my classical guitar and made a new bone nut and saddle to replace the plastic ones; fitted a set of D'Addario EJ49 strings and the old girl fairly sings now.

I'm busy accumulating the materials to build a flamenca blanca; I've got the Englemann spruce for the soundboard, Spanish cedar for the neck, birdseye bocote for the fingerboard, bridge and head veneer and I'm waiting for the cypress to arrive for the back and sides. It's going to take me a while, but my time is cheap and I've got plenty of it. Until it's done, my old classical will do. It seems to have forgotten the chords it once knew, so I'm having to re-educate it . . . .

I started playing again during the summer last year, having obtained DVDs by Aaron Gilmartin and Juan Martin (birthday presents.) This was a revelation to me since they both break down the compas to a point where I can understand it, and explain the techniques too. I'm tending toward the Gilmartin DVDs at the moment since I find Juan Martin too advanced at the moment. I managed his simplified Soleares OK, but then it gets way over my head.

Anybody here used the Aaron Gilmartin DVDs? I started off on his Solea and although it's still a bit shaky in parts it's coming along OK. I'm currently trying to learn his Tangos as well, but I'm finding that what he actually plays doesn't always tally with the tab in the book - or is that just me . . . ?? He seems to just add a random flourish here and there and not mention it in the book, so when I'm trying to follow the tab it does't sound the same. Still, I reckon I've picked up more, and easier, in the last few months than I did when I was trying to teach myself years ago.

Every so often, it's like a light goes on on my head when I make a connection and it comes out as I want it to. And that's what's keeping me going right now.

[Payul]

Hi Cymro,

Nice story,

Welcome to the falseta forum!

Payul

[cymro]

Thanks, Payul.

I'm hoping to get a lot from the forum.

cymro

[hobersmith]

Hi,

i have been playing for about 5 years, I'm my own teacher and I'm going for as far as I can possibly go with the flamenco guitar. I don't even have a flamenco guitar as of yet and the rusty thing I do have is like 30 years old.

anyway..back on topic...well it's damned Paco de Lucia that keeps me going.. every time I see him play a song I just want to pick up my guitar and practice the hell out of it. I guess my ambition is to play picados faster than him :P.