[Payul]

Hi All,

I play flamenco guitar for more than 20 years now, and in the past, around the time I played for 7 years or so,I had times that I realised that the past two or three years nobody ever heared me.
(besides my family ofcourse), In that time I was thinking by myself:"what am I doing this for?" I realised that the only one I was doing this for, was myself. That made me promise to myself, that I wanted to play as good as possible within my possibilities. And play the best I can at the age of 65.

(I am 45 now, so still 20 year to practice...I will need it!)

This promise keeps me motivated since than, so my question:

What is keeping you going on?

[MarcChrys]

Well, like you, I mainly play for myself or my family/friends. Having come to flamenco guitar quite late (after years of playing other styles) it's no effort to 'keep going' - I'm 'kept going' by the satisfaction I get from improving my technique, the excitement at discovering 'new' music, the challenge of composing my own songs, and, most important of all, the therapeutic power of expressing my creativity and emotions through music. What would we do without it?

[Black Sheep]

Bono was once asked why he was creative. And his answer was... 'Because I have a God sized whole in me that demands to be filled'... And Lee Clow, an Advertising luminary from America was asked the same thing and his reply was simply... 'Because the alternative sucks.'

What keeps me going is the passion that lies somewhere between the two answers...

[Payul]

Well, we seem to walk all more or less the same path...

[Frontera]

I keep playing flamenco because it has been part of me for 38 years. 25 of the years I never had a guitar out of the case, but never lost the love for flamenco. After I retired due to nerve damage, I decided to play again. It was like starting over. I play now for myself, not even my family has interest or wants to hear it. I once played flamenco and classical guitar at an high intermediate level. Never made advanced. I did a lot of teaching and guitar repair and some building. I gave it all up except playing old school flamenco guitar and studying lyrics.

I don't know why I still play or practice, except I cannot stop. I was once told if you really get into flamenco it over takes you and controls you.

[Payul]

Hi frontera,

You are an afficionado for a long time! It goes back into the Don E. Pohren time. Where and how did you study in that time, I remember 20 years ago it was still very difficult to get a teacher or find some flamenco on paper!

Payul

[Frontera]

Yes it was toward the end of the Pohren area. I started playing guitar at 14 and took one lesson then from a jazz player that taught me a simple version of Malaquena. Played in some small fun rock folk jazz bands until I graduated from high school. I went in to electronics engineering after that and didn't play guitar until about age 20 when I went to work at a music store doing electronics repair for bands, etc. It was also my job to keep the guitars tuned and one day in summer 1970 or 71, can't remember a guy came into the store, took a cheap classical Yamaha folded a piece of heavy paper held by the sound hole (golpeador) and started playing some fantastic stuff. When I could speak I asked him if he would teach me, he said yes but only for 2 or 3 lessons as he was in town visiting his folks. He was a student of Diego del Gastor and some other old gyspy player with a thumb, index and middle fingers only on his right hand. He said the guy never offered a name, but was interested in showing him a few falsetas and his amazing rasqueado. Anyway after these lessons there was no one in driving range that knew anything about flamenco or classical guitar so I bought books, LP's, and reel to reel tapes of flamenco and classical guitar. I taught myself to sight read and I never really had a good ear so learning was slow especially the compas of flamenco. During those years I started my own string instrument shop and did guitar, violin, banjo, piano, etc. repair. This is when I built 3 guitars, 2 flamenco and one classical. Only one guitar exist today and I still play it now and then. I attended a Christopher Parkening master class and came to the realization that I did not have the talent to master classical and didn't have the help necessary to accomplish flamenco at an advanced level. I did some correspondence study books and tapes with Mariano Cordoba that helped and Juan Serrano agreed to take me on if I moved to Chicago and could pay $75 an hour. Couldn't do either one. Eventually i went to work in the underground mines for the pay and found I loved it. It was like flamenco and gets into your blood so to speak and time passes quickly like practicing flamenco. 3 hours seems like 15 minutes. Anyway eventually when into another line of work that eventually took my health from long hours and hard work and I had to retire 2003. When my health allowed I got out the old guitars and started trying to play from old tab I had and realized that I had to modernize and get DVD's and CD's, etc. No one in a 3 hour drive of here knows about flamenco or cares, so I am still isolated except for the internet. One highlight of my past was seeing Sabicas in concert around 1972 or 3. I have read all Pohren books.

[Payul]

Thanks sam,

Wonderfull story!
Seen sabicas...

[federico]

I'm a new member and until today after reading what everyone wrote about what keeps them going, I thought I was alone, especially living in California and not in Andalusia, where I would rather be. I'm 55 and have been playing since I was eleven. Have lived in Malaga many years and have family members there. I plan to retire in Andalusia if the dollar doesn't keep going down any further.

I never realized that there were other people like myself out there. So much so that in the past I have been defensive and antagonistic about others outside of Spain that played FLamenco. After reading all the comments, I think that I have received a slice of humble pie and I appreciate this very much. As all of you, I also worship Flamenco. In Spain it is said that one can only reach God through intensive prayer and intensive Flamenco. Some of you will understand this. Hundreds of years of history repeating themselves through six simple guitar strings. The joy, misery and suffering of all that has transpired in the past. It is the spirituality of Flamenco that has kept me going. I hope that makes sense. Thank you all very much!

[Mark]

That was a fascinating story Sam.

I'm 22 and live in Australia. I've only been playing flamenco for about 6 months, and guitar for about 9 years. I know very little about flamenco but I've always appreciated the quality of playing and the magical rhythms. I saw Paco Pena when he was out here a few years ago and that was amazing. He brought flamenco dancers with him and they were beautiful to watch accompanied by the great guitar playing.

I hope to understand flamenco on a deeper level one day, reading all your posts has made me want to travel to Spain and feel flamenco first hand. For now though, just the enjoyment of learning not a only a new skill but a whole new world of art is plenty to keep me going.

Cheers,
Mark.