[jflamenco]

Hi all, I hope everyone is well. I have been playing guitar (mainly flamenco) for only about a year and I am going back and forth on rasgueados from one where the fingers are flicked of the thumb to the one where the fingers are curled and flicked from the palm. I can't decide if one is more proper than the other. I heard the thumb one was more "modern," but I don't know if this is correct or if it will lead me to bad habits. I know this is recommended by Graf-Martinez in his instructional DVDs, but just wanted to make sure it is proper to use. Anyways, if you could help me, I would really appreciate it. I want to pick one and go with it, but want it to be correct. Thanks so much.

[deteresa]

It's good to have a variety of rasgueados under your belt. Flicked, not flicked, 4 finger, 3 finger, tresillos, starting on different fingers etc. because they all create different sounds. It's good to start out practicing amii flicked off the thumb until you build up the strength and dexterity to do it without flicking. Sometimes you still want that heavy, abrupt sound, but more often your everyday amii rasgueado will be a bit more suave. Don't do the palm thing.
Of course the old school way is c-a-m-i all down strokes. Although this one sounds kind of flaccid in modern Flamenco I think it can still be used to good effect. Hope this helps even though it wasn't the clean answer you were looking for

[jflamenco]

Absolutely helps! Thank you so much. Just to get it straight though, you say not to flick out of the palm, correct? I think I have seen that in a couple books, but to me it makes sense and is easier not to flick from a closed fist type position. Thanks again.

[deteresa]

Originally Posted by jflamenco

you say not to flick out of the palm, correct?

correct. How I was taught anyway. Bear in mind that there are almost as many types of rasgueado as there are players. My students are inventing new ones all the time

[Black Sheep]

Adam del Monte has a good 'how to' package on rasqueados at newlearningvision.com It's very good albeit another opinion on what is a loose 'passed-from-generation-to-generation' art... There is really no single rasqueados to learn. There are many combinations of fingers and then each combination, combines with others to form new passages of rasqueados...

Adam has a great word for the non-flicked version... he calls it 'The Smooshed Rasqueados' - sort of pushed instead of flicked and a kind of mash rather than crisp. It a good word for it

Although I heard of one the other day that I hadn't struck before. amii and then you follow through with a down stroke of the thumb... anyone else struck this?...

[Estanislao]

Although I heard of one the other that I hadn't struck before. amii and then you follow through with a down stroke of the thumb... anyone else struck this?...

Yes. Tried it when I read of it and kind of liked it. It has an interesting sound. One of the exercises I will play later, I think it is a solea, will include it.

[MauiFlamenco]

I am going back and forth on rasgueados from one where the fingers are flicked of the thumb to the one where the fingers are curled and flicked from the palm. I can't decide if one is more proper than the other. I heard the thumb one was more "modern," but I don't know if this is correct or if it will lead me to bad habits. I know this is recommended by Graf-Martinez in his instructional DVDs, but just wanted to make sure it is proper to use.


I learned a variety of rasqueados from Oscar Herrero DVDs, he is the real deal and shows alot more detail. Check out his series of DVDs for rasqueados, it will help clarify why and how to use the different types. Remember, to pay special attention to the compas, or youll learn bad habits like I did. Some rasqs you can learn to "fit into" a certain measure, and some will fill in when you personally would rather there be more sound than not. It all depends on what you want to "fill" in and where they will make the most impact. JUST remember to stay within the compas so practice super slowly at first. If youre learning Solea, practice the solea with the 12,3,6,8,10, method, and after you learn that, youll have to go more modern with 12 3, 7,8,10, of which the 7,8 are accented and you'll need different faster throws of rasquedos. I hope this helps, Im a beginner myself, but this is information that wouldve helped me in the past.

[Mecachis]

When you play a rasqueado, you create a tapestry or wall of sound that, in the right hands, is not so much a singular technique as it is a musical addition. To understand this, check out Sabicas's use of it and his technique to express it. YouTube is full of his stuff. Find one of his videos that has the technique you want to learn, listen to it, and then ...turn the audio OFF! Watch it again in complete silence. The reason for doing this is that you have too much conflicting information (audio vs. visual) being processed by your brain to effectively interpret what's going on. Try it and see if you don't start seeing things you didn't before. After about the 5th time you watch the same video, you will note that his right hand is the most relaxed hand you will ever see. He learned early on (see the YouTube video of when he was in his 20's) that the more he relaxed his hand, the faster and harder he could play. For my taste Sabicas had the best and most powerful rasqueados going.
Lastly, rasqueados can be dangerous...make sure your hands are warm (not in a cold room) when you practice rasqueados. I used to play in a dance studio during the middle of winter and the Japanese players had an interesting way of keeping their right hand tendons warm while they played. Since the tendons are on the top of the hand protected by little more that an eighth of an inch of skin, they would put a patch of medical tape (over here get it at Walgreen's) over that area so it would be insulated...I have seen professionals who should know better with inch or more diameter ganglions sitting on the top of their hands..and they still had to play their gig!
Buena suerte

[Frontera]

Any kind of rasqueado is acceptable as long as it fills the correct time. IE., a three fingered used in place of a four would be played slower. Since my middle and ring finger work together on a downstroke, I use two rasqueados to fill the time of a traditional 4 finger. Sounds different, but very flamenco.

[Peresh]

One of the problems with my rasgeos is the gallop. I could hear it gallopping. May be I should stop playing and become a full time cowboy/jokey or whatever. So I have been trying to keep the rasgeos even. Who said it was easy?

My teacher told me that it takes approx. a year to just get it right and if so.