Hey guys, I have a rasgueado question? Please help!!!

[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.