[falseta]

The second month of 2010 is almost over. Flamenco like anything else in life requires both discipline and planning to achieve mastery. So I ask you:

What do you want to accomplish/learn/master/improve in Flamenco in 2010?

How are you planning to achieve your goals?

[gato]

I think the most important thing for me to work on is my phrasing, something that I really have to say is always necessary. I think that it changes a lot and I am constantly trying to keep on top of it as my guitar playing evolves. There are numerous things that I would include, and it's always to me, of great concern and yet changes so often I can hardly imagine not thinking about it and working on it.

Perfecting technique is one of those things where I really have to try my best, work, and of course, take it as it is without being too hard on myself and taking the good with the bad. That is to say it's more or less a cross section and practical art.

Rhythm, aire, I guess it's all important now that I think of it. Interpretation, setting goals, but phrasing stands alone with acompaniment and, well, it's all important. I guess I would have to say that practicing the total art would sum it up, if that's a fair answer, so discipline is rather high as well. Oh well it's all hard work any way you look at it.

And that's hardly a straight answer. So I have the thought, what I'm working on at present? Yes, that's it !!!
Gary

[at_leo_87]

general goals:
-improve technique in terms of efficiency, speed, tone, control, etc.
-get more gigs
-learn more falsetas
-learn more ways to play/handle/interpret compas

short term goals:
-finish all the cante and dance accompaniment lessons on jason's flamenco-lessons.com site.
-compose something by the end of this month
-overcome stage fright

not so urgent goals:
-start teaching eventually. it's fun and i learn a lot from teaching.

long term goals:
-get to a point where i feel i deserve a new guitar! hmmmm.... maple? pegs?

and what about yourself, falseta?

[juliep]

I only dance flamenco but I was always keen to start playing the guitar. It didn't happen in 2010 but perhaps it can happen in 2011? I hope so!

[Estanislao]

The funny thing was,

I was going to concentrate more on my guitar practice than before. To place it in context my practice was that of a hobbyist simply doing it for the pleasure of it and taking my time to learn and grow. But I found myself over the holidays putting more time in it simply because I enjoyed it. Unfortunately my practice was brought up short when I developed tendonitis in my left hand. I'm stuck doing nothing until the doctors clear me to go back to it.

Estanislao

[pjballard]

What do you want to accomplish/learn/master/improve in Flamenco in 2010?
How are you planning to achieve your goals?

I've been spending time almost every day, usually 3 times a day for about 10-15 minutes at a time, practicing picado, alzapua and rasgueado techniques. Making progress but I have one major frustration:

My right hand fingernails are horribly thin, brittle and prone to break -- and, as a consequence, very short --- w/ exception of rt forefinger (i), the tips of the nails (p), (m) and (a) are about 1/8 inch shorter than the respective fingertips -- making alzapua and rasgueado technique, in particular, very difficult.

Anybody got any suggestions?