Challenge of learning Flamenco Guitar outside Spain
Flamenco is the art of Andalucia region - the southern part of Spain. Learning "Authentic Flamenco Guitar" is outside Spain is a challenge because
(1) there are very limited teachers outside Spain,
(2) misconception about the art caused by the music that fusions Flamenco with other art forms and over-use of certain styles, such Rumba and Tangos, limiting the scope of Flamenco,
(3) there is a long learning curve for any learner to build up the basic skill sets.
Pre-requisite of Learning Flamenco Guitar
Learning Flamenco guitar with a real Flamenco guitar is essential. The reason is that human is an intelligent learning machine. Our body provides thousand of circuits that receive signals and messages. Human brain can analyze and file knowledge and movement records. A bad Flamenco guitar discontinues this process because it could never produce the required sounds. I have met many players who play Flamenco guitar for decades without a good instrument. Theirs development and progresses are restricted.
Having said the above, getting a good or real Flamenco guitar is not easy. This is due to the fact that there are fewer and fewer good Flamenco makers in the world. In my view, there are only a handful of good Flamenco guitar makers nowadays. Most of them are in theirs 60s, 70s or 80s. Good Flamenco guitars are becoming rare and expensive. The Flamenco Guitar community is waiting for the new generation of Flamenco guitar makers to outstand themselves.
Please also see Guide to buy good Guitar.
Teaching and learning
Different teacher offers different instructions to students. There is no standard way or the best way of teaching and learning. In tradition, teacher teaches students Compas (the basic harmonic and rhythmic structure of a style) and Falseta (a small composition unit that builds up a song) and students learn the music bit by bit. In the modern time, information such as DVD, Scores and CDs, are abundantly available, students could choose their own way to learn flamenco. However, there are shortfalls in each method of learning and especially self- teaching approach. Learning Flamenco Guitar is not really getting the material. It is all about understanding and transforming static data to performing ability.
Comparing Classical and Flamenco Guitar
Classical and Flamenco Guitar Music have different approach in their executions. Guitarists with the intention of combining both in their repertoire would usually end up non-satisfaction on both sides. The reason properly because they need different tools which takes years to developed. Analogy of asking Classical Guitarist to play Flamenco, and vice versa, is like using opera classical singing approach to popular music, ending with something non- classical or non-popular.
Learning Flamenco Guitar is not about collecting score as I mentioned before. It is about producing the sound following the rules and in traditions. These elements are not told by the sheet music. Because Flamenco music composes of styles, Flamenco guitarists operate on the structures of each Flamenco style. Classical music have more diversified categorization, Classical Guitarists often operate on individual written sheet music. Security of playing Flamenco music never comes from the score alone, but from the knowledge of the art.
Playing Flamenco could never be exactly the same each time because the music goes with the mood and atmosphere. It is never be a fixed performance like replaying a record. For professional and advanced Flamenco Guitarists, the art demands them to compose their own pieces in their personal styles. For those incorporating others' Falsetas, they have to present it in their own way with own gesture and sounds, or go further to deliver different musical message.
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