The Flamenco Guitar Podcast

Want to play Paco de Lucía's "Entre Dos Aguas" like a pro? In this flamenco guitar lesson, I break down Alzapúa—a powerful and percussive thumb technique only found in flamenco!

Learning how to improvise on flamenco guitar with the song"Entre Dos Aguas," by Paco De Lucía is actually easier than you might expect—especially if you are already a jazz or blues guitarist!  Jazz and blues elements are introduced into this section through the incorporation of a pentatonic scale in the key of E minor.  By using you prior knowledge and experience with the pentatonic scale as a blues or jazz guitarist, you can unlock the secret to improvising within “Entre dos Aguas”as a flamenco guitarist! _______________________

If you've ever delved into flamenco guitar technique and rhythm, you'll know that mastering the compás of rumba is a cornerstone skill. Yet, no matter how you approach it, you may have encountered a common challenge: the rhythmic patterns can feel repetitive and lackluster, leaving you yearning for more dynamism and flair in your playing.  But don't worry. I've got a solution for you that will infuse your playing with newfound beauty and depth! In my latest video tutorial, I've taken the timeless allure of rumba rhythms and combined them with the captivating simplicity of the Emadd9 chord, along with some other exciting chord variations. The result? A harmonious blend that is both elegant and soul-stirring. Just as in our previous lessons, I'll guide you through four distinct rumba rhythmic patterns, each imbued with its own charm and character. With these patterns at your fingertips, you'll be able to effortlessly elevate your guitar playing to new heights of expression and creativity. So, join me as we explore the captivating synergy between rhythmic intricacy and harmonic richness. Your guitar awaits the magic of Emadd9 and beyond!

If you've ever tried to play the rumba on the flamenco guitar, you've probably realized that no matter how you choose to play the rhythm, there's a particular pattern that repeats itself every bar. Through your own experience, you may have found that your playing sounds dry and repetitive, which can be quite frustrating. No matter how well you play the rhythm, it just lacks variation and excitement! So, what are you supposed to do? How can you spice up your sound? Well, here's the secret sauce... You see, there is a certain order and structure to each specific rhythm technique, unique to each rumba strumming pattern. The key to avoiding repetition is to learn multiple rumba rhythmic patterns and master them so well that you can effortlessly switch between them at a moment's notice. In this video tutorial, I'll show you four different rumba rhythmic patterns that you can seamlessly integrate into "Entre dos Aguas," by Paco de Lucia. Enjoy the rhythmic journey! __ ☎️ BOOK A FREE FLAMENCO GUITAR STRATEGY SESSION CALL: https://www.Flamenco4U.com/pages/book...

The rumba is a delightful rhythm to explore when initially learning flamenco guitar. As you may have already noticed, there are various variations of the rumba, including different strumming patterns. Honestly, it can be a bit overwhelming to decipher all the variations and intricate techniques involved in this particular flamenco compás.  ...However, there's no need to worry—I've got you covered. In this video lesson on the rumba, I will guide you through breaking down this specific strumming pattern, taking it one movement at a time. Once we piece it all together, you'll have a beautiful rumba rhythm to play, enjoy, and share with others! Book a FREE Call w/ Me: https://bit.ly/2VgD0Df

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I'm joined today by Mario Febres and Annie D'Orazio with the National Institute of Flamenco. Annie and Mario are here sharing important information about the Festival Flamenco Albuquerque in New Mexico, taking place June 9-17, 2023. It's sure to be an event unlike any other in the U.S., with outstanding performances from top-level flamenco artists direct from Spain, as well as several opportunities to attend workshops.  For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit https://ffiabq.org To learn more about the National Institute of Flamenco, please visit: https://www.nifnm.org/

This is the first video tutorial in a series titled, "Fretboard Familiarity." In this tutorial, I will show you the chromatic scale; it's called that because fretting finger follows a chromatic path (i.e., C, C#, D, D#, E, F,F#,etc.). After completing this exercise, your fingers become more accustomed to the distance of the frets on the guitar--particularly when you adjust that distance by putting on a cejilla (capo). ...This exercise will also help your left hand endurance, left-hand finger agility, and right hand coordination between your index (i) and middle (m) fingers while alternating. ☎️Book a FREE Call w/ Me: https://bit.ly/2VgD0Df

Although most flamenco palos originated from the Southern portion of Spain in Andalusia, there are some exceptions. The palo (flamenco style) of Farruca is from in the northern region of Spain in Asturias, and was adapted into the flamenco repertoire by flamenco artists.  The Farruca can be a solo piece for the guitar, and can also be played for cante (singing) and baile (dancing). In this progressive study for the flamenco guitar, you will learn how to play the basic rhythm of the Farruca, along with some beautiful falsetas (riffs/licks).  I don't think I need to say that I hope you will enjoy this piece, because I know you'll love it.

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¡Hola! Peteneras is a palo in the flamenco repertoires that is a bit melancholy--to put it mildly; and in this in-depth lesson, you will not only be learning Peteneras, but you will also learn the centuries-old Spanish folkloric song, "El Vito," which I have arranged together for you to enjoy. So grab you guitar and a cup of coffee, and let's get to it! ¡Vamanos!

When flamenco guitar students hear about the compás of Bulerías, they are usually told that this is the “hardest” of all the palos, but is this really the case? Is Bulerías the hardest palo in the flamenco repertoire? Well, if you ask me, I'd say that, “it depends.” Sure, the time signature of Bulerías (12/8) might seem strange at first, but if you listen to Bulerías consistently enough, and stick with it (especially by watching my videos and practicing along), you'll see that it is no more difficult that learning how to strum your guitar in 3/4 time; it's just all about the accents—mainly, where you place them. So, watch this video to find out where those accents are placed. Enjoy, and thank you for watching!

You may have heard the beautiful guitar intro for the 2000 hit song performed by Toni Braxton, “Spanish Guitar.” This solo was performed by renowned studio guitarist, Dean Parks. Although Parks played this solo with a pick, I am going to show you how to play it with your fingers while using common flamenco guitar techniques, such as arpegio, picado, ligado, and rasgueados. You won't want to miss with tutorials for the flamenco guitar. If you've ever been asked to play something “Spanish” on the guitar, then this solo is just what you've been looking for, because not only will I teach you one…but TWO flamenco rasgueados or “rasgueos,” or AKA: "rajeos." Enjoy! _______________________________________________

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Would you like me to show you how to get faster picado technique on the flamenco guitar? …Particularly in the fast picado section of “Entre Dos Aguas”? After completing this lesson, you'll see the exact method I use to achieve faster picado on the flamenco guitar. The late, great, Paco de Lucía's “Entre Dos Aguas” demonstrates his incredibly fast picado abilities. Most of us flamenco guitarists only dream of matching his picado, apoyado, and legado speed and precision, but that shouldn't discourage us from striving to achieve fast picado skills like Paco. In this lesson you'll learn a modified approach to Paco de Lucia's rapid picado falseta, which with practice, you'll be able to play at 210BPM—the same tempo as the original recording of this Spanish guitar rumba classic! ENTRE DOS AGUAS LESSON SERIES: Lesson #1: https://youtu.be/hzGOEmsPqso Lesson #2: https://youtu.be/DAkAkP8WBdk Lesson #3: https://youtu.be/6N0m7lrI2fE Lesson #4: https://youtu.be/LBjfckg1IY4 Lesson #5: https://youtu.be/fQDKGNqdwmk Lesson #6: https://youtu.be/_YwYIM2fY_s GET TABS + BACKING TRACKS: http://www.FlamencoGuitarClub.com BOOK A CALL TO POTENTIALLY BECOME A STUDENT: https://bit.ly/2VgD0Df GET MY FREE “FLAMENCO ARPEGGIO” MINI-COURSE: https://www.LearnTheFlamencoguitar.com SAY

I'm very excited to share with you this mega-ultra-awesome flamenco/Spanish guitar scale in E minor, which is so intense that it will give you HULK HANDS after you've mastered it! What's this scale called? Well, I call it the “Escala de Gerardo” (Gerardo's Scale), because I always heard that it was written by Gerardo Núñez; it may or may not have been written by him, but I think it sounds like his style. Anyhow, follow this lesson along closely. Watch it as many times as you need in order to get this scale in your flamenco guitar toolbox PRONTO! Once you've gotten to the point where you can do this exercise at 120 beats per minute, you'll be a bonafide flamenco guitar beast! …And you will have learned your way through the Aeolian scale like a pro! Book a FREE Call w/ Me: https://bit.ly/2VgD0Df

In this lesson, I want to show you a very popular falseta for the compás of Soleares; it's a rather basic falseta—that is, “basic” to the extent that its a falseta that most flamenco guitar players learn when they are first learning Soleares; it's also basic in the sense that its a bit of a stock falseta, but the truth about this falseta is that it is a very good exercise for the thumb—including rapid movement and alzapua. …But, we are we are going to attempt to make this falseta sound less basic by adding some nuances like rasqueado just before the first beat. We'll also ad a accented golpe on the 3rd and 6th beast to really emphasize the rhythm. Enjoy!

If by chance you are a finger-style guitar player, or have had some experience with finger-style guitar playing, then lesson # 3 for “Danza Mora” will be right up your alley! You will be using octaves between the first and fourth strings for your melody while accompanying that melody with some running eight-notes on the bass strings. (For an introduction to the most effective use of octaves, please watch these two videos: Octaves Video #1 Octaves Video #2 Towards the end of the section, you will repeat some rapid legado movements between fingers one and four while striking those--somewhat haunting--arabesque bass notes. I want you to pay particularly close attention to the aforementioned legado by holding tightly to the first fret before finally letting go to the open position, and make sure to use a metronome while you practice this section! I know you'll really enjoy this one!

Alzapua is a technique for the flamenco guitar that a lot of players ask about; and rightly so…it's a pretty cool technique! I mean, when you listen to it for the first time, you'd swear that you're hearing the work of at least two fingers, but no…alzapua is done with just and upward and downward movement of the thumb! In this two-part lesson, I'll show you how to do alzapua within the compás (rhythm/song form) of Alegrías. This first lesson is at the beginner-level, so if you are new to the flamenco guitar, this lesson will be right up your alley! I hope you enjoy!

I've taught you several falsetas for the rumba now (all at increasing levels of difficulty), but now you're going to enjoy a little break from all the fast picado you saw in the last lesson.  …And notice I said that it would be only a “little break.” Trust me. After the last falseta we went through, anything following that would rightfully be considered by most players to be a well deserved “break.”  You will be using octaves on the fourth and first strings for this falseta. Octaves are very easy to fret for two reasons. First, the fretting hand naturally forms to the octave shape. Second, no matter where you move your fretting hand, the fretting positions do not change! That's good news, right? As for the right hand, you will strike the fourth string with the thumb (p) while striking the first string with either the index (i) or the middle (m) finger. Remember to alternate between the index and middle each time you play these octaves, which is to say, play like this: p-i, p-m, p-i, p-m, etc.; and NOT like this: p-i, p-i, p-i, p-i, etc.  As always, remember to take it slow, paying close attention to what you are doing, which means you should be listening to what you are playing. Enjoy! ☎️Book a FREE Call w/ Me: https://bit.ly/2VgD0Df

Now we've made it to the part of the song where things really start taking off. The figurative “launch pad” that Paco uses to boost the tempo and rhythmic intensity is a technique called alzapúa. With this technique, you will be using your thumb exclusively.  Watch the lesson video to see in detail how it's done. By the time we finish the lesson, you'll have a highly valuable new tool in your flamenco guitar toolbox. Enjoy! Book a FREE Call w/ Me: https://bit.ly/2VgD0Df

In this video lesson for the flamenco guitar, one of our supporters, Yolanda, asks a really good question about the pulgar (thumb), and what to do with it when you are playing in E major.  Quite often, we tend to rest our thumb on the E string (sixth string) when playing falsetas and chords, but sometimes our thumb can get in the way when we need to strum the sixth string. So, in this lesson, I will show you exactly how to solve this problem! 

For this second lesson of “Danza Mora” for the flamenco guitar, you will be doing an upward arpeggio; it's called an “upward” arpeggio because the plucking pattern runs toward you (the player).  The arpeggio pattern is as follows: a&p-m-i, a-m-i, a-m, with a consistent accent on the a&p. The third and fourth fretting fingers will run through some relatively demanding legado (hammer-on) movements and some slides as well. Remember to keep your right hand stable so as to allow for maximum precision while executing the arpeggio. Enjoy!

Danza Mora (moorish dance) is an arabesque-themed folk song for the flamenco guitar. In this first lesson of the Danza Mora we will tune our guitars to dropped D tuning.  You will hear an interesting snare drum effect produced by the sixth and fifth strings being struck while being coiled together. Watch the video very closely to see exactly how this effect is done. The second portion of this opening section involves exclusive use of the thumb (pulgar) for all the notes, including the natural harmonics at the end. Enjoy!

You are now about to begin studying Lesson # 4 for “Entre Dos Aguas.” In this lesson you will learn the second part of the lead guitar section, where you'll be introduced to some rather interesting chords you may have never played before.    You will also encounter some insanely high notes on the fretboard—at least for the flamenco guitar—ranging from the 14th to the 17th fret!  The apoyado and picado parts will be progressing in speed, which will prepare you for the next lesson, where the notes will figuratively fly off the tablature page!  …With all that said, buckle up! Hold on tight to your fretboard because here we go!

You've done it! You've now reached the final part of this lively rumba piece for the flamenco guitar. Bravo! ...Now we will take our basic rumba strumming pattern using a slap on the three-beat while moving some of the other beats around between the neck and the saddle. On the one-beat, go ahead and thump your middle finger (m) and your ring finger (a) along the saddle for a kick-drum effect. Next, while strumming the beats in between, move your right hand over frets 15 and 18 for a slap. Increase your speed and dynamic intensity as you approach the picado section. Finally, finish out the piece with an olé! As always, remember to take it slow, paying close attention to what you are doing, which means you should be listening to what you are playing. Enjoy!

As we continue our lessons on the rumba flamenca in A minor, we have now come to a section where we are doing something really interesting and fun with the rhythm! You've seen in previous lessons how to play the Andalusian cadence in A minor using barre chords (cejilla); in this section we will interject new barre chords between each of the Am, Gmaj, and Fmaj chords—you'll see what chords those are in the lesson guide and the video. We will also employ a lot of rasgueado work with the right-hand playing fingers in between each of the chord changes. This lesson may seem challenging at first, but just like with every new falseta you learn, start out slow, pay close attention to the lesson guide, and stick with it! Once you've memorized the chords shapes and the right-hand patterns, then begin using a metronome at a slow tempo and build up.

Now that you've watched Lessons # 1 & 2 of “Entre Dos Aguas,” it's now time to begin the part I know you've been waiting for… …The lead guitar section! It was this famous improvised melody, by Paco de Lucía, that sent the flamenco guitar soaring across the airways all over Europe, and eventually all over the world! It would inspire other flamenco guitar masters, like Manolo Sanlúcar, to compose “Caballo Negro,” and Paco Cepero to compose “Agua Marina.” …And now, it here it is! …Delivered to your hands. So let's not wait any longer to get started! Make sure to check in with me to show me your progress, and/or to ask me any questions you may have about the piece.

This is the second installment of our multi-part series on “How to Play Entre Dos Aguas,” I will show you how to play the second rhythm guitar part. If you've already watched Lesson #1 for this series, you might notice that the first half of the song—as far as the chords and right-hand strumming patterns are concerned—is quite different than the first rhythm guitar part. For this second rhythm guitar part, I will show you how to execute a palm-mute rhythm technique on the fourth-beat—don't know what exactly I'm talking about? Don't fret (pun intended)! Just watch this helpful tutorial to see the step-by-step instructions on how to play this really cool rumba flamenca rhythm! Now, as for the second half of the song, it should sound quite familiar to you if you've already reviewed the first rhythm guitar part, because it's virtually the same, just with some differentiating nuances. Don't forget to download your TABs and standard notation to follow along!

Recently, I received a request from one of my Oro-Tier Patrons for the rumba flamenca classic, “Entre Dos Aguas,” by Paco de Lucía; and I'll have to admit that I've been wanting to do a video lesson on this particular song for a long time! …So what better time than now? Paco's sister said in an interview for the documentary, “Light and Shade,” that when Paco recorded “Entre Dos Aguas,” it “just went BOOM!” …And today, this amazingly performed song by Paco is still going BOOM! I've decided to break up this lesson into a series of digestible video tutorials, so that we can cover the two rhythm guitar parts and the lead guitar parts. In this first episode, I go over, in as much detail possible (in less than 15 minutes) how to hold the chords and hold the rhythm as well. I hope you enjoy this lesson! Now go and pick up your guitar! ¡Vamonos! Here's the link to the finger nail shaping video I refered to: https://youtu.be/R32mmUHCJDk

In this week's lesson, I am going to teach you a beautiful chord progression from the beginning section of “Será Verdad,” by El Maestro from Córdoba, Vicente Amigo! This is Part I of a series for this song. …Just a side note, you may notice that I repeat a phrase an additional time than the original recording; this was done in order to give you more practice on this particular part. Enjoy!

Have you ever wondered how guitarists make simple melodies come alive with chords? Have you ever wanted to take a simple song-line and be able to accompany it with chords? Well, in this flamenco guitar lesson, I'm very excited to show you how to compose your own rumba! First, we'll start out with a simple melody line. Next, we'll listen closely to the melody to figure out which chords we'll need to use. Lastly, I'll show you how to add the correct rhythm and chords along with the melody so that you can accompany yourself so well that it will sound like two guitars are playing! So grab your guitar, a pen and paper, and follow along carefully. While you're at it, get a friend to join along with you during this lesson so that you can help and encourage each other on the journey! Let's go! ¡Vamonos! Get

Now that you've been exposed to the basic rumba rhythm (from previous lessons), and now that you've learned at least one or two falsetas for the rumba n A minor, now I want to teach you three fiery falsetas in one lesson! There will be a lot of thumb-work involved in this lesson, as well as a lot of rapid movement with the index finger. Finally, you'll learn an exciting and fast apoyando (alternating finger) technique run-on that nicely wraps up these three combined falsetas into a solid remate (finishing) sequence!

The art of the flamenco guitar has expanded as a worldwide phenomenon because of each musician's willingness to share his or her knowledge. In other words, there is no room for covetousness of one's own knowledge of his or her falsetas, otherwise the global flamenco guitar community would be one of secrecy…but to the contrary, Flamenco culture involves the generous sharing of ideas, art, letras, falsetas, stories, etc.  In this episode, Ben discusses the topic of the “culture of sharing” in the real flamenco community in Andalucía vs. the culture of covetousness in the domestic flamenco community in the United States. Remember that every dollar helps make The Flamenco Guitar Pocast and guitar video tutorials possible. Head on over to patreon.com/Flamenco4U to donate and become a patron. When you join, you'll get flamenco guitar TABs and other benefits for becoming a patron! Download the FREE flamenco guitar arpeggio mini-course at LearnTheFlamencoGuitar.com. 

Have you every wondered what the difference is between flamenco guitar strings and classical guitar strings? Well, you've landed on the right episode of the Flamenco Guitar Podcast, because we are going to talk about that very subject on today's show! Get your FREE TABs! You can view the tutorial video featured in this episode HERE!

In this episode your ears will get quizzed as you identify the different flamenco guitar techniques (e.g., apoyado, picado, and free-stroke). You will also learn how to play "Guajiras Flamencas." For TABs, standard notation, and practice tracks to this lesson, please visit Flamenco4U's Patreon Page and help support us!

We are continuing our series of chord-change videos. These chord changes, which we will be exploring in-depth together, are some of the most common and most indispensable chords for the flamenco guitar. As you continue exploring the flamenco guitar, you will discover just how frequently these chords will pop up. ...So I want to expose you to these chords ASAP! ...You'll thank me later

Believe it or not, in this first episode, the topic is not very sexy. We will be talking about...the thumb. Yes...the thumb (pulgar). We will be discussing the pulgar because it is absolutely THE most important finger the flamenco guitarist has! The pulgar plucks, does alzapua (we'll discuss what that is), strums, and so much more. So join me on this new podcast journey, and let me know what you think! What would make it better? What parts did you like or not like?