Flamenco guitar - features and subtleties of the game

It can be difficult, if not impossible, even for professional classical musicians to play works performed by flamenco guitarists without proper training. This direction has its own performance characteristics, techniques and rhythmic constructions. The art of flamenco includes a very wide range of various genres, and each of them is somewhat different from all others: not accents, so harmony, not time signature, so performing technique, not playing techniques, so uneven rhythm.

This article will help beginners to understand the questions about the features of the instrument (flamenco guitar), its differences from the classical analogue both in construction and in sound. And also here you can find out what you need to play the flamenco guitar and how to start learning to play it.

Externally, a flamenco guitar looks exactly the same as a classical one... Even if a beginner picks it up and examines it with a magnifying glass, he will still not notice the difference. The whole point is absolutely in other features, and not in appearance.

The Spanish guitar, which is called flamenco, differs from the classical instrument in the following characteristics:

• design;
• the material of manufacture of all its component parts;
• external dimensions of the body and thickness of the shell;
• the height of the strings above the sills;
• sound;
• some aspects of the technique of the game.

Structurally, a flamenca guitar is made with as few spacers as possible inside the body. But they have a well-adjusted installation scheme so that the indicators of the degree of reliability and durability of the tool are no worse than those of the classical counterpart. The balance of a flamenco guitar from good masters reaches the top of perfection, which allows you to play it even with a traditional fit.while keeping the instrument on your lap in an almost vertical position of the neck, with great comfort.

Flamenco guitar body usually inferior in external dimensions to classic instrument cases. The same goes for its thickness (shell width).

Bottom deck and sides made from cypress. The "classics" mainly use rosewood. The tops of both flamenco and classical instruments are made of cedar or spruce, and the neck is made of rosewood or cedar. Some makers use Canadian maple and European pear for both sides and decks, both of which have proven themselves to be materials that give a softer and longer sound to the instrument.

Fretboard Flamenca and classic models are made from ebony wood. However, the flamenco guitar is thinner than the classic.

Another feature of the flamenco instrument is the back is made thinnerthan usual. Together with fewer spacers inside the case, this circumstance contributes to obtaining a louder and brighter sound.

The material used in the production of various flamenco guitar models and the internal structure have a direct impact on the sound of musical instruments.

That is why the flamenco guitar, having a smaller acoustic drum (body), produces a loud and bright sound that surpasses the sound of classical instruments in many respects. However, in the latter, the sound does not fade much longer..

Metal saddles cut deeper into the neck, due to which they have a lower height above the surface of the lining. In addition, the saddle (on the soundboard of the instrument where the strings are attached) is also not as high as on a regular or classical guitar, so the height of the strings above the neck is minimal. When played, the strings vibrate and may touch the thresholds, resulting in a percussion-related sound. But the art of flamenco performers allows you to control the noise effects - they sound only when intended, and not in random order.

Tune flamenco guitars - Spanish, that is, exactly the same as that of the classic "twin": EADGBE (starting with the sixth - the thickest - strings). This is the standard tuning for all six-string guitars., including electrical ones. It is also called "classic".

And you can also hear about the key of the tuning: E ​​minor. This statement is not entirely true, since two strings out of six - the fifth and fourth - are tuned to sounds that are not included in the E minor chord. But the consonance of the other 4 strings is precisely the E minor chord. Chord sounds in the tuning can be marked in bold to clearly see the named chord: EADGBE... Thus, it would be more correct to call the standard tuning "conditionally E minor".

In the homeland of flamenco - Spain - there are a large number of manufacturers of corresponding models of instruments and guitar accessories. But there are even more private masters there, specializing precisely on handmade models of flamenco guitars. These instruments are of high quality and great sound.... True, the prices for them for an average person with an average income may seem exorbitant (from 6 thousand euros).

The prices for factory branded models, of course, are several times less than for handmade items, but their quality is not the same. The factories Alhambra, Admira, Ramirez, Manuel Rodriguez, Prudencio Saez stand out, among whose products you can find models with price tags from 700 euros... This is mainly a series Flamenco Student or Guitarra Negra ("Black guitar"), whose backs are made of rosewood, solid spruce or maple. Approximately 1000 euros should be paid for the instrument Manuel rodriguez ff, since the lower deck of the body is made of solid cypress.

To learn how to play flamenco music decently on the guitar, you need at least a classic 6-string instrument with nylon strings.

In addition, a few more guitar accessories are needed, often used in playing flamenco music.

• Sejilla (capo)... A special clamping device used to change the key of the instrument. It is often referred to as a "portable nut", as it grips all strings at any fret and is fixed in this position for the entire duration of the performance. If, for example, you set the sekhilli to the 3rd fret, then the tuning of the guitar is no longer in the conditionally E minor key, but 1.5 tones higher - in the G minor tuning (GCFBbdg). The tunings obtained as a result of setting the capo at different frets are also called standard, since the spacing ratio between adjacent strings does not change due to the fact that all strings increase their sound by the same number of semitones (between frets the sound changes by 1 semitone) ... In tablatures and notes, the installation of the capo is indicated above the first measure of the composition by the word Cejilla, indicating the fret number on which the strings should be clamped.

• Golpeador... In the case when learning or playing is performed on a conventional acoustic instrument, to protect the top deck from cracks and other damage to its material or varnish when performing a holpe swing with your fingers, a protective plastic plate called a "holpeador" must be glued. Golpe is performed by a sharp blow with one or two fingers of the right hand on the upper deck in the area of ​​the lower or upper half of the deck... A protective plate is glued there.

• Educational literature... It is unlikely that you can do without a self-instruction manual or initial lessons with an experienced teacher. The guitar itself is a rather difficult musical instrument to learn, not to mention such an unusual style of playing it as flamenco. In music stores you can find both a self-instruction manual and tabs of compositions in the flamenco style.

Flamenco guitar lessons for beginners should begin with mastering basic exercises to develop the strength and independence of the fingers of both hands.

For the right hand:

• learning different versions of a simple arpeggio (brute force) on open strings;
• single strikes on the strings are practiced forefinger and thumb (first on the strings muffled by the fingers of the left hand, later - in various chord progressions);
• variable and even sound production with the index and middle fingers on the same string with the pikado technique (at first slowly, and as confidence in movements increases - accelerating the pace);
• thumb work on bass strings (apoyando technique - with support on an adjacent string);
• plucked sound on open fingers according to the scheme "first bass - then chord»: The bass string is extracted with the thumb, and the simultaneous extraction of sounds from three thin strings is performed with the index, middle and ring fingers;
• study of rhythmic segments (compasses) the main styles of flamenco music: Soleares and Sigiriya, Farruca and Fandango, Alegria and Bulerias.

For the fingers of the left hand (start after some development of the fingers of the right hand - after about 2 weeks of daily exercises with the right hand):

• alternate pressing of all strings (start with the first) with obligatory sound production in the following sequence of frets: I-II-III-IV (fingers: index-middle-ring-little finger, respectively);
• practice of staging chords in an open position, striking down the strings with your right thumb (simple rasgeado).

After acquiring some string-playing and chord-playing skills you need to start daily work on practicing simple and complex rasgeado, arpeggios on strings pressed in chords and pulgar technique (playing with your right thumb).