Learn Spanish Guitar
Flamenco guitar is a beautiful way to play a guitar. If you learn learn spanish guitar, you can play in such a way. The Gypsy Kings (also the Gipsy Kings is another band in the same tradition) do amazing things, also. It’s a tradition that’s come all the way from the late 19th century. Flamenco guitars are made of cypress from Spain or sycamore, so it’s not the same as a regular guitar. Because of differences in the way that they’re made, a flamenco guitar sounds different than a classical guitar would. It’s constructed different, too.
Cypress, cedar and the tops of spruce trees are added to darker woods like rosewood and mahogany which are used in the backs and sides. This enhances the sustain qualities of the guitar, making the notes last for a longer duration.
However, it’s not just the way the guitar is made that makes the difference, a Flamenco guitar player will use different postures, it utilizes different techniques, and you use different strumming patterns when you play it.
When a classical guitarist holds the guitar on his left leg, the Flamenco guitarist crosses his legs, supporting the guitar on the top one.
The Flamenco guitarist uses a thing called a capo, or cejilla, which creates a brilliant sound that almost sounds like a drum. A cejilla lets the guitarist change the guitar’s key to suit that particular singer’s voice.
The neck of the guitar is held nearly parallel to the plane of the floor.
There are many different ways they use techniques, as well, such as Golpe – which is when they tap their fingers like a drum on the sounboard. Alzapua, which is where they take their thumb an strum it across a lot of strings at once. Picado is when they scale passages in a single-line while they alternate the index finger with the thumb while the other fingers are supported on the string.
There are many different styles, as well. Toque sobrio means the sober way of doing it. Whereas toque airoso means it’ll be graceful music – however it’s also very quick and almost sounds like metallic clacking.
If you decide to learn spanish guitar, you should learn it from a master. It’s not as simple was learning to play Classical guitar; but it can be rewarding.
