New World Flamenco.....at last!

[Wolfboy1]

Well I have been bugging Brad/Truefire for at least 4 years for a nylon course and this is a good one. I watched quite a bit of it during the "bug hunt' but never had my guitar in hand. By now a lot of folks have had a chance to buy the course and, since I am itching to learn this stuff, it's time to start a blog.

Please, please, please.....if you are working on this course and/or reading the blog jump in with some comments. I am no expert, truly just a beginner, in this type of playing and ANY tips on playing will be greatly appreciated. The course lends it self to serious strumming practice so I'm sure it will take a while but I will try to give some additional information about history/guitars etc. along the way. It's all stuff I want to research a bit and learn anyway. So without further ado....

[Wolfboy1]

So who is Tierra Negra?

Their website: http://www.tierranegra.de/main_en.html

Vita


TIERRA NEGRA, Germany's most successful guitar duo belongs to the protagonists of Flamenco Nuevo worldwide. Since their discovery in 1997 in Montréal, Canada, and the record contract that followed, they have produced a total of ten CDs. Their compositions are featured on countless international guitar compilations. Numerous concert tours brought them all over Europe and Canada. Even HOLLYWOOD used their music for the movie "THE PERFUME". Without losing the thread to the Rumba-Flamenco tradition of the Camargue and Spain, TIERRA NEGRA creates a unique combination of folklore, lounge and pop elements in their music. There is persuasiveness in the rhythm and melody of the duos pieces - the infectious groove of the accompanying guitar may sometimes steal the melody from the lead guitar but never its place at the fore of the compositions. TIERRA NEGRA always manage to project their own enthusiasm for Flamenco Nuevo straight to their audiences, leaving them in a state of amazement and fascination by the end of every concert.

In addition to being topnotch players, Raughi and Leo are into the craft of instrument designing. In conjunction with a top luthier in Spain they are producing a line of guitars that bear their own brand name, Tierra Negra. These are high-end, professional quality flamenco guitars.
The Gipsy Kings discovered Tierra Negra guitars, and Raughi and Leo designed a special model for them, the Tierra Negra GK. Now the Gipsy Kings play Tierra Negra guitars worldwide exclusively








Apparently they already had a Truefire connection before this course




some of their beautiful music to stream
http://www.myspace.com/music/player?...wner=120810076

[Wolfboy1]

Tierra Negra (Leo Henrichs and Raughi Ebert) is Germany’s leading guitar duo. They honed their highly-recognizable Rumba-Flamenco music in Camargue, a gypsy area in the south of France, creating a style with surprising depth, passion, and cultural uniqueness. They have toured extensively and their music has been featured on countless international compilations and films. Their new music together with Muriel Anderson’s Americana-Bluegrass influence has been coined “New World Flamenco.”

[Wolfboy1]

and a couple of performance pieces

[Wolfboy1]

The first lesson is going to be fundamental and it's not all that clear what is going on. These 2 videos should help clarify things.





I found the chart to be of no use.

Chord's he is playing: G#min - C#min - F#min - B

[Wolfboy1]

The 8 steps:




1) Forefinger down

2) Thumb up

3) Middle and ring fingers down

4) Thumb up

5) Hand slap then draw

6) Forefinger up

7) Forefinger down

8) Forefinger up

[Wolfboy1]

and a variation:




1) Thumb down together with ring finger tap
(it's kind of a pinching manuver)

2) Thumb up

3) Middle and ring fingers down

4) Thumb up

5) Hand slap then draw

6) Forefinger up

7) Forefinger down

8) Forefinger up

[Wolfboy1]

Edit to say....the following is wrong but that's the way it sounds to me



It seems to be like the accent is on the 3 and is percussive in part.

1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

or when you compare it to the numbers above

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1) Forefinger down

2) Thumb up

3) Middle and ring fingers down

4) Thumb up

5) Hand slap then draw

6) Forefinger up

7) Forefinger down

8) Forefinger up

[Wolfboy1]

Okay....even though it sounds that way to me....the accent is supposed to be
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and


"all rumba strums emphasize the same accents - on the "and" of 2 and on the 4 "
Leo Henrichs


thus:
1) Forefinger down

2) Thumb up

3) Middle and ring fingers down

4) Thumb up

5) Hand slap then draw

6) Forefinger up

7) Forefinger down

8) Forefinger up

I am working through this ad nausea because it seems important to get this down. A couple of additional items I noticed....

1) Look at how Leo and Raughi position their right arms. That position towards the end of the guitar kind of helps my arm focus more on the wrist movement. Try it....maybe it's just me but, it seems to cut down on arm swing.

2) I found I didn't want my arm exactly parallel with the front of the guitar. I wasn't getting a good angle of attack with my thumb. I started developing a sore spot along the skin on the side of my thumb. If I angled my arm out a bit it was easier to bend my wrist a bit and strike the strings better on the thumb upstroke.

[Wolfboy1]

Leo also said something in his video that I found insightful. "Everyone develops their own way to play the Rhumba."

We have Raughi's and Leo's way which are quite different plus Raughi's and that other guys way from the Youtube videos so far. It seems like the rhythm more than the specific finger work is truly the key to playing rumba. Look/listen again to Leo, 2 fingers down, thumb up....that's it (so far).

I have been working mostly on Raughi's Youtube style as I like the sound of it but that thumb up-stroke will take time to get used too.

[Wolfboy1]

Life has gotten in the way a bit lately. I have been working on my Rhumba strum and will get back into this blog in a week or two. Political events and personal tribulations are on the rise plus I will likely be incommunicado for a week starting March 8th. After that I will pick this back up. I apologize folks.

[Jestme]

Hey Life happens. Best of luck with everything.

[Wolfboy1]

Here is another great little lesson on the rumba beat....Yeah I am picking it back up, sorry it has taken so long.

[Wolfboy1]

Here is Sal Bonavita's site. The guitarist who made the above video.

http://nylonguitarist.com/

and here is Sal "The Nylon Guitarist"



Some cool tab and stuff on his site

[Wolfboy1]

Hang on this ones coming back, I have to work on my rhumba a bit first......

[gadlaw]

This is almost the year anniversary of this thread. Time does fly but apparently it circles back for you once in a while.

[Wolfboy1]

I love this course and really nylon strings are my favorite but, with the new Larivee, new Taylor 12, and the band spinning back up it's been my last priority for a bit.