'To play the guitar well is easy, to play the guitar poorly is difficult.'
- Pepe Romero
'I'm no Paco de Lucia but with this class at least I've taken the first step!'
– P. Tynan
Flamenco music is made up of three distinct parts; the Cante (the song), Baile (the dance) and Guitarra (guitar playing). Over the years, the guitar has gradually taken centre stage and is now recognised as the focal point of Flamenco. Although the founders of Flamenco music are usually considered to be the gypsies of Andalucia in Spain, Flamenco has absorbed many different styles of music during its development, including more recently Jazz, Salsa, Bossa Nova, etc. This is what gives the music its rich texture and dynamic rhythms.
Flamenco Guitar provides an extensive introduction to the form and how to play it. Topics covered include:
- Staying in the compas or rhythm of flamenco
- Left-hand technique (bars, fast changes, golpe, picado, legato, etc.)
- Right-hand technique (positions, bringing up voices, etc.)
- Scales, arpeggios and slurs
- Techniques to achieve speed and dexterity
- Flamenco rhythms (bulerias, alegrias, fandangos, etc.)
- Rasgeado (strumming technique) and alzapua (thumb technique)
- Las palmas (clapping) and las contras (offbeat clapping)
Although this course is an introduction to Flamenco guitar, it is not a course for guitar beginners. (Go to Introducing Guitar for Adults or Introducing Guitar for Teens for information on our beginners courses.) Participants in Flamenco Guitar should have at least one year’s playing experience, be able to read guitar tablature and have a good grasp of basic open-position chords as well as standard barre chord fingerings. Changing from one chord to another should not be a problem. Nylon-string Spanish or classical guitars are required for use in the course.
Flamenco Guitar is one of our group courses. Private and partner lessons in Spanish and flamenco guitar, as well as other guitar styles, are also available. Go to Departments & Faculty - Guitar & Bass for more information.
First Term Schedule & Fee
10 weeks, October 7 – December 16, 2010
(No class on October 28)
Thursdays 7 – 8 pm
Tuition Fee: €170
Miguelangel Lejarza, Teacher
Born in Tepeji del Rio, Mexico, Miguelangel ‘Angel’ Lejarza obtained his degree with first-class honours from the Concervatorio Nacional de Musica in Mexico City before leaving for France to study guitar and early music at the Schola Cantorum de Paris, where he obtained the diplomas ‘Superior III’ and ‘Virtuosite’, also with first-class honours. He went on to attend master classes in the Real Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Madrid under the instruction of Jose Luis Rodrigo. Angel has won such international prizes as the Mexico Conservatory Competition and the Rachmaninoff Conservatory International Competition in Paris. He was a founder member and head of the Guitar Department at the Conservatorio de Musica del Estado de Mexico, has lectured on Early Music, Modern Guitar and Philosophy of Musical Interpretation at the Casa de Musica de Tlaxcala and the Universidad Iberoamericana of Mexico, and has sat on judging panels for several national and international music festivals. As a soloist Angel has performed throughout Europe, as well as in Algeria, Morocco and the US. He has recorded four solo albums for the AULOS label – Homenaje a Heitor Villa-Lobos, Guitarrista!, La guitarra, musica de Mexico and La guitarra, musica de Europa – as well as Incomplete Century (KCO, 2006), an album of 20th-century guitar music. He regularly performs at arts festivals and other cultural events throughout Ireland.
Enrolment
Enrolment for this course requires a completed enrolment form and full payment of tuition fees. Places are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date of enrolment. Early enrolment is recommended, as places are limited to eight.
Purchasing this course as a gift? Download a gift certificate booking form.
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