Flamenco workshop with Rafael

On tuesday the 12th of january we had a flamenco workshop with a master flamenco player rafael. I actually have known rafael for a number of years and have had lessons with him so i had a bit more insight into what we would be doing in the workshop than most.

What i enjoyed:

I really enjoyed the workshop as I have a great appreciation for flamenco guitar, as it is a completely differant style of playing to what i'm use to. Flamenco is all about rhythm, which is the first thing rafael spoke to us about. This was something i really enjoyed in the workshop, everybody trying to get our heads around a simple flamenco rhythm proved a lot more difficult than most of us would have expected.

Later into the workshop rafael conducted us all into playing a simple bit of flamenco using our guitars, hands, voices, and drums. As a guitarist i was with the other guitarists naturally playing the chords rafael had shown us. I had a tremendous amount of fun during this section, it was great playing a type of music thati don't play much.

If i had to sum it up i really enjoyed the whole experiance with rafael. He is a great teacher with a vast amount of knowledge, which he is able to express to others in a way which is easy to understand. Because of this he makes flamenco a style of music that a lot more people have much more interest in now than before.

What i have learned:

Although i have had a few sessions with Rafael, i mainly learnt more about specifically flamenco guitar and how to play it. While we briefly touched on this in the workshop, what I really took away from the experiance was the rhythm.

Flamenco is all about rhythm, and is not as simple as you might think based on hearing it. Through clapping exercises we did during the workshop, I have kept in mind some simple rhythm of flamenco, and continue to recap on this in my spare time.

How i can apply this to my music:

Even if one has no interest in flamenco, there are tips you can take from flamenco and apply it to your own. For myself, i try to apply certain techniques Rafael has taught me when it comes to posture, how much force i need to apply on the fretboard with my fingers, and how to add more feeling into my playing.

Not regarding the guitar work, I have kept Rafaels words about rhythm firmly in my mind and try to apply this to my playing. It has really made my sense for the rhythm much sharper. A good example i can give is myself jamming along to a blues backing track in a minor. Before while i would jam along and have fun doign so, i could get a bit lost soloing and forget about focusing on the rhythm and listening for my cues to change chords/position on the neck to solo. So in whatever types of music i play to or listen to, i focus a lot more on the rhythm which has made my sense for song writing, and playing better than before.