How to Play Flamenco Guitar

Flamenco guitar playing has a strong rhythmic base and requires a physical and energetic demeanor on the part of the player. Played solo or accompanied by a flamenco dancer, this demanding and lively guitar style is easy to learn, but becomes more challenging as the player sets out to conquer different rhythms and time signatures. Read on to learn how to play a flamenco guitar.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Contact an instructor who specializes in flamenco guitar. Check at your local college or music school since they will offer more instruction choices than an individual teacher. Browse ads on Craigslist and check flamenco web sites for lists of teachers in your area.

2. Learn flamenco techniques. Flamenco time signatures consist of 2/4 and 4/4 rhythms used in tangos and 12 beat rhythms used in more complicated pieces like serranas and alegrias.

3. Buy a flamenco guitar. Similar in style to a regular acoustic guitar, flamenco guitars have a tap plate and low action to create more of the buzzing sound that is an integral part of flamenco music. Companies like Luthier and Hill Guitar Company carry several models of flamenco guitars.

4. Play a simple flamenco tune by forming different versions of the E major chord on the fretboard. E major is an easy chord to form, so even beginners will have no problem with this tune. Many beginning flamenco tunes are based around the E chord.

5. Master flamenco fingerpicking by playing a piece like "Study in A minor" and training all the fingers of the right hand. Graduate to playing faster chord runs with two fingers. Learn how to play notes on the fifth and sixth string with the thumb.

Resources

• Online Flamenco Lessons
• Flamenco Guitar Home Page on Guitarist.com