Intended as a sequel to 20 Flamenco Guitar Etudes, the longer, more developed exercises in 16 Studies for Flamenco Guitar further explore characteristic flamenco guitar techniques including: picado, arpeggio, tremolo, horquilla, the “chop,” ligado, and the thumb/index alzapua among others. These intermediate-level studies are written in standard notation and guitar tablature with online audio and video included for ease of learning. The pieces are designed and fingered pragmatically to enhance the student’s overall understanding of flamenco technique and encourage the use of a broader range of studies in daily practice. Left and right-hand digitation is provided throughout, along with occasional circled string numbers which clarify passages intended to be played higher on the fretboard, or on certain strings for a specific musical effect. This book is unique not only for its inclusion of the author’s stellar online audio and video recordings, but also for insightful practice tips that vary according to the player’s years of experience and level of development. If you’re thinking “WOW!”— that is the appropriate response; this is flamenco instruction at its best. Includes access to online audio and video.

Since the 19th century beginnings of the flamenco guitar style in Spain, the flamenco/classical guitar relationship has always existed; this 3-book method series—begun by Juan Serrano and Corey Whitehead and extended by Whitehead’s collaboration with Richard Marlow—is simply the first to point out and dive deep into what has always been a single cross-cultural relationship. In addition to the unique classical/flamenco repertoire included in this book, the flamenco history presented here is essential. It makes the origins of dozens of rhythmic flamenco song and dance forms crystal clear. Why, for example, does the Spanish word, palo (stick), continually pop up in flamenco literature? This book reveals that, even before the guitar was used in flamenco song and dance accompaniment, the actual stick from a butter churn was used to mark time. Most guitarists are familiar with the CAGED guitar chord system, i.e., the use of the five basic first-position key/chord patterns to explore the mid and upper regions of the fretboard with or without a capo. Volume 2 includes a comprehensive introduction to fretboard harmony and explores the CAGED system thoroughly with standard notation and chord grids. Whitehead goes so far as to develop an entire scale system based on the CAGED concept. Imagine what that system might do for your intuitive fretboard knowledge and sightreading ability. While unfamiliar with rasgueado (strumming) or alzapúa (“raise the thumb”) techniques, classical guitarists already have a head start in their approach to flamenco; good guitar technique is simply good technique in either style. Through its reasoned, progressive blending of history and flamenco/classical repertoire, this series removes the perceived barriers in thinking about and playing the two styles, revealing that they are truly one tradition as the series title clearly states. To encourage better sightreading, The Flamenco/Classical Guitar Tradition series is written in standard notation only; each book includes extensive online audio tracks for authenticity and ease of learning.

Recognized internationally for his interpretation and fluid, yet powerful flamenco and classic guitar technique, Adam del Monte reveals his practice methods and routine for achieving greater speed in executing picado or rest-stroke scales. From a reasoned right-hand nail filing system to the proper mindset while practicing, Adam lays out an effective plan for increasing speed while retaining accuracy. Endorsed by none other than Angel Romero, this book goes a long way in erasing the seeming boundaries between flamenco and classic guitar playing styles. When rest-stroke speed is no longer an issue, a bit of authentic flamenco fire may blend into your classical technique. The book ends with three concert-level flamenco selections demonstrating the breath of Adam’s musicality and the importance of developing faster picado scales.

Classic and flamenco guitarists alike will benefit from these etudes as they bridge the gap between traditional mechanical studies and engaging practice and concert material. Although relatively short in duration, a few of these etudes could be combined in a medley to form an effective suite or set. In addition, fourteen of the twenty etudes are provided with chord accompaniment for harmonic analysis, improvisation, or performance with a teacher or second guitarist. The companion online audio for this book has been masterfully recorded by the author using a flamenco guitar to authentically render the typical picado, double-arpeggio, arpeggio-legato, and horquilla techniques as well as the quintuplet flamenco tremolo. Traditional classical elements like octave, interval and arpeggio studies are also thoroughly explored, with one piece in dropped-D tuning—all with a flamenco flavor. In addition to accomplishing its mission of offering a fresh regimen of appealing practice etudes, the truly unique feature of this book is that everything from basic technique to exotic harmony and modal scales has been aflamencado or “flamenco-ized”. Towards that end, a comprehensive glossary of mostly flamenco terminology is provided along with standard notation and tablature for each piece. As a bonus for those new to the flamenco genre, or for the serious aficionado or audiophile, a generous “Recommended Listening” list is included. Practice-related quotations from prominent guitarists in various styles complete this exceptional collection. Includes access to online audio.

The legendary flamenco guitarist and best-selling Mel Bay Publications author, Juan Serrano, is well-known for his sound recordings, transcriptions of his music, and technical methods for flamenco guitar. Now the music that formed his technical repertory and was the musical foundation given to him by his father, Antonio el del Lunar, (guitarist for all the flamenco singers of his time including Pastora Pavon-Nina de los Peines) is at your fingertips in this book that contains completely unreleased flamenco puro that is the foundation of one of the world'sleading guitarists. These falsetas or variations on flamenco forms (toques) are graded so they are valuable for beginners, intermediate, advanced, andprofessional flamenco guitarists--or for classical guitarists that want to learn flamenco. This book is a repertoire book that is a valuable supplement to other Juan Serrano books on Mel Bay, such as Flamenco Guitar: Basic Techniques, or The Flamenco/Classical Tradition: A Technical Guitar Method and Introduction to music. Includes standard notation and guitar tablature. This repertoire allows students to solidify right-hand arpeggios, rasgueados, and picados; and left-hand techniques such as ligados and apagados, while learning valuable repertoire thatcan be used by the concert artist.

The acclaimed first volume of this exciting series gave extensive insights into basic techniques of flamenco guitar playing and the two important rhythmic forms (palos) of Solea and Alegrias. This second volume continues on with an exploration of further essential rhythmic palos. The first of these is the Bulerias. Juan Martin brings his many years of experience as an internationally renowned flamenco soloist and accompanist for singers and dancers to unravelling its mysteries, explaining and demonstrating very clearly the different elements of its rhythmic structure and the various ways it may be accented and counted. He uses traditional and more modern examples of the different kinds of rhythm and melodic passages (falsetas) to provide an invaluable understanding of this wonderful palo. The second rhythmic form is devoted to the popular flamenco Rumba, then Tangos, Tientos and that most profound of all the palos, the deeply moving Seguiriyas. Juan's solo playing is complemented by demonstrations of the guitar's role in accompanying the flamenco dance (baile) and song (cante) with the help of outstanding dancers Raquel de Luna and Miguel Infante and singers Amparo Heredia (La Repompilla) and Carlos Brias. The music for solo guitar is transcribed in standard notation and tablature (cifra) and the online video contain nearly three hours of explanation and demonstrations. The series is complemented by two other best-selling Juan Martin volumes published by Mel Bay. These provide progressively graded solo material to extend the repertoire, from beginner to concert level. Includes access to online video.