Hello,

Like many, I am a returning guitarist. About 40 years ago, I started classical guitar at the Guitar Workshop on Long Island, NY for one year, taking both private and group lessons. Then, I studied flamenco with Harry Berlow in New York City for about one year. In those days, there was no flamenco notation. Harry was one of the first to do it by working with Carlos Montoya.

Then my life changed. The guitars went into the closet or under the bed where they remained in quiet stasis until five years ago when we retired to the Smokey Mountains. When I resurrected them, I had to have my flamenco guitar, a Manuel Velazques, repaired by a luthier as the braces had come loose over the years of neglect ( yes, I am thoroughly ashamed).

I had forgotten everything. So I started from scratch with my old Aaron Shearer Book 1 and the music Harry had written for me. I was amazed how quickly it all came back but I needed more.

Since there are no classical or flamenco guitar teachers here, I bought the Frederick Noad books one and two with CD’s. I also bought Juan Serrano’s book, "Basic Flamenco Techniques" with CD. I’ve been working with these two books plus music I’ve downloaded from the Internet for the past five years on my own.

However, I’m grateful to those early years of good instruction as it taught me proper hand position, reading and rhythm. This makes working on my own a lot easier.

I love both classical and flamenco music and I am happy to have found this site.

Lorette

Welcome to the group Lorette. There are similarities between our guitar-learning histories. I started classical guitar about 50-years ago. I was much more interested in flamenco, but no instructors or tutorial materials of any kind were available locally at that time. Eventually I started taking business trips to Spain and managed to learn some of the basics from players I met there. However, business obligations made it increasingly difficult to find time to play and my guitar cases were rarely opened for many years until a few years ago. However, like you, I also found that much of what I had learned many years ago came back quickly.

I enjoy classical music and frequently listen to wonderful classical-guitar recordings in my library, but I have remained focused on playing flamenco, rather than classical, since starting to play again. I can still play fragments of classical music learned long ago and sometimes think that I should spend some time practicing pieces that I used to play, but so far, since starting to play again, I have only been playing flamenco.

-Bob

Hello Lorette,
So, is there any kind of Flamenco scene in North Carolina? My wife is considering going to grad school (Duke, in Raleigh) there, and I was just curious what it might be like

Not to my knowledge, Joel. I live in a very remote area in the Smokey Mountains. Classical musical and flamenco is nonexistent here.

However, culture does exist in eastern NC especially if you are near the university. I believe there is a very fine classical guitar music department there. I suggest you google Duke or telephone there to see what programs are available. Or google your city-flamenco.

Sorry I could not be of more help to you. Good luck to both you and wife.

Lorette