Well guys for me this has been a useful exercise but for you

First I learnt the little red light turns me to jelly. After several attempts at trying to get perfection I dropped the Oscar Herrero falseta and stuck to JM. Then I turned to drink. Then this morning I just got up and recorded both guitars without a thought for compas, a metronome, or anything.

Then I listened and had to check I had used both guitars as I couldn't tell the difference .

So here they are. As said before one is a 1999 valeriano Bernal that did 5 years hard labour in the tabernas of Seville, and the other my tailor made Anders Eliasson 2005. Both have La Bella 2001.

But it was useful for me. From here I'll always record everything until I can ignore that red light and I'll always use a met (for reasons you will hear).

And the other one

are we playing the guessing game again? if so...
i think the second one is the anders.
to me it sounds not as open. but it could be your recording. i hear two different background noises. what program are you using?

as for the red light syndrome, i have it too. badly... very frustrating

very nice playing, btw. my only suggestion would be to separate those rasgueados more and balance the thumb with your other fingers better playing harder with your other fingers. your thumb sounds strong and solid.

thanks for sharing! would love to hear more from both these guitars.

Thanks for posting Nigel. The background noise and quality of the recording certainly didn't do your fine guitars justice.

The guitars sound different to me. The first is more mellow on the basses and seems to have a bit more sustain. The second has more growl on the basses and the trebles seems a bit more bright. I would guess the second as the Anders and the first as the Bernal based on the fact that guitars seem to improve to a point, then unlike violins actually deteriorate with hard playing. The Bernal had an expert restoration which also throws more points to consider. I will say the first is the Bernal and the second is the Anders as it sounds like the several Anders I have heard.

Your playing was good. I understand the recording problem. I have for months tried to record my old masters Solea. I play it fine until I record it and then I mess up on falsetas I have played for years without thinking. Same with my new Alegrias ... I sit here and play it nice a few times with the recorder set up but on pause. I get brave and push the record then my mind changes and my playing goes cold, my fingers seize up, etc. I tried leaving the recorder on all the time. It still messed me up.

I can't criticize your rasqueados because as you know mine are technically wrong, but I make them fit the time. Mine lack dynamics. I thought the compas was good and in parts where you slowed a little that was obviously from nerves. I can tell you have the compas down. A metronome IMO is good for some practice, but can become a crutch. All in all I think the Farruca was good and it was easy to tell what palo it was. It sounded very much flamenco!

Well guys first the competition - first was the Anders, second the Bernal so I get to eat all the sweets (although I couldn't tell the difference ).

They were both recorded using a Canon video camera then prepared using microsoft movie maker - so no surprise about the poor quality. I have a microphone and sound cards but I no longer use desktops and the sound cards do not interface to the portables. But who knows if the economy improves I may have to invest a little.

Well thanks for the comments. I'll work on those rasqueados and the timing with the met. And the next projects : Alegrias and Tangos

Now I wonder what leo's guitar sounds like

flyeogh wrote:
Now I wonder what leo's guitar sounds like

hmmmm.... sounds like... at the moment.....nothing!
unfortunately, i injured my hand, needed surgery, now im in a cast. cant play or use my hand AT ALL for 3 - 6 months or else the tendon might rip again. BUT it is a red cast and it looks muy flamenco, imo

so hold on for 3- 6 months! haha.

Nigel, I listened again and my first comments on the tones is unchanged. I was surprised the Anders cypress has a more mellow bass and lacks the brightness on the basses I hear on the Bernal. Don't get me wrong the Anders has great sounding basses that remind me of a Pedro Maldanado I used to have, but I prefer basses with the extra growl. They both have beautiful tone however I am partial to guitar #2 that I thought was the Anders.

How does the action compare, the playability? I have heard that Anders makes a nice low fast accurate action.

Leo, Which hand? We cannot let you off so easy. If the left hand is still usable, then a clip of a short solo using ligatos would be nice or if the good hand is the right then a solo of harmonics might be in order or just a picato demo on the open strings. Red cast? To be muy flamenca I would think it must be a black cast with 6 silver horizontal lines on it with at least 12 vertical lines of a darker silvery color. Sorry to hear that you injured your hand requiring surgery. 3 months or more is quite a setback.

Nigel, Looking forward to that Alegrias. I hope to post a clip of my eclectic Alegrias soon, but I pulled a "Leo" this morning and broke off a perfect thumb nail so important for the Diego introduction I had planned. I talked with Agustin Rios yesterday and he is finally getting his 3 hour video of Soleares and Siguiriyas burnt on DVD for me, so I will be busy working on that hopefully correcting problems and getting the good old gitano sound. After that I hope to return to the Alegrias, Bulerias, and Tangos. That should take me to age 90.

Manos Lentas wrote:
Leo, Which hand? We cannot let you off so easy. If the left hand is still usable, then a clip of a short solo using ligatos would be nice or if the good hand is the right then a solo of harmonics might be in order or just a picato demo on the open strings. Red cast? To be muy flamenca I would think it must be a black cast with 6 silver horizontal lines on it with at least 12 vertical lines of a darker silvery color. Sorry to hear that you injured your hand requiring surgery. 3 months or more is quite a setback.

it is my right hand. i severed two nerves, but they were able to fix that, or so they say. it still feels numb. i also cut the tendon in my pinky. when i went to get stitches, the doctor said my tendon was fine. i went to another hospital when i got the stitches removed. they said the tendon was cut and that i needed surgery. by this point, two weeks had passed and the tendon already had begun retracting. so when my doctor re-attached it, she could only go up to the second joint. so now it's assumed that i wont be able to use my tip joint ever again. my only concern is if i'll be able to pull the pinky in tight enough so i can shoot out for a strong rasgueado. the pinky is weak enough already compared to the other fingers.

anyways, i'll compose a quick legatto piece today and see if i can somehow make my cast more flamenco looking. maybe some gold chains, polka dots, frilly stuff, etc.

How did you manage to cut yourself so bad? You may have to go to the three fingered rasqueado. Lots of various rasqueados will work in place of the sami, you just have to work on the timing. Sounds like a few months off and probably a lot of special exercises you may have to devise to strengthen your right hand. If you wrist and thumb is still good you can still come up with nice sounding rasqueados using stiff index, middle, or ring fingers. My wrist is not much good. I still cannot do a triplet with any speed.

The following starting at 1:16 to 1:42 or so is an assignment just for LEO while his right hand is recovering. Back in 1972-3 cannot remember exactly, I was visiting with Jose after a concert and ask him to do this ligato thing up close ... he did and it was amazing. More amazing was when I ask him to play some flamenco puro ... he did and left me stunned. He never played any puro in any concerts I know of, but he was and still is (at age 62) capable. I realize that Jose is NOT considered flamenco and the Malaguena is an adopted palo. This video in part is to tutor Leo in left hand exercise and ligato while he is recovering.

Leo hope it all heals well and if all else fails invent a palo that goes with the tools you have. I'm sure your talent will shine through. I suspect the gitanos of long ago would have done so under equal circumstances.

As for this hard task master who hangs around here I'm just glad I never worked for him. I think you should let that hand take it easy and just record some nice cante for us