flamenco guitar techniques: tremolo

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    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Barrio La Viña (Alegria)
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    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Gloria al Nino Ricardo (Solea)
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    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Callejon del Muro (Minera)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Aires de Linares (Taranta)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Generalife Bajo la Luna (Granaina)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Buleria by Paco Pena
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Rumbeando la Milonga by Paco Pena
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    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - El panuelo (Buleria)
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Flamenco Guitar Techniques - Tremolo
Guitar is not a sustained instrument. In plain English, the note dies out very quickly once it comes out. Piano is the same. Then there are sustained instruments such as violin or flute. These instruments can truly play long notes as written on the scores. But a guitar cannot create a sustained note (unless you have an electric guitar with a pedal). So, probably a smart player at some point thought he or she could use the fingers repeatedly to create a mandolin-like effect while plucking accompaniment notes with the thumb.

Therefore, tremolo is an attempt to mimic a sustained instrument or a singer using a guitar.

In classical guitar, tremolo is typically played P a m i, which is one bass note followed by three trebles - 4 notes in total. The flamenco tremolo is made up of 5 notes: P i a m i. The key to developing a nice and even tremolo is to basically do the opposite of what you do for fast picado. Speed burst, which is extremely useful for picado speed, is detrimental to homogeneous tremolo. In complete opposition to the "twitch" approach of picado, you have to consider each and every tremolo note as a separate entity that is governed by a beat (or a fraction of a beat) on the metronome. Tremolo has to be practised very slowly, giving each note equal value.
If you apply the speed burst technique to tremolo then your tremolo will "gallop" and not sound even. Playing tremolo, you are mimicking a singer, or an instrument with high sustain such as a violin or flute where notes last. Your tremolo has to create the illusion of a continuous note. And the only way to achieve that is to make the sequence as even as possible.

Practise with the metronome very slowly and play your tremolo passages at the speed you can play them perfectly.
Here is the youtube playlist of atrafanaSchool on tremolo:
Flamenco Tremolo Exercises

Also, check out the tremolo training package from the atrafanaStore.
Tremolo Training Package​
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Blog
  • Home
  • Join atrafanaSchool
  • Total Training
  • Beginners
  • STORE
  • e-learning
  • Skype Lessons
  • Techniques
    • Flamenco Guitar Techniques: Picado
    • Flamenco Guitar Techniques : Tremolo
    • Flamenco Guitar Techniques : Alzapua
    • Flamenco Guitar Techniques : Arpeggio
    • Flamenco Guitar Techniques : Three - Finger Picado
    • Flamenco Guitar Techniques: Pulgar
  • Repertoire
  • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Punta del Faro (Buleria)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Reflejo de Luna (Granaina)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - GitanosTrianeros (Solea)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - El Tempul (Buleria)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Barrio La Viña (Alegria)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Mi Inspiracion (Alegria)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Punta Umbria (Fandango)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Llanto a Cadiz (Tientos)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Gloria al Nino Ricardo (Solea)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Cepa Andaluza (Buleria)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Aires Choqueros (Fandango)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Plaza de San Juan (Alegria)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Recuerdo a Patino (Alegria)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Celosa (Solea por Buleria)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Callejon del Muro (Minera)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Aires de Linares (Taranta)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Generalife Bajo la Luna (Granaina)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Buleria by Paco Pena
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Rumbeando la Milonga by Paco Pena
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Riomar (Fandango)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Granada En Flor
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Doblan Campanas
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Plaza Alta (Solea)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - De Madrugada (Seguiriya)
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - Fuente y Caudal
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - La Tumbona
    • Youtube Flamenco Guitar Lessons - El panuelo (Buleria)
  • Flamenco Guitar Strings
  • Teaching
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  • FAQ
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