Hammer-on and Pull-off
If you have been reading the articles in the order presented, I have, so far, talked mostly about the right hand which makes sense as it is the hand that determines the flamenco sound. A great percentage of flamenco guitar playing is in the domain of the right hand.
Also, since a majority of my students already play classical guitar, I focus mostly on the right hand techniques because the left hand is basically the same between the two genres of music.
However, remember what they say: in flamenco if the right hand is the heart, the left hand is the mind and knowledge. Also, Paco de Lucia once said that the right hand simply does what it's told whereas the left hand thinks and decides!
There are two important items about the left hand that need the player's attention:
Fingering: improper fingering of a falseta makes it very hard to articulate and in some instances impossible to play no matter how awesome your right hand is.
Legato (hammer-on and pull-off) is one technique that makes your left hand skills shine. If done properly of course.
A hammer-on is when you create a note by simply hammering your finger into the fret without touching the string with your right hand fingers. This one is easy.
The pull-off is the hard one. When you are hammering the force of the fingertip pounding on the string adds to the energy of the vibration. However, when you lift your finger during the vibration, the sound of the new note is considerably less powerful.
What to do then?
Don't pull your finger off, pull it DOWN. Essentially a pull-off is a left hand picado.
Here is a left hand exercise video I posted some time ago:
Also, since a majority of my students already play classical guitar, I focus mostly on the right hand techniques because the left hand is basically the same between the two genres of music.
However, remember what they say: in flamenco if the right hand is the heart, the left hand is the mind and knowledge. Also, Paco de Lucia once said that the right hand simply does what it's told whereas the left hand thinks and decides!
There are two important items about the left hand that need the player's attention:
Fingering: improper fingering of a falseta makes it very hard to articulate and in some instances impossible to play no matter how awesome your right hand is.
Legato (hammer-on and pull-off) is one technique that makes your left hand skills shine. If done properly of course.
A hammer-on is when you create a note by simply hammering your finger into the fret without touching the string with your right hand fingers. This one is easy.
The pull-off is the hard one. When you are hammering the force of the fingertip pounding on the string adds to the energy of the vibration. However, when you lift your finger during the vibration, the sound of the new note is considerably less powerful.
What to do then?
Don't pull your finger off, pull it DOWN. Essentially a pull-off is a left hand picado.
Here is a left hand exercise video I posted some time ago:
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