The Metronome
There are 2 ways you can practise a falseta:
1- Developmental Practice: Also referred to as DP. You play the falseta at a comfortable speed and slow down when you hit a challenging passage, then pick up the tempo again during the easy parts. In other words, you vary the rhythm based on what you are capable of playing. This is particularly suited for the process o f learning a falseta. During DP, you make an effort to play every bit properly with clean sound and you can slow down as much as you need.
2- Rhytmical Practice: You set the metronome to a tempo that is comfortable for you and play with a strict adherence to the rhythm. Here it is more important to stay in compas than make clean notes. Do not speed up until you are absolutely comfortable with the tempo you are currently playing along. Remember what Paco said about the Aramjuez: "I'd rather play the notes imperfectly and stay in compas rather than stretching the tempo for better tone."
Both methods of practice have their place in a good routine. But in general, once you get a handle on on the sequence you are working on via DP, the metronome takes over for the rest of the practice. In other words, you practice mostly with the metronome.
Why is the metronome important?
When I ask if they have a metronome some students say "I tap my foot instead." Tapping your foot while playing is certainly important for many reasons but it cannot replace the metronome. For starters, the metronome is not mainly a tool for gaining a sense of rhythm. It certainly helps for that but that's not why you need a metronome.
The metronome provides an EXTERNAL therefore reliable source of rhythmical structure to discipline the fingers into doing what you want when you want it. In other words, you cannot rely on your own body to hold a steady tempo. It will inadvertently slow down to tackle a challenging passage before you know it. After practising a passage with DP for a while I always try to play it in a steady tempo without the metronome first. Once convinced that I am doing a good job, I turn on the metronome for fine tuning. And without fail I discover that my own tempo was fluctuating terribly. Then it is almost a relearning process with the metronome!
One surely internalizes the consistent beat structure of the metronome to a certain degree but it never becomes redundant. You always need your metronome.
It is also a good tool to keep track of your progress in terms of agility. Picado speed is commonly measured in 16th (4) notes per beat. By sticking to a regular practice regiment with your metronome you can observe the increase in your agility with solid numbers. Besides, there are tempo values attached to palos. For instance, buleria is usually played with a tempo that ranges from 200 to 250 BPM. It is good to know where you are in this scale.
How about the flamenco metronomes that count the compas beats and does the accents? They are great but I don't recommend them until you master the regular metronome. You don't even need to buy one anymore. Just get one of the free metronome apps for smartphones. Or you can even use the youtube! See the video at the top of the page.
1- Developmental Practice: Also referred to as DP. You play the falseta at a comfortable speed and slow down when you hit a challenging passage, then pick up the tempo again during the easy parts. In other words, you vary the rhythm based on what you are capable of playing. This is particularly suited for the process o f learning a falseta. During DP, you make an effort to play every bit properly with clean sound and you can slow down as much as you need.
2- Rhytmical Practice: You set the metronome to a tempo that is comfortable for you and play with a strict adherence to the rhythm. Here it is more important to stay in compas than make clean notes. Do not speed up until you are absolutely comfortable with the tempo you are currently playing along. Remember what Paco said about the Aramjuez: "I'd rather play the notes imperfectly and stay in compas rather than stretching the tempo for better tone."
Both methods of practice have their place in a good routine. But in general, once you get a handle on on the sequence you are working on via DP, the metronome takes over for the rest of the practice. In other words, you practice mostly with the metronome.
Why is the metronome important?
When I ask if they have a metronome some students say "I tap my foot instead." Tapping your foot while playing is certainly important for many reasons but it cannot replace the metronome. For starters, the metronome is not mainly a tool for gaining a sense of rhythm. It certainly helps for that but that's not why you need a metronome.
The metronome provides an EXTERNAL therefore reliable source of rhythmical structure to discipline the fingers into doing what you want when you want it. In other words, you cannot rely on your own body to hold a steady tempo. It will inadvertently slow down to tackle a challenging passage before you know it. After practising a passage with DP for a while I always try to play it in a steady tempo without the metronome first. Once convinced that I am doing a good job, I turn on the metronome for fine tuning. And without fail I discover that my own tempo was fluctuating terribly. Then it is almost a relearning process with the metronome!
One surely internalizes the consistent beat structure of the metronome to a certain degree but it never becomes redundant. You always need your metronome.
It is also a good tool to keep track of your progress in terms of agility. Picado speed is commonly measured in 16th (4) notes per beat. By sticking to a regular practice regiment with your metronome you can observe the increase in your agility with solid numbers. Besides, there are tempo values attached to palos. For instance, buleria is usually played with a tempo that ranges from 200 to 250 BPM. It is good to know where you are in this scale.
How about the flamenco metronomes that count the compas beats and does the accents? They are great but I don't recommend them until you master the regular metronome. You don't even need to buy one anymore. Just get one of the free metronome apps for smartphones. Or you can even use the youtube! See the video at the top of the page.
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