Making Progress III: Flamenco x3 x6

Progress, definitely! Re: flamenco triplet, day 6. I can play successive strokes without feeling any pain on my right hand. Switching down and up strokes isn't so weird now too. The trick: minimize excess movements and to keep the thumb out. I don't get trapped in between strings anymore too. Gaaah I wish I could just record it. I wish I recorded the whole thing. The day before yesterday was breakthrough day because it was the first time I made successive strokes without errors. I think it was also the day when my right hand mid and ring finger finally got the rhythm. Right now, I'm just trying to develop consistency and endurance.

Aaaand switching chords (following the Spanish-y progression E-F-G-Am) with my left hand. Since starting I've used my left hand as an anchor, mostly muffling by the strings. The triplet is crazy, and with a guitar the size of mine its really difficult to stabilize the craziness. But once my forearm became more settled and steady (which happened around breakthrough day, too), I found it easier to switch chords.

Once I get the hang of the x3, I'll try other stroke progressions: vv (downMidRing-downThumb)  and v^ (downT-upT). Then more complicated patterns: vv^ vv^ v^ (x3-x3-downTupT). Then off to accents, then percussive effects, then THE WORLD!

Omigash so excited!

Something New

I did say this won't be a conventional blog on classical guitar. Sooo here is my new to-do:

It's the second day since I started practicing the Flamenco triplet. No I can't do it fast yet, but I feel more comfortable doing the 3-step movement now. Yesterday my hand moved and felt so awkward. But I just did it again and again until I got them right one after the other. I expect to do this again and again and again to get the speed right. Meanwhile Gabriella's version is still a crazy long loooong way to go:

The triplet is quite exhausting to do. I don't know if it's me or the technique, but my wrist tires easily after a few strokes. I rest for a few minutes every after 20 repeats - doesn't help so much in establishing speed but it does aid in muscle memory. Lemme know how you're doing with your exercise.

Before I started with the triplet, I cut my thumb nail quite close. I tried doing the triplet with a long thumb fingernail, but I ended up hurting my thumb and I often got caught between the strings. I chafed the flesh just below the nail too during the upstroke. Prepare for a bit of pain.

If you research a few other Flamenco triplet vids over in YT, you'll notice that quite a number of guitarists have an ugly patch of paper, plastic or whatever on the sounding board, below the 1st E string. If you're wondering why so, it's to protect the sounding board from nail scratches. Beware of that too.