Last weekend I had a great time working with a group of flamenco guitarists taking a series of workshops from Francisco Antonio organised by  the Peña de Londres. They had been studying Solea for a few weeks and were ready to apply their skills and accompany a dancer for the first time. Tony and I took them through the basics of the discussions that dancer and guitarist would normally have at the outset – how many letras (verses); how the entrada (entrance; opening) would lead into the llamada (call) for the singer; where the escobilla (specific footwork section) would be positioned; how to transition into the bulerias and so on. We then went on and all performed solea together – with a very satisfying result!

It made me remember what a minefield it can feel like when you first pluck up courage to take what you have been learning and try to fit in it with other dancers, guitarists and singers without descending into complete chaos. Unless you work together for a while and rehearse regularly to a very specific routine, you will always need to be able to ask the right questions and pick up the right signals (those of you who know me will know how much I hate over-rehearsed “formation flamenco” that follows the same path every time – but more of that on a separate post……)  and perhaps the following tips will help all you rookie guitarists: more…

Here are seven tracks you can practice Flamenco Tangos to on guitar without spending tons of cash on practice CD’s.

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During the whole of my time in flamenco (learning, performing and teaching) I have looked for a fool-proof method of writing some of the steps down. Nothing doing. I have managed to put down the steps to the sevillanas that I teach in a way that others seem to understand (…..it looks terrifying on paper!), but have never been able to capture the real complexity of flamenco dance steps and movements, an ex-student devised a magnificent spreadsheet on his computer that showed front, back, diagonal, toe, full foot, heel dig, heel drop, and even a further line for arms.

Magnificent it was, but incomprehensible to anyone else!

I have a sheet of paper that has the scribbled mumblings of the first dance that I ever learned in Spain.  It was a wonderful caña, of which I remember almost nothing and which I would love to rediscover.  No chance with my notes – they clearly meant something at the time, but not now.

What do others do?  Perhaps I have been superceded with modern technology now, and you all just record onto your mobile phones?

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