Newbie heading to Andalucia. ¡Ayudame!

[w***@hotmail.com]

Gentlemen:

I am making my first trip to Andalucia for flamenco guitar lessons and
have a bunch of annoying questions: :^[)

1) My guitar is classical but I am thinking of taking it along because
it's my only guitar, so I can do homework at the hotel. Want to get a
real flamenco guitar while I'm there. Don't know if I can lug two
guitars back. Does anyone know if can I send a guitar back?

2) Found a school in Jerez that takes beginners but haven't gotten a
confirmation yet. Anyone know of another school in case that doesn't
pan out?

3) What might be a nice gift from America for the maestro? (A guitar
or bottle of sherry is obviously out of the question! :-)

The only reason I took up classical is because I don't know of a
flamenco instructor around here (Orange County, CA).

Signed,

A Middle-Aged Beginner Who Now Realizes That Flamenco Guitar Music Is
All That Matters

[MrsKrabappel]

Post by w***@hotmail.com
3) What might be a nice gift from America for the maestro? (A guitar
or bottle of sherry is obviously out of the question! :-)

How about CD(s) of American music! I think right away to bluegrass or
something really "yank". I interviewed once Rafael Riqueni and he said "I
have listened to flamenco all my life and now - that was 10 years ago! - I
am discovering the Beatles, the pop music..."

Post by w***@hotmail.com
A Middle-Aged Beginner Who Now Realizes That Flamenco Guitar Music Is
All That Matters

WOW!!! reminds me of my good friend in LA who also began in a not-so-young
stage of his life and practiced guitar in the lunch break! yeah flamenco
becomes a religion, we "dancers" also find ourselves practicing steps also
while waiting a print and get caught by colleagues in the middle of a
llamada while holding a letter! :-)

Best of luck and enjoy the trip

Sandra

[MattC]

Post by w***@hotmail.com
I am making my first trip to Andalucia for flamenco guitar lessons and
have a bunch of annoying questions: :^[)
1) My guitar is classical but I am thinking of taking it along because
it's my only guitar, so I can do homework at the hotel. Want to get a
real flamenco guitar while I'm there. Don't know if I can lug two
guitars back. Does anyone know if can I send a guitar back?
2) Found a school in Jerez that takes beginners but haven't gotten a
confirmation yet. Anyone know of another school in case that doesn't
pan out?

Definitely take it with you, as you will need to practice as much as
you can.. and yeah I'm sure you could send a guitar back, just make
sure its packed well etc and with as many fragile stickers or whatever
you can get on it... take the strings off as well before you ship it
and don't pack it too tightly otherwise it will be more prone to
damage.

I played my first note of flamenco at a school in Sevilla called
'Taller Flamenco', really good guitarists, some who speak a bit of
english as well (if you need it) and really friendly atmosphere where
you will meet a ton of cool people... its not only a guitar school but
dance, palmas and spanish as well. It is aimed at foreigners but that
means they cater for you quite well, the admin people are really
helpful in anything you need, and they even have the occasional party
on the roof (azateo?) which is always good fun.
Sevilla is also a much bigger place so its more interesting and you can
still easily make day trips out to Jerez, Cadiz, Cordoba etc.

Good luck from Australia,
Matt

p.s. Just google for taller flamenco and you'll find their website
straight away, although some if it is slightly out of date, e.g. the
guitar teachers that they list

[Uffe]

It�s quite eay to send guitars if you can�t carry it back... I used
to help a guy in Granada on the Cuesta Gomerez (the street that winds
up to the Alhambra)... his name was Anotnio Morales and I helped him a
few times with translations when americans called him to order
guitars...

I agree on the recommendation: CDs of american guitar music would be
nice... bluegrass and stuff... all kinds of electronics are also much
cheaper in the states.

Don't know of any particular flamenco guitar school, but you can find
private teachers anywhere...

By the way, Carmen de las Cuevas in Granada also has guitar courses...

If you are interested, I can translate your question and post it on one
of the MAJOR flamenco music sites www.amorflamenco.com or on Paco de
Luc�as forum (both have a lot of flamenco guitar players)

[Antony]

You can get lessons quite cheaply from Merengue de Cordoba (Rafael) in
Cordoba in Calle Isabel Losa which close to the Plaza del Potro, Mesquita
etc. Cordoba is beautiful and not too big. Best to stay in a pension close
to the Plaza del Potro which is handy to all the sights.
He taught guys like Vicente Amigo, Paco Serrano, Jose Antonio Rodriguez. He
also rents out an apartment sometimes. I wouldn't bring your classical
guitar as you can buy a flamenco quite cheaply there - something like an
Antonio Sanchis from Valencia. This or any other cheap flamenco guitar will
will available from any music shop. You will never get the right sound or
action on a classical guitar for playing flamenco. Check that the action of
the flamenco guitar you buy has a gap of 3mm at the 12th fret and between
7-8 mm gap at the bridge.
Good luck.

Post by w***@hotmail.com
I am making my first trip to Andalucia for flamenco guitar lessons and
have a bunch of annoying questions: :^[)
1) My guitar is classical but I am thinking of taking it along because
it's my only guitar, so I can do homework at the hotel. Want to get a
real flamenco guitar while I'm there. Don't know if I can lug two
guitars back. Does anyone know if can I send a guitar back?
2) Found a school in Jerez that takes beginners but haven't gotten a
confirmation yet. Anyone know of another school in case that doesn't
pan out?
3) What might be a nice gift from America for the maestro? (A guitar
or bottle of sherry is obviously out of the question! :-)
The only reason I took up classical is because I don't know of a
flamenco instructor around here (Orange County, CA).
Signed,
A Middle-Aged Beginner Who Now Realizes That Flamenco Guitar Music Is
All That Matters

[n***@btinternet.com]

Hi,

I did the same thing in 1997, stayed for two years in Jerez so I can
help you a bit if that is where you are headed.

Don't bother with Carbonero (to whom you will automatically be sent if
you ask about lessons), go to Fernando Moreno's school in Calle
Marmelon -he takes beginners. Or get hold of Jose Ignacio Franco who
has a school near the station. If you want someone very creative/mad go
to Jose Luis Balao off the Calle Arcos (he taught Moraito for a while)
he can't play so well these days but you really get a solid Jerez
Buleria out of him and there is a great atmosphere with other students
playing in his house.

You can send guitars back, go to Bernal just north of Jerez, very good
guitars at a great price.

I wouldn't worry too much about confirmation, just turn up.

I wouldn't worry about gifts too much either, most of them don't know
where America is, bless them. You would actually be more certain of a
good reception if you did take a bottle of fino!

Keep away from the flamenco club in San Pablo, it's for tourists. If
you smoke, keep your smokes to yourself or you'll run out very quickly.
Go to the Pena Buleria and Pena Antonio Chacon.

Have a good trip.

Post by w***@hotmail.com
I am making my first trip to Andalucia for flamenco guitar lessons and
have a bunch of annoying questions: :^[)
1) My guitar is classical but I am thinking of taking it along because
it's my only guitar, so I can do homework at the hotel. Want to get a
real flamenco guitar while I'm there. Don't know if I can lug two
guitars back. Does anyone know if can I send a guitar back?
2) Found a school in Jerez that takes beginners but haven't gotten a
confirmation yet. Anyone know of another school in case that doesn't
pan out?
3) What might be a nice gift from America for the maestro? (A guitar
or bottle of sherry is obviously out of the question! :-)
The only reason I took up classical is because I don't know of a
flamenco instructor around here (Orange County, CA).
Signed,
A Middle-Aged Beginner Who Now Realizes That Flamenco Guitar Music Is
All That Matters

[w***@hotmail.com]

Post by n***@btinternet.com
I wouldn't worry too much about confirmation, just turn up

That is what I did.

Although the web site (http://www.escuelaguitarracarbonero.com/) is
still there, the school is apparently closed. So no Carbonero.

Wish I had seen Nick's post earlier. I ended up at Taller Flamenco in
Sevilla, and had a mixed experience: *my* guitar instructor was
excellent, and that was the most important thing, so overall I give
them a good rating. The private Spanish lessons were a bust because
the instructor did not speak any English!

However, another guitar instructor who accompanied me the first day to
buy a guitar took me for a ride, literally and figuratively. We went
to Guitarras Bernal, a guitar store in Sevilla, and as we were walking
up that street someone popped out of a bar to greet him, and they
embraced each other, all smiles. They offered to buy me a drink and
then we walked the rest of the block to the shop. The guy from the bar
was the owner of the guitar shop. The instructor tried to up-sell me
on a more expensive guitar, but I settled on one that cost 465 Euros.
The next day at school I found out that that store offered a 10%
discount to students of Taller Flamenco, so I inquired at the office,
and they said they would call and ask the shop. Later that morning as
I met with my instructor, the other instructor came in *FURIOUS* that I
had inquired about the discount! Really pissed off. The smiley,
drink-buying shop owner told the school (after the fact, when they
called for me) that the 10% discount applied only to guitars over 700
Euros. It was so obvious that that instructor pocketed a commission
that came out of my discount. It was a tiny amount of money (to me),
but I was disappointed at the way that that instructor handled the
whole thing.

Jerez is a wonderful little place with midevil streets, and the Nuevo
Hotel is a good value. Jerez would have been a good place to settle
in.

FLAMENCO SHOWS:

The best small Flamenco shows I saw in Sevilla were at Los Gallos,
Plaza de Santa Cruz #11, tel. [phone]. Cozy little place. 27
Euros includes your drink. And they allow photography!

The best show of all was at the El Monte center, a big fancy auditorium
at Calle Lara�a #4 in the downtown area.

Another small show was at Casa de la Memoria, Ximenez Enciso 28, but
everyone sits on the same level floor, so unless you're in the front
row you can't see much. I am still glad I went to that show, however,
because there was about the best guitarist I have *ever* seen! His
name was Pedro S�nchez. Phenomenal.