This is a really important lesson, since thumb technique is crucial to the sound of flamenco guitar. Here we look at how to use the thumb efficiently to get that loud, percussive flamenco sound when using the thumb.

An introduction to rest-stroke scale technique (picado) as we use it in flamenco with some great exercises to make you faster, more accurate and more in control.

In this lesson we break down basic Alzapua technique and use simple falsetas in Soleá and Tangos as studies to practice and perfect coordinating the two hands. Then we look at some of the more advanced ways that we coordinate the two hands to fly!

The triplet rasgueado (abanico) isn't that hard to do, but you have to take it slowly! This lesson breaks it down so that if you have a bit of patience you'll be able to play fast, loud triplets consistently and with control.

This lessons explains how and why we use golpe and gives you a few examples to practice. If you don't have a golpeador (tap plate) on your guitar this is the moment when you decide how committed you really are to this whole flamenco thing. Also, there may be blood...

Get a better sound from your rasgueados? Learn how to practice for a fuller sound with this Pro Tip.

Is that pesky flamenco F chord giving you a problem? Have trouble making chord changes? Learn how to deliberately grab that F chord with this handy Pro Tip which will have you getting that effing F chord a lot faster after practicing this.

Start with this video first! Explore the principles of relaxation & stability to move your playing to the next level.

Here are some of the fundamentals of right hand technique that feel really important to me. Now comes the fun part, where we start putting together good solid right-hand technique and good solid left-hand and hopefully start to feel that relaxed stability which should lead to a better sound and m...

In this flamenco guitar tutorial video we review some really important fundamentals of the left hand. It gets to the very heart of how we move our arm to most efficiently deliver our hand and fingers to where they need to go. Mastery of these fundamentals is what will allow you to play the fun, f...

In the Picado (rest-stroke scales) video we look at the mechanics of playing scales, string crossing and a few exercises, and finally a Soleá falseta in triplets, 16th notes and 16th notes with sextuplets thrown in.

Here we go over the basic mechanics of alzapua and then get into a simple Soleá falseta and then some fun little compas bits in Soleá, Soleá Por Buleria, Alegrias and Buleria.

The ‘stability’ part of relaxed stability is key here, so take your time and establish a good hand position that’s really relaxed and make sure you’re using the big knuckle to power your strokes. Arpeggio is often referred to as the foundation of good right-hand technique, so this is an important...

In this unit we take a close look at slurs - otherwise known as hammer-ons and pull-offs. At the beginning of the video we look at the mechanics of playing proper slurs and at some simple exercises for executing good relaxed slurs....

The thumb is one of the things that makes flamenco sound so Flamenco! There are two different kinds of thumb movements - one that's heavier and comes from the arm, and one that's lighter/bouncier and comes from forearm rotation. Develop relaxed stability in your thumb as we continue looking at ri...

If you learn only one exercise this Summer I recommend this one! It's a fantastic warm-up and also a great exercise to work on the balance between thumb and fingers which we need so much of the time.

Here are some great scales to work both hands. The person who showed them to me ages ago said they were a series of scales used by the great Caño Roto guitarist and teacher El Entri, but I can't confirm this for sure. Anyway - I've been using them for years as a scale routine, but they're a bit a...

These are the chords to the first 2/3 or so of Etude #1 by Heitor Villa Lobos. It's just a ton of six string voicings, so it's a great bunch of chords to learn for working on all kinds of right hand stuff. Flamenco players have been using these for ages, so I encourage you to also learn them as w...

This is a basic Major 7th arpeggio that I use for warm up and scale practice, because of the way it moves across the strings. No pdf for this because I think it's important to learn the moveable pattern.

The chromatic scale is basically all of the notes. There are many ways to play the chromatic scale, and here we will learn six ways to play it - once traveling up each string. It's a great excuse to play a lot of notes, which is what we'll want when we work on scales! You don't need to learn all ...

Here are a few chord progressions that we can use for all sorts of stuff, including rasgueado practice. These chord progressions are all Por Arriba (in the Soleá key) and are just a few examples that we'll be using.

Left Hand mechanics - Whether you’re new to the guitar or just want to improve your left-hand technique, understanding the mechanics of the left arm is essential. Learn the proper way to use your arm and hand to place your fingers where they need to go with a minimum of effort. Then learn to use ...