Generally classical guitar music has a dark touch to it, which means the tempo is kind of slow and calculated. The main thing is calm in classical music, whereas in jazz the primary trait is improvisation. Both these qualities can be found in most music genres, but what makes flamenco unique is the expression of Spanish culture.

Flamenco guitar music is made to express the guitarists feelings, and whether they are genuine or not is very much apparent in the music he creates. A joyfull person will find difficulty in playing a sad style, unless it completely changes his mood. This is imperative to flamenco, as this music is all about expressing your current feelings.

For happiness there is alegrias, and a number of other genres, for parties we have bulerias and a few others. The same pattern holds for all the flamenco styles. Each of them is supposed to express defined feelings like anger, despair or happiness. Flamenco guitar music is beautiful because of this peculiar feeling it has.

As they stand they are at the complete opposite of one another, the picado is alternate index and middle finger picking for fast variations, while alzapua is a thumb technique a lot different from every other existing technique.

In this free online guitar lesson we’ll start with the picado, since it is a little easier to comprehend and explain. Now, for the basic technique, it is really just alternate picking with the index and middle fingers. However, an important thing about picado is that there are actually 2 types of picado, divided in rest strokes and free strokes. The deal about these is that free strokes don’t touch any other string after the actual picking of a string, while rest strokes are called that because the finger rests on the next string from the one that was played.

Alzapua is a totally different thing. The basic technique is a combination of strokes with the thumb. First comes a normal rest stroke (explained above) on a string, then a quick one-move motion on the next 2 strings, then a backward with the back of the thumbnail quick one-move motion up 3 strings to the initial position, then you repeat. Doing this fast will create a much more powerful sound than any other technique. Sometimes the ring finger is used to hit the guitar case (golpe) when doing alzapua for an added twist.

I believe this free online guitar lesson should help you understand and develop your technique neatly. If you practice both they will help each other more than you can think of. When you see no more progress practicing picado, try some alzapua exercises and you’ll see results soon enough. Likewise the other way around works too.

The rasguedos are the most important technique in my opinion, partly because it develops all your fingers and because of the main role it plays in any flamenco party. There are 2 main types of rasguedos, but dozens of variations in the technique that various flamenco guitarists employ as a form of personalization of their music.

I’m not sure how to characterize the 2 types of rasguedo, but as with all my flamenco guitar lessons I will try to detail each technique as clearly as possible. The first type of rasguedo involves using your fingers, except the thumb, in rapid succession like this: pinky-ring-middle-index. You start with the thumb resting on a string, the other fingers are held tightly like a punch of sorts. Then release your fingers one after the other on the strings then repeat. If it sounds something like dram-dram-dram you are not doing it fast enough, just keep trying. It should sound something like a constant r, rrrr; when you get that kind of sound you are doing it correctly.

The other type is a more traditional type, most often done using the thumb and middle, though thumb and index are sometimes used for even faster rasguedos. This techniques key points to keep in mind are: the motions are thumb up the strings, middle down, thumb down then repeat, though you can start with any of them. The same rule applies for the sound. This is more difficult to explain in words and your best bet to understand is to try and visualise it, or try to copy flamenco guitar players.

The first type is usually used in bulerias and fandangos, because it is fast and powerful. The second type is common in rondenas and alegrias, but combinations are always employed. More flamenco guitar lessons delve into the other techniques and genres.

Though his favorite genre is the bulerias, Paco de Lucia has written songs in many different styles like rondenas, rumbas, alegrias and tangos. His alegrias in particular are some of the hardest pieces to play technique-wise.

He usually uses a capo on the third fret, and his best known bulerias are the songs “Almoraima” and “El Chorruelo”, both of them are very complex and blisteringly fast. Paco de Lucia bulerias require a level of technique unmatched by any other, so this makes his songs unique.

The biggest asset of Paco de Lucia is his feeling and natural touch on the guitar, and his instrument is always top notch; Hermanos Conde and Domingo Esteso are his most prized guitars which he uses in concerts. He is said to have practiced the guitar about 8-10 hours a day for the first few years, giving him complete control over most of the techniques.

Paco de Lucia bulerias are characterized by the fast paced falsetas which he alone can muster, and his balance of volume and power make what Paco de Lucia is best known for. Sometimes he plays bulerias in different keys, which technique-wise pose an even tougher challenge, which shows he is the king of bulerias; as he is known.

There are many differences between spanish music and flamenco. While flamenco was born inside of Spain, it is only native to the region of Andalusia. The techniques are somewhat alike, but flamenco includes many genres and Spanish guitar lessons often include subtle aspects of flamenco and other styles.

These are the most well-known but the truth is there are many regional folk styles just like Andalusian music(flamenco), each with their own flavors and characters. The region of Aragon is characterized by a dense percussive element and the main instruments are castanets, guitar, tambourines and bandurria.

The regions of Asturias, Galicia and Cantabria have a distinct tradition which bears a powerful Celtic stamp. The signature instrument is the gaita, an instrument similar to the classic bagpipe of Scotland. Castille, Madrid and Leon is a large region that has been marked by numerous sources: Portuguese, Roman, Gypsy, Moor and others.

In other words spanish guitar lessons often refer to a very general style, while spanish music is much more complex and branched than it is believed.

But how do they do it? If you look at the great Al Di Meola or Paco de Lucia, Eric Clapton and so many others they never miss a beat, and they always flourish the song so that it gives us a feeling relevant to what they’re playing.

I can go about the different guitar strumming lessons in several ways.The first distinction is whether we use a pick or our fingers.

The pick is mostly used by electric and jazz guitar players. With a pick the motion is simple, either up-down or the other way around. A couple things to keep in mind: try not to keep your hand on the guitar body when playing rhythms, this will make your movement difficult and you will not be able to keep up when accelerating; you should keep your hand together as a fist, holding the pick between your thumb and index fingers.

Finger picking is mostly used by classical and flamenco guitar players. The right hand technique of the flamenco music is far more complex than it’s classical counterpart.

A common technique to both styles is using your hand as you would a pick, keeping it together as a fist and using the thumb and index fingers to brush the strings, creating the desired rhythm.

The most important flamenco rhythm technique is the rasguedo. And there are 2 broad ways to do it. Either by using your 4 fingers(except the thumb) one at a time to produce a galloping sound, usually starting with the pinky and finishing with the index finger, or by using a circular motion with the thumb and middle finger for a faster, but less powerful effect. Another techniques involves using your index finger going up-down to create the rhythm and another finger to hit the guitar case. This is a much harder technique to master.

I hope these guitar strumming lessons will help you improve and broaden your guitar playing.