Recuerdos de la Alhambra

  • Thread starter Thread starter CanopuS
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CanopuS

Amateur music since 1847
I don't know if you know this song, its a very famous spanish guitar song. Now I think I know the technique for this song, but I'll have to be honest. How on earth does anyone play that quickly? I can't imagine being able to do that, anyone know? :)
 
Indeed. I'm under the impression that the thumb plays the arpeggios and the next 3 fingers alternate to produce the VERY quick sound on the melodic strings?
 
If my memory serves me, in classical and flamenco technique the thumb plays the fifth and sixth strings and all four remaining fingers are used...
 
Hey CanopuS-

Your impression is correct.
Thumb arpeggiates while the index, middle and ring fingers do what classical guys call the tremelo technique.

I have that down but it took a long time before I got it to sound smoothe.

True story-
I learned Recuerdos de la Alhambra and had it down cold.
My girlfriend at the time asked me to play something for her.
I started playing "Recuerdos..." for her.

She stops after about a dozen bars and says,"That's nice but don't you know any REAL guitar music like 'Smoke on the Water' or something?"
 
Nice story! :D

I'm really impressed that you can play it, I cant seem to get my fingers to work properly at all. Do you play on a nylon string guitar? (Oh and how long are your nails?) I can't seem to get faster than 3 a second, and to me it sounds somewhere between 6-9 a second. Scary!!
 
I wannna say it took me about 2 years of chewing at that tune before it sounded like it should.
It was like learning the F chord. One day you say, "When did I start to do this good?".

Once you get good with that technique, though, you can apply it to other tunes. It works good on tunes with simpler melodies. I use it for Silent Night, Autumn Leaves, and Beautiful Love.



I learned it on a nylon string but I've played it on a tele and an old Gretsch.
I play alot of fingerstyle stuff. I keep my nails shorter than alot of other players in that style(I think). I use the flesh backed up with some nail, if that makes sense to you. Using the flesh gives you a nice, round tone. I've heard people with really long nails play and it sounds too clickety- clackety for my taste.
 
I think nails are more convenient but I find mine are too long to control it. Clippin em right now! :) Did you gradually speed up? It feels like my fingers are too stiff to do it fast enough at the moment
 
The first time I started working at it I was so slow it was comical!

I'm just a perservering son of a bitch.
 
PS - There's another piece called La Ultima Cancion that uses that same technique. It's by a composer named Barrios.
John Williams recorded it and it's beautiful.
 
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