Spanish Guitar sound on a steel string

[Play2PraiseHim]

I need some tips on techniques used to get a romantic spanish guitar sond out of my steel string acoustic. I know to play minor chords and close to the bridge. What other advice such as scales, effects, & technique can I use? I really would like to know how to get that quick fast decaying notes flamenco type of a sound. Thanks

[wcap]

I don't have any good answers really (and I wonder about the close to the bridge thing....maybe you are right about this, I don't know), but....

- One thing might be to simply learn some Spanish and/or flamenco pieces. The right sort of piece and arrangement might get you closer to the sound you want, and this could then spill over into your improvising, etc.

Take a look at these great web sites:

http://dirk.meineke.free.fr/

and

http://herso.freeservers.com/tabs.html

These pieces will probably sound better on a classical guitar than on a steel string, but learning some of them might help get you into the sound and feel of the style better.


- Another thing is that your attitude toward the music plays a huge role in the sorts of sounds you get out of your instrument. You have to really get into the feel of the music. Your attack and tone and timing and everything will be affected. I can get rock-like sounds out of my classical guitar if I really get into the groove (I'm not much of a rock guitar player though), and I can get more classical sounds out of my Stratocaster and Telecaster if I try (I actually really like playing classical and Spanish-type stuff on my electric guitars).

I don't know how to really explain how to do this. I just know that if you really get into the groove of a given style of music, the sounds you get will be less influenced by the instrument you are playing it on than you might imagine. I've seen/heard people get lovely Spanish guitar like sounds out of a steel string guitar played with a flatpick. An awful lot of the sound is in the fine nuances of the attack, and timing, and dynamics.


- An important thing in getting into the groove of the Spanish sound might also be to listen to a lot of music played in the styles you are trying to create on your instrument. If the sounds are inside you bursting to come out, you will have a much better chance of getting the sounds out of your guitar you are hoping for.



I'm not sure if I have given you anything useful here that you did not know already, but I was feeling bad for this lonely looking thread with no replies! Maybe some others will chime with something more useful now that I have bumped it to the top again, temporarily!

[ljguitar]

I need some tips on techniques used to get a romantic spanish guitar sond out of my steel string acoustic. I know to play minor chords and close to the bridge. What other advice such as scales, effects, & technique can I use? I really would like to know how to get that quick fast decaying notes flamenco type of a sound. Thanks
Hi P2PH...
Running passages of parallel 6ths or 3rds in major keys (minor too for that matter), and syncopated into triplet runs...

It is a signature spanish sound.

Listen to this...

Rose in Spanish Harlem - click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uoLCt4Wg5U)

[rick-slo]

I need some tips on techniques used to get a romantic spanish guitar sond out of my steel string acoustic. I know to play minor chords and close to the bridge. What other advice such as scales, effects, & technique can I use? I really would like to know how to get that quick fast decaying notes flamenco type of a sound. Thanks
IMO the truthful answer is that you can't to any satisfactory degree, especially the flamenco sound. If you are really interested in that type of music get the right guitars.

[wcap]

Hi P2PH...
Running passages of parallel 6ths or 3rds in major keys (minor too for that matter), and syncopated into triplet runs...

It is a signature spanish sound.

Listen to this...

Rose in Spanish Harlem - click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uoLCt4Wg5U)



Just added another favorite to my YouTube favorites list!

Now I want to learn to play Spanish Harlem.

[TBman]

You can pick up an inexpensive classical for $100 (or maybe even less). Lucero's LC-100 isn't bad for its price point.(I have one)

[mmmaak]

This idea just popped into my head and it's crazy enough that it just might work. Just sliding a narrow band of soft material (e.g. cloth) between your strings at the bridge. That should reduce the sustain and give a more mellow tone.

[wcap]

Or a strip of note card material - then you have a steel drum sound if you do it right!