If you are considering taking Flamenco guitar lessons, you might want to give some thought to the type of instrument you will need. At first glance, the Flamenco guitar looks very much like the classical guitar. There are, however, important differences.
For instance, one might disregard the importance of mere wood, but it makes a big difference in the tone quality of the instrument. Light-colored Spanish cypress wood is the material of choice for the sides and back of the Flamenco guitar, whereas dark Brazilian rosewood is usually what guitar makers use to craft classical guitars. The difference in material, combined with differences in the wood's thickness, the internal struts, and in the size of the guitar, gives the Flamenco guitar its penetrating brilliance, as well as its vibrant response. The classical guitar, in contrast, has a mellower sound.
Traditional Flamenco guitars have pegs for tightening the strings made of ebony, rosewood, or other easily-worked hardwoods. Many modern-day Flamenco guitars, though, have machine heads for tightening the strings, making it easier to fit and more simple to tune. Many players, however, prefer using pegs. Pegs are lighter and more durable, producing a tone which has more Flamenco character.
Swiftly in the nights,
In the porches of Key West,
Behind the bougainvilleas
After the guitar is asleep,
Lasciviously as the wind,
You come tormenting.
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
The Flamenco guitar's soundboard has some similarities to the classical guitar, but also some distinct differences. Called a "tapa," the soundboard comes in close-grained spruce or cedar, similar to a classical guitar. To protect the delicate surface of the tapa from the player's fingernails, players fit Flamenco guitars with tapping-plates, called "golpeadores." Usually these are made of transparent plastic, occasionally from opaque white plastic.
Guitar makers use cedar or hardwood to fashion the neck, while ebony is used to manufacture the fingerboard. Brazilian rosewood is used to make the bridge. The nut and bridge-saddle are hewn from bone. The bridge of a Flamenco guitar is shallower than that of a classical guitar.
The Flamenco guitar differs from the classical guitar in its fingerboard as well. Its fingerboard slopes in the portion which overlays the tapa, causing its strings to lie nearer to the fingerboard. Guitar makers use polyurethane lacquers, usually stained deep orange, in order to put a brilliant, long-lasting finish on the body and the neck. Some craftsmen, however, prefer the spirit-based finishes, which yield a lighter, mellower color. The Flamenco guitar has a faster action and response, enabling it to produce a ringing brilliance in both its tone and its attack.
Although there are marked differences between the classical guitar and the Flamenco guitar, you should never postpone taking Flamenco guitar lessons until you have a true Flamenco guitar. You can learn the fundamentals of Flamenco technique using any classical or Spanish-type guitar. When the fundamentals are mastered, however, a true Flamenco guitar will help transform your sound and make it easier to play more advanced techniques.
Los Angeles Guitar Academy Online features online Flamenco guitar lessons as one of its signature programs. Its world-class faculty unpacks the language of Flamenco music, explaining it in an easy-to understand format. Lessons proceed in a step-by-step manner, allowing students to master one concept before moving on to the next. For students who live near Los Angeles, LAGA has studios located throughout the metropolitan Los Angeles area.