Ask HN: How do you learn Spanish guitar? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn Spanish guitar?

#41

Post by atmosx » Sat, Jun 28, 2025, 7:56 PM UTC

thorin wrote: post #10

atmosx wrote: post #7

Not just you. Brian May brought Steve Howe in to execute the complex flamenco-style classic guitar in “Innuendo” while Brian himself played the main electric guitar parts. So if Brian May can’t do it.. it’s fine. YT Video: https://youtu.be/X468z5AwefI?si=G929iSPdDwzr4QkK Ps. Practice. There is no other way. What you are trying to do is hard. Takes practice and dedication.

Spanish guitar is hard, there is not much crossover between spanish styles and modern pop/metal etc. It probably has more in common with classical music, but then the picking is completely different. It's not that Brian couldn't have done that solo, he's an amazing player and can play in multiple styles, it sounded like from the interview they just wanted to add a different perspective to the track. If you want to li…

I grew up listening to Paco De Lucía on long family road trips to Italy. My dad had a deep appreciation for guitarists like Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits, Eric Clapton (hey hey, from the unplugged), BB King and of course, Paco De Lucía. We had a double “greatest hits” CD of his that played on repeat. I remember those drives from the backseat as a kid, the car gliding along as if it were floating. Some of my fondest memories.

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn Spanish guitar?

#42

Post by cdelsolar » Sun, Jun 29, 2025, 3:02 PM UTC

shermantanktop wrote: post #19

If you're on HN, you've probably experienced the dopamine rush of encountering something new, understanding it well enough in short order, applying it, and seeing results; or building something that others engage with in the same way. Or being especially good at math, or science, or computers, seemingly without much effort. Music is (for most people) not like that. For getting proficient at instrumental music, the sk…

I’ve been playing guitar for 25 years but am still at the wonderwall level, it’s still really fun though. Heh.

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn Spanish guitar?

#43

Post by shermantanktop » Sun, Jun 29, 2025, 10:32 PM UTC

cdelsolar wrote: post #42

shermantanktop wrote: post #19

If you're on HN, you've probably experienced the dopamine rush of encountering something new, understanding it well enough in short order, applying it, and seeing results; or building something that others engage with in the same way. Or being especially good at math, or science, or computers, seemingly without much effort. Music is (for most people) not like that. For getting proficient at instrumental music, the sk…

I’ve been playing guitar for 25 years but am still at the wonderwall level, it’s still really fun though. Heh.

Nothing wrong with that at all! That’s why guitar is such a great folk instrument. Get those cowboy chords going and you can play a ton of stuff. Might not sound exactly the record, but who cares.

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn Spanish guitar?

#44

Post by mazzystar » Sun, Jul 06, 2025, 2:51 AM UTC

hoytech wrote: post #34

Flamenco can be a very challenging and technical style, but it doesn't have to be. I don't know your background, but if you just want to have fun and sound good quickly, try this. Get a nylon string guitar. It doesn't have to be a flamenco guitar per-se, any classical will do. But steel string acoustic guitars will absolutely not work for this style. The sound is wrong and the strings are too close together. Learn th…

Sorry I went traveling for a week right after asking my question. I've already ordered a nylon string guitar - thank you for your detailed reply, it was very helpful as a reference.