Tremolo in flamenco music
February 6, 2007
I was listening to some Gipsy Kings’ music and am amazed with the speed they can play melodic phrases. This made me think of flamenco music in general and its staple, the rasgueado. Another staple is, of course, the tremolo technique. You’ll see more of p-i-a-m-i and p-a-m-i-m-a but you’ll also find p-a-m-i, our old friend. I’ve read that the rasgueado technique helps develop the extensor muscles of the fingers. These muscles help the fingers extend out from the palm. I’ve also read where developing the extensor muscles helps with playing scales quickly as well as helps with the tremolo technique. Moving your fingers out away from your palm is required when playing scales and when playing the tremolo, so I can see how this might help. Read more
