How to Play Flamenco Guitar: Rumba Pattern

(Music playing)

This next technique is called the Rumba pattern. This is probably the most exciting and one the most fun techniques that you will do on this whole thing. You are going to love this.

The tricky part is the very first one. You are going to start off with a tap, or ?corte?, unto the body of the guitar. Hopefully, you will have a tap plate, something that protects your guitar. If you do not get something clear, you can order it from your local music store. You have to protect your guitar as you do this.

As you do this tap, you have to simultaneously strum through the strings with your thumb. In other words, slowly, it should look like this. (Demonstration) If you can see, I am tapping at the exact same time and strumming through the strings. That is going to be the first of eight movements that you are going to need to do the Rumba pattern. So remember, this is number one. (Demonstration)

Number two is you are going to strum upwards with your index finger like so. (Demonstration) Now, if you do not want to do it too softly, keep that first finger nice and rigid. So, you will get a nice sound.

Remember, flamenco is an aggressive style of music particularly one to come in doing this pattern. So now, two parts: Number one, the corte with the strum, tapping, and then up with your index finger.

Number three is index down. Same thing, give it a shot. Be aggressive with the guitar. Keep your mute here. So, I am going to execute those three parts. (Demonstration)

Number four part is going to be a thumb up but as you come up through number three, you have to turn your wrist out. (Demonstration) See how I turn my wrist out here to prepare to bring that thumb upwards. If you do not, you are going to do this, and now you are going to bring your thumb down up and you are going to be all out of time, and it is going to be a mess. So, do not forget on number four, turn your wrist outwards. Let me do those first four parts. (Demonstration) Turn your wrist out and bring it up. That is four.

Now, the other four is simple. The next involves another corte, but it is a full tap unto the body. You would not be playing anything at all. Remember, like I said, do not be afraid and give your guitar a shot. You are not going to hurt that thing. So now, I am going to do the five parts. (Demonstration)

Number six is just your index up, number seven is your index down, and number eight is your index up. That is the full eighth counts that make up the Rumba pattern. I am going to do this very slowly a couple of times so you can get a hold of it, and then I am going to show you what you can do with it.

Now remember, first, corte-tap, and strum through the strings. Next, up index, index down, thumb up, corte again, tap on the whole body, then index up, index down, and index up.

Let me slowly show you that one more time. (Demonstration) Now, I am going to speed that up, just a little bit, so you can get the feel for the rhythmic part on this thing. (Demonstration) Now, I am just going to do it a little faster. (Demonstration)

Now, let us put some music with that. Play some chords. Once again, the chords that we are going to use are just like the last one. We are going to use A minor, G-7, F, and then E. (Demonstration) I am going to start off slowly because the Rumba pattern sounds good either way. You can do it slow, and it sounds beautiful. You can do it quicker. It is dynamic and ferocious. So, let me do it slow first. (Music playing) Okay, now I am going to do it fast. (Music playing)