FADO guitar lessons?

[Ubik-energy]

Hi everybody. After 4 years of fado music listening, would like to
take the plunge and start studying it.
Understood that there are 2 types of fado guitar;Coimbra and Lisboa.
I like records from Mariza,Arnauth,Misia,Guerreiro etc
etc..............which guitar is used here? Coimbra type or Lisboa?
Which is the best to play alone ? (without singer)

How hard is difficult to learn it for somebody that had one month of
hear playing with normal guitar in the past ?
Can I manage to learn it without a teacher?(I live in Italy)
Where to buy one fado guitar online? (not too expensive to start pls)

Many thanks

[JOHNPEARSE]

There are two main types of Portuguese guitarras - the Lisboa and the Coimbra.
(There also weird and wonderful off-shoots of the Lisboa, like the small ladies
model, but I'd ignore these.)
The original guitarra was the Lisboa - more correctly called the Porto as
that's where it was developed from the English cittern during the establishment
of the wine trade in the town of that name. This guitarra has a shorter scale
than the Coimbra and is the instrument favoured by the players of Lisboa Fado.
Its tone is more mellow and lyrical that the narrower, shallower Coimbra
guitarra.
The Coimbra guitarra was developed by the father of Carlos Paredes and Gracio
Senior to accompany the Fado music written and sung by the students of the
University at Coimbra. Perhaps the best exponent of this more virile style was
Carlos Paredes. I say 'was' as Carlos has been bedridden for over ten years,
although he is still, rightly, hailed as Portugal's foremost guitarrista.
The guitarra CAN be learned without a teacher, however it's a good idea to get
hold of a copy of Ron Fernandez' excellent guitarra basics which you can
downlaod, free, from his website. You can also buy a very good hybrid guitarra
- Lisboa body/Coimbra scale-length - from him as well at a VERY reasonable
cost.
www.fernandezmusic.com
Good luck!
John Pearse.

[David Kilpatrick]

Ubik-energy wrote:

The longer scale Coimbra guitar (it is the same tuning, but about two
frets longer in size) is better for 'classical' solo playing. The Lisboa
guitar, about the same size and scale as the old English guittar or the
waldzither, is a little easier for some chords. Originally the Coimbra
was tuned a tone lower.

I am told that modern players are often buy Coimbra guitars but tune to
Lisboa pitch because it is a slightly more assertive instrument.

The technique is very different from guitar! It is a like a cross
between mandolin and guitar but with special care in playing the basses.

I bought my (new) Coimbra model from salaomusical.com in Lisboa but it
was not easy to make the arrangements. It is walnut with, I think, a
lime top and mahogany neck, and a hard case. Overall it cost me I think
280 euros including postage, but to start with salaomusical wanted much
more for shipping - I had to make arrangements or it would have been at
least 350 euros for the package delivered to the UK at their normal
prices. Also, I am VAT (IVA) registered, and this saved 20 per cent or
something similar.

I'm willing to sell this - it is almost unused - as we are going to move
house soon and my 20+ instruments need to be thinned down. It is
absolutely as delivered (new but some small marks on the heel where the
shop had packed a metal string winding device without any padding).

I would be wanting £200 GBPounds inc VAT, plus postage, if you are
interested.

David

[jhalexander]

"Ubik-energy" <ubik-...@iol.it> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:ghva709b0gktbrsu7...@4ax.com...

Try this link:
http://www.marcopoeta.com/
He seems to be the leading exponent of fado in Italy and is doing a lot to
promote it here.
Jackie

[JoeT]

John,

I'm sorry to hear that Carlos Paredes has been bedridden ... I have one of
his CD's and just love it. The sound is incredible ...

Joe

"JOHNPEARSE" <johnp...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040408130850...@mb-m07.aol.com...

[JOHNPEARSE]

Yes, he was a wonderful musician.
He has been in an out of a coma for over ten years, ever since he collapsed and
was given the wrong treatment at a Lisbon hospital, some twelve years ago.
A very gentle and kind man...and a true hero of Portugal - he was thrown into
prison a number of times for his opposition to the ruling junta.
It is a tragedy.
John Pearse.

[Al]

Check out this website. Ron Fernandez does some nice work on imported
guitars and other instruments. He also offers a beginner's lesson in
playing the Lisboa Portuguese Guitarra (Fado Guitar).

http://www.fernandezmusic.com/index.htm

Keep on pickin'