Interesting topic! So you want to know how to play dedillo? >:)
If you live in the U.S., just go to a good Mexican restaurant with a good Mariachi band. I was in a local restaurant a few months ago and the duo who was serenading the patrons had stopped at our table. I observed that the one player was executing all sorts of scale type divisions while using only his index finger. He was very good. He apparently teaches as well. I briefly thought about a few lessons for dedillo, but I think I would just end up playing poorly both thumb under and dedillo. Ironically, I asked the duo if they could play "Guardame las Vacas" and received blank stares. My Spanish pronunciation isn't that bad!!!! At any rate, dedillo apparently is a thriving technique among certain factions of the Mariachi crowd. I don't know how viable looking up Mariachi groups in the UK would be. On another ( my current favorite ) topic: Does anyone have tempo suggestions for the Paez "Bacas" ? I know the current fashion is to play at light speed, but there are some nice, delicate cadences in there that might get lost! And lastly, I know that "Guardame las Vacas" is a Romanesca, but does anyone know if there actually was a folk tune of that name? I know I've asked this over the years, but I've never gotten a definitive answer. Did it originally have lyrics? Garry -----Original Message----- From: Rob MacKillop [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 4:49 PM To: vihuela@cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: Dedillo Martyn sent me this: To get back to the Vihuela, - do you know anyone who plays dedillo (I think that's the term)? ie running passages played with index alone: I've tried, and failed - dismally. Thanks and rgds Martyn I sympathise with Martyn. Dedillo can sound awful, and I have to say I try it every once in a while but always with the same results. Not to my liking. I think it works best if the nail is a little bit long. I have seen a few folk guitar players use the technique, but it sounds pretty lousy to my ears, although it doesn't 'jump out' as it does when I use it. I guess that is because the tone they produce generally is pretty rough. I imagine there was a great variety amongst players in the 16th century regarding tone production. Most of us arrive at vihuela via lute or classical guitar, where we have spent years trying to 'improve' our tone. Dedillo seems like a step backwards. But maybe I just can't do it properly! Anyone out there had success with this technique? Rob www.rmguitar.co.uk To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
