Spanish Flamenco Guitar Technique: How to Play Rasgueado Strumming Patterns

Spanish flamenco strumming (rasgueado) is firey and passionate. It captures attention and draws people in.

And it’s great fun as well.

If you love Spanish classical guitar sounds and want to add these strumming techniques to your toolkit, you’re in the right place.

What is a Rasgueado?

The word “rasgueado” traslates from Spanish as “strumming.” But this is not the folk-style strumming we imagine in the Anglo-sphere. They think of strumming differently.

A Spanish guitarist will strum using the fingers of the right hand, not a pick or plectrum.

And to strum the strings, this player will use both the nail (outstroke) and the flesh (instroke) of the finger.

Fingers can be used in quick succession to create percussive and loud strums.

For example, one common strum is made of four notes:

1. A (ring) – out (nail)
2. M (middle) – out
3. I (index) – out
4. I (index) in (flesh)

This pattern can be used as an accent at the end of a phrase. Or we can play it repeatedly as an accompaniment to a singer, dancer, or other instrument.

Popular Spanish Strumming Patterns

In the video above, you’ll see four of the most common rasgueado patterns. And you’ll also find ways to practice these.

• AMII (4:06)
• CAMII (6:34)
• AMIAMI (7:13)
• PMP (9:03)
• Practicing using accents (10:17) Click here for more on using accents.
• Review (12:16)

Common Mistakes in Spanish Guitar Music

As we add these patterns to our repertoire, we face some predictable dangers. If we can stay aware of these and avoid them, everything will sound better.

Mistake #1: Irregular rhythm

We don’t often play with the backs of our nails on guitar. So we can easily misplay the rhythm.

For these strums to sound correct and effective, the rhythm needs to be accurate and precise.

Slow practice with a metronome can help. As can speed bursts and accents. (Accents are mentioned in the video.)

Mistake #2: Uneven volume

Like the rhythm, we can also listen to the consistency of the volume.

Each stroke should ideally be the same volume and intensity. This will create a more “Spanish” effect and will communicate the Spanish vibe more convincingly.

Mistake #3: Restricting rasgueados to pieces

Rasgueados are a dynamite exercise. We can use these to strengthen and tone both hands.

(While we don’t use left-hand rasgueados on the guitar, they work well as an exercise.)

We can even use these movements away from the guitar, on a leg, steering wheel, or arm of a chair.

The outstroke movement builds the extensor muscles and coordinates the hand. This leads to more general control, independence, stamina, and speed.

Pound for pound, few other hand exercises bring as much general benefit as rasgueados.

General Tips for Rasgueado Guitar Technique

1. When practicing and playing rasgueados, pay close attention to the way that your fingers extend.  One finger may try to “follow” another finger out.  This means we pull that finger back before extending it through the strings, which slows us down.
2. Go slowly and master the motions one at a time.
3. Keep a steady rhythm at all times.  Using a metronome is a great idea with this and most all technique practice.
4. Remember, you don’t have to strike through every string.  When your fingers extend, they create an arc.  They may strike two, three, four, or more strings.  If you want to strike more strings, simply move your hand closer to the strings, and you will.  If you try to strum through all the strings with each finger, it will be difficult to build speed and proper rasgueado technique.

Guitar Technique Takes Time

Add this to your daily practice and you will see results. And like many worthwhile things in life, it may take time to see the results.

Results are sure to come, however. Practice is more enjoyable when embracing the small victories of the day. Incremental improvement is how this game works.

In a few months, your hands will have developed and advanced in startling ways. This cannot be rushed, but it will happen.

Would you like to build a foundation of classical guitar technique that will allow you play any music you like?   Consider The Woodshed® Classical Guitar Program.  It’s organized and progressive for steady momentum.  Members enjoy meaningful practice and constant progress, step by step, one day at a time.