The four-stroke rasgueo is one of the most powerful elements in Flamenco music. It is a quick series of downstrokes by the four fingers of your right hand in this order: ‘e,’ ‘a,’ ‘m,’ then ‘i.’ Use the same hand position as in the index finger rasgueo, with one exception: this time, rest your thumb on the sixth string without touching the front surface of your guitar. Do not rest it on the rosette, as you did in the index finger rasgueo. This position will help you stabilize your hand. Sound only the top five strings. First, flex your fingers so that they nearly, but not quite, touch your palm. Next, uncurl each finger in turn so that it hits the strings, brushing downward across the strings with the flicking motion that you used for the index downstroke. Start slowly and gently, using an even succession of strokes by the four fingers. Listen for the distinctive sound of each stroke; each should sound independently. Each finger should move separately, as an autonomous unit, with its force equivalent to the others. Moving each finger with equal force will be hard at first, especially with ‘e’ and ‘a.’ Do not push downwards with your whole hand, dragging your fingers across the strings. Keep your hand and wrist still, yet relaxed.
