Flamenco Handbook

8/9/2019 Flamenco Handbook

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FLMNC

Featuring bios offlamenco legends

Intro into the philosophyof flamenco

A brief flamenco history over the last

500 years since ancient conception.

MANUAL OF RARE FLAMENCO HARMONIES (CHORDS)

Pepe Habichuela to Paco De Lucia,Moraito Chico to Manolo Sanlucar

by Charles H Keyser

What makes flamenco sound

flamenco, medieval Greek Dorian

sound and more.

Richness, diversity and complexity of

the music on guitar.

THE PERFECTHANDBOOK

FOR NOVICE& PROFESSIONAL

Paco de Lucia by Ian McPherson


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CONTENTS

02

PHILOSOPHY OF FLAMENCO

Why does it exist, what is its purpose? What do flamenco

enthusiasts believe in? What kind of attitude of life is

required to pursue it?

HISTORY OF FLAMENCO

From the gypsies of Rajasthan to the modern age Paco de

Lucia, where did it all come from? How did it evolve over

the years? Trace back the roots of flamenco through the

waves of crusades, oppression and the magnificent, cultural

explosion in Spain.

MUSICAL ANALYSIS

In depth musical analysis on why flamenco sounds different to other

generes of music and gain better understanding on how to make oreflamenco.

02

02


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EDITORIALYou may be new to this form of art or may be thinking

of beginning it. You may be an experienced player looking

to extend your horizons. There are resources in here

for everyone. The first section stars with a broad level

understanding of flamenco, its purpose and philosophy. To

closely examine why flamenco came to be what it is, the

next section will take you on a journey, 500 years in themaking.

All information in this booklet is provided as is. None

of the works are under copyright by the author and the

images are property of their respective rights holders. They

are only used for illustrative purposes. This booklet must

not be resold for any value as this will result in copyright

infringement. The information in this booklet has been

sourced from various locations and simply consolidates theinformation into a convenient format.

SPECIAL CHORDS

Flamenco is known for its magical, dissonant chords

and harmonies. This section gives you access to anunprecedented number of chords collected from flamancos

biggest online community at foroflamenco.com

FLAMENCO TECHNIQUE

Understand what key right hand and left hand techniques

are needed to conquer this mesmerizing genre of music.

02

02

Flamencologi

st

220+ Rare Chords


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The Philosophy

of FlamencoMy own view of Flamenco is that it is an artistic expression of an intense awareness of the

existential human condition. It is an effort to come to terms with the concept that we are all

strangers and afraid, in a world we never made; that there is probably no higher being, and that

even if there is he/she (or it) is irrelevant to the human condition in the final analysis.

The truth in Flamenco is that life must be lived and death must be faced on an individual basis; that it is the

fundamental responsibility of each man and woman to come to terms with their own alienation

with courage, dignity and humor, and to support others in their efforts. It is an excruciatingly

honest art form.

My own view of Flamenco is that it is an artistic expression of an intense awareness of the

existential human condition. It is an effort to come to terms with the concept that we are all

strangers and afraid, in a world we never made; that there is probably no higher being, and that

even if there is he/she (or it) is irrelevant to the human condition in the final analysis.

The truth in Flamenco is that life must be lived and death must be faced on an individual basis; that it is the

fundamental responsibility of each man and woman to come to terms with their own alienation

with courage, dignity and humor, and to support others in their efforts. It is an excruciatingly

honest art form.

by Charles H Keyser P.hd.


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For flamencos it is this ever-present consciousness of

death that gives life itself its meaning; not only as in the

tragedy of a childs death from hunger in a far-off land or

a senseless drive-by shooting in a big city, but even more

fundamentally in death as a consequence of life itself, and

the value that must be placed on life at each moment and

on each human being at each point in their journey through

it.

And it is the intensity of this awareness that gave the Gypsy

artists their power of expression. For the gitanos in the

Morn del la Frontera, Lebrija, and other small towns aroundSevilla (the cradle of cante flamenco) this consciousness

was clearly evident in the sense of community among the

artistic families and the value that they placed in their art.

Flamenco is an adult art and philosophy, in which the

axiom that if god is dead, everything is permitted must

be balanced by a secular humanism; with a sense of care

and compassion about life in general and human beings in

particular.

As the struggle for physical survival and the necessity forcompetition for the basics of life become less relevant for

man in the light of technological and social advances, the

old mechanisms for meaning (religion, flag, greed) lose

their relevance.

Flamenco Dancers:Elaborate art form.

In the world (in the 60s and early 70s) into which the

flamencos that I knew existed, these ideas (in a less modern

sense) were expressed in the essence of their art. Certainly

religion was irrelevant to their lives (except as required by

Francos Spain); after all, the Gypsies originally came from

India with a completely different intellectual heritage than

that of the Catholic church.

Rather, the art of flamenco became a center of meaning

for them, with a very real consciousness of the art to be

preserved and passed from generation to generation as a

justification for family. In this sense, music, dance and songin the secular world became their religion.

Flamenco is not an art without responsibility; the technical

demands of the art required a discipline, complete with peer

review (the grandmother chiding her grandchild for losing

rhythm (fuera compas, nio). In Morn, the existential

aspects of the cante were evident immediately -children

were surrounded by the cante jondo from a very young age.

Through the cante, they became aware of the consequences

of consciousness of their existence early on; for the parentsit was a solution of the problem of creating life in the face of

having to teach the meaning and consequences of natural

death - it was provided by the surrounding culture.


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Flamenco is an art of courage, dignity, andhumor in the face of existential chaos.

This courage is often expressed by a sense of humor in the

great flamenco artists as well; fully capable of expressing

profound desolation, they are also deeply aware of the

absurdity of extending this to a general characterization of

life.

Even the absurdity of human existence must be taken as a

joke occasionally. As most performance artists are acutely

aware, death makes life transient by its very nature; how

can even the most meaningful expression have enduring

meaning?

In spite of the pressure to make products, the essence

of the art is spontaneous performance (as expressed in

improvisational technique - guitar, cante, and dance) rather

than created things- on community artistic relationships

rather than acquisition of material wealth.

In summary, Flamenco is an art of courage, dignity, and

humor in the face of existential chaos - it is a codification

of the search for human values in a world free of

institutionalized superstition and an emphasis on these

values as expressed in the art in defining the flamenco

community.

This perspective means that sexual motivation plays a

secondary role in the serious interpretation of the art

(indeed, attractive members of both sexes are often viewed

as distractions unless they are flamenco aware, or entrao);

rather it is an adult expression of existential ideas by both

sexes in ways that are most attractive to their roles as menand women in preserving their dignities under these absurd

conditions.

It is an expression of the courage to face not only

the consequences of existential consciousness as a

philosophical principle, but a determination to express

them with the essence of ones being in an art form that is

highly technically demanding, requiring a deep commitment

to mastery of even the basic techniques.

For a flamenco artist, it requires facing them every dayin technical practice - it is a race against time to master

technique in order to be able to interpret and improvise

meaningfully, and requires the courage to face the prospect

of losing technique in the face of lifes requirements for

survival, or the fact of merely growing older.

Continued Philosophyof Flamenco

Centuries in the making:Gypsies give birth to Flamenco in Spain and Gypsy Jazz in France.


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Flamenco:

A History


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The 15th century marked a small revolution in the culture

and society of Southern Spain. We must highlight the

following landmarks, all with future implications on the

development of flamenco: first, the arrival of nomad

Gypsies in the Iberian Peninsula in 1425. Later on, the

conquest of Granada, the discovery of America and the

expulsion of the Jews, all of them in 1492.

In the 13th century, the Christian Crown of Castile

had already conquered most of Andalusia. Although

Castilian kings favored a policy of repopulation of the

newly conquered lands with Christians, part of the Muslim

population remained in the areas as a religious and ethnic

minority, called mudjares.

Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in the Iberian

Peninsula, fell in 1492 when the armies of the Catholic

Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and queen Isabella ofCastile invaded this city after about 800 years of Moslem

rule.

The Treaty of Granada guaranteed religious tolerance, and

this paved the way for the Moors to surrender peacefully.

Months after, the Spanish Inquisition used its influence to

convince Ferdinand and Isabella, who were political allies of

the Church of Rome, to break the treaty and force the Jews

to either convert to Christianity or leave Spain.

The Alhambra decree of March 31, 1492 ordered the

expulsion of all non-converted Jews from Spain and its

territories and possessions by July 31, 1492, on charges

that they were trying to convert the Christian population

to Judaism. Some chose to adopt the Catholic religion

(Conversos), but they often kept their Judaic beliefs

privately. For this reason, they were closely watched by the

Spanish Inquisition, and accusations of being false converts

often lead them to suffer torture and death.

The conquest of Andalusia implied a strong penetration of

Castilian culture in Andalusia, which surely influenced the

music and folklore. The expulsion of the Sephardi Jews

and Moriscos could have led to a weakening of middle-

Eastern influence on Andalusian culture.

However, during the 15th century groups of Roma people

(gypsies), known as Gitanos in Spain, entered the IberianPeninsula. At the beginning, they were well tolerated. The

Spanish nobles enjoyed their dances and music, and they

were regularly employed to entertain guests at private

parties. The Gypsies, therefore, were in touch (at least

geographically) with the Morisco population until the

expulsion of the latter in the 16th century.

According to some theories, suggested by authors like

George Borrow and Blas Infante and supported by other

flamenco historians like Mairena and Molina, many Moriscos

even joined the Gypsy nomad tribes and eventually

became indistinguishable from them. This has not been

proved scientifically. It is generally accepted, however, that

the Zambra of the Gypsies of Granada, still performed

nowadays, is derived from the original Moorish Zambra.

The Alhambra in Spain

Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada,

Andalusia, Spain. It was originally constructed as a small fortress

in 889 and then largely ignored until its ruins were renovated andrebuilt in the mid-11th century by the Moorish emir Mohammed ben

Al-Ahmar of the Emirate of Granada, who built its current palace

and walls. It was converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I,

Sultan of Granada.


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The clash between Gypsies and the Spanish would be

manifest by the end of the century. For centuries, the

Spanish monarchy tried to force the Gypsies to abandon

their language, customs and music. During the Reconquista,

tolerance towards Gypsies ended and they were put into

ghettos.

This isolation helped them retain the purity of their music

and dance. In 1782, the Leniency Edict of Charles III

restored some freedoms to the Spanish gypsies. Their

music and dance was reintroduced and adopted by the

general population of Spain. This resulted in a period of

great exploration and evolution within the art form.

Nomadic Gypsies became social outcasts and were in

many cases the victims of persecution. This is reflected in

many lyrics of palos (cqatagories of songs) like seguiriyas,

in which references to hunger, prison and discriminationabound.

The influence of the New World

Recent research has revealed a major influence of Sub-

Saharan African music on flamencos prehistory. This

developed from the music and dance of African slaves held

by the Spanish in the New World.

There are 16th and 17th century manuscripts of classical

compositions that are possibly based on African folk forms,such as negrillas, zarambeques, and chaconas. We also find

mention of the fandango indiano (Indiano meaning from

the Americas, but not necessarily Native American).

Some critics support the view that the names of flamenco

palos, like the tangos or even the fandango, are derived

from Bantoid languages, and most theories state that the

rhythm of the tangos was imported from Cuba.

It is likely that in that stay in the New World, the fandango

picked up dance steps deemed too inappropriate for Eu-

ropean tastes. Thus, the dance for fandango, for chacon,

and for zarabanda, were all banned in Europe at one time

or another. References to Gypsy dancers can be found in

the lyrics of some of these forms, e.g., the chacon. Indeed,

Gypsy dancers are often mentioned in Spanish literary and

musical works from the 1500s on.

However, the zarabandas and jcaras are the oldest

written musical forms in Spain to use the 12-beat

meter as a combination of terciary and binary rhythms.

The basic rhythm of the zarabanda and the jcara is

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. The sole and the Seguiriya, are

variations on this: they just start the metre on a different

beat.

The rise of flamenco

During the late-eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries,

flamenco took on a number of unique characteristics which

separated it from local folk music and prepared the way

to a higher professionalization and technical excellence of

flamenco performers, to the diversification of flamenco

styles (by gradually incorporating songs derived from

folklore or even other sources), and to the popularization of

the genre outside Andalusia.

The first time flamenco is mentioned in literature is in 1774

in the book Cartas Marruecas by Jos Cadalso. During

this period, according to some authors, there is little news

about flamenco except for a few scattered references from

travelers.

This led traditional flamencologists, like Molina and Mairena,

to call the period of 1780 to 1850 as The Hermetic Period

or the private stage of flamenco. According to these

flamencologists, flamenco, at this time was something likea private ritual, secretly kept in the Gypsy homes of some

towns in the Seville and Cdiz area.


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Flamenco guitarist:A flamenco guitarist with cutaway guitar, giving easy access to high pitches


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A typical flamenco guitar.

MANOLO SANLUCAR

I wish the experts in universal music

to understand that they may approach

flamenco, so they do not consider it

something tribal and topical, so they

see a branch of music in flamencothat allows very profound musical

analysis and has extraordinary poetic

and musical quality.


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MusicalAnalysis

The Phrygian mode is in fact the most common mode in the traditional palos

of flamenco music, and it is used for sole, most buleras, siguiriyas, tangos

and tientos, and other palos. The flamenco version of this mode contains two

frequent alterations in the 7th and, even more often, the 3rd degree of the scale:

if the scale is played in E Phrygian for example, G and D can be sharp.

In the descending E Phrygian scale in flamenco music, G sharp is compulsory forthe tonic chord. Based on the Phrygian scale, a typical cadence is formed, usually

called Andalusian cadence. The chords for this cadence in E Phrygian are Am

GFE. According to guitarist Manolo Sanlcar, in this flamenco Phrygian mode,

E is the tonic, F would take the harmonic function of dominant, while Am and G

assume the functions of subdominant and mediant respectively.

When playing in Phrygian mode, guitarists traditionally use only two basic

positions for the tonic chord: E and A. However, they often transport these basic

tones by using a cejilla (capo). Modern guitarists, starting with Ramn Montoya,

have also introduced other positions. Montoya himself started to use other

chords for the tonic in the doric sections of several palos: F sharp for tarantas, B

for granana, A flat for the minera, and he also created a new palo as a solo piece

for the guitar, the rondea, in C sharp. Later guitarists have further extended the

repertoire of tonalities and chord positions.

In most Western music, only the major and minor modes are explicitly named by

composers, (except as an occasional oddity in jazz and classical music) flamenco

has also preserved the Phrygian mode, commonly called the Dorian mode

by flamencologists, referring to the Greek Dorian mode, and sometimes also

flamenco mode. The reason for preferring the term Greek Dorian is that, as

in ancient Greek music, flamenco melodies are descending (instead of ascending

as in usual Western melodic patterns). Some flamencologists, like Hiplito Rossy

or guitarist Manolo Sanlcar, also consider this flamenco mode as a survival of the

old Greek Dorian mode. I will use the term Phrygian to refer to this mode, as it

is the most common way of referring to this mode in English speaking countries.


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There are also palos in major mode, for example, most

cantias and alegras, guajiras, and some buleras and

tons, and the cabales (a major mode type of siguiriyas).

The minor mode is less frequent and it is restricted to the

Farruca, the milongas (among cantes de ida y vuelta), and

some styles of tangos, buleras, etc.

In general, traditional palos in major and minor modeare limited harmonically to the typical two-chord (tonic

dominant) or three-chord structure (tonicsubdominant

dominant). However, modern guitarists have increased

the traditional harmony by introducing chord substitution,

transitional chords, and even modulation.

Fandangos and the palos derived from it (e.g. malagueas,

tarantas, cartageneras) are bimodal. Guitar introductions

are in Phrygian mode, while the singing develops in major

mode, modulating to Phrygian mode at the end of the

stanza.

Traditionally, flamenco guitarists did not receive any formal

training, so they just relied on their ear to find the chords

on the guitar, disregarding the rules of Western classical

music. This led them to interesting harmonic findings, with

unusual unresolved dissonances. Examples of this are the

use of minor 9th chords for the tonic, the tonic chord of

tarantas, or the use of the 1st unpressed string as a kind of

pedal tone.

Comps is the Spanish word for meter or rhythm or time

signature in classical music theory. In flamenco, besides

having these meanings, it also refers to the rhythmic cycle,

or layout, of a palo or flamenco style. When performing

flamenco it is important to feel the rhythm the comps

rather than mechanically count the beats. In this way,flamenco is similar to jazz or blues where performers seem

to simply feel the rhythm.

Flamenco uses three basic counts or measures: Binary,

Ternary and the (unique to flamenco) twelve-beat cycle,

which is difficult to confine within the classical measure.

There are also free-form styles, not subject to any particular

meter, including, among others, the palos in the group of the

tons, the saetas, malagueas, tarantas, and some types of

fandangos.

Comps is the Spanish word for meter or rhythm or timesignature in classical music theory. In flamenco, besides havingthese meanings, it also refers to the rhythmic cycle, or layout, of

a palo or flamenco style.

The Rhythm &

Melody


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Rhythms in 2/4 or 4/4. These meters are used in forms

like tangos, tientos, gypsy rumba, zambra and tanguillos.

Rhythms in 3/4. These are typical of fandangos and

sevillanas both of these forms originate in Spanish folk

music, thereby illustrating their provenance as non-Gypsy

styles, since the 3/4 and 4/4 measures are the most

common throughout the Western world but not within the

ethnic Gypsy, nor Hindi musical tradition.

12-beat rhythms usually rendered in amalgams of 6/8

+ 3/4 and sometimes measures of 12/8 in attempts to

confine it within the classical constraints. The 12 beat

cycle is fundamental in the sole and bueras palos, for

example. However, the various accentuation differentiatesthese two. These accentuations dont correspond to the

classic concept of the downbeat, whereby the first beat in

the measure is emphasized.

In flamenco, the different ways of performing percussion

(including the complex technique of palmas) make it hard

to render in traditional musical notation. The alternating

of groups of 2 and 3 beats is also common in the Spanish

folk or traditional dances of the 16th Century such as the

zarabanda, jcara and canarios.

They are also common in Latin American countries. 12-

beat amalgams are in fact the most common in flamenco.

There are three types of these, which vary in their layouts, or

use of accentuations:

The seguiriya.

The sole.

The bulera

Sole, whithin the cantias group of palos which includes

the alegras, cantias, mirabras, romera, caracoles and sole

por bulera (also bulera por sole): 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12. For practical reasons, when transferring flamenco guitar

music to sheet music, this rhythm is written as a regular

3/4.

Buleras is the emblematic palo of flamenco, today its 12

beat cycle is most often played 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11. The accompanying palmas are played in groups of 6

beats, giving rise to a multitude of counter rhythms and

percussive voices within the 12 beat comps.

Among the flamenco rhythms, the Bulerias remains

supreme as the favorite fiesta rhythm. It is highly complex

rhythmically with many variations and a rich tapestry of

guitar, dance, and song effects.

Between coplas of the cante and steps of the dance, the

guitarist has quite a bit of freedom - he can play any

number of 6/8 or 3/4 six count or 12 count measures

of guitar rasgueados and falsetas. (Singers and dancers

also have this freedom, of course; that is why Bulerias can

always be accompanied with the preferred dobles palmas -

since it gives everyone a six count reference.

Comps is fundamental to flamenco, it is the basic definitionof the music, and without comps, there is no flamenco.

Comps is therefore more than simply the division of beats

and accentuations, it is the backbone of this musical form.

In private gatherings, if there is no guitarist available, the

comps is rendered through hand clapping (palmas) or by

hitting a table with the knuckles.

This is also sometimes done in recordings especially for

buleras. The guitar also has an important function, using

techniques like strumming (rasgueado) or tapping the

soundboard. Changes of chords also emphasize the mostimportant downbeats. When a dancers are present, they

use their feet as a percussion instrument.

There are two main approaches to Bulerias - one in its

interpretation as a rhythm in its own right, and the other is

its use as a finale to many of the other songs and dances.

The Bulerias is performed in most keys easily available to

the guitar; A and E Phrygian Modes, A and E Minor, and A

and E major (although usually not in C major - it doesnt

seem to have the required punch). Sometimes, for fun,

guitarists will solo in F# or B Phrygian as well.

The structure of the bulerias cante was derived from that of

Soleares, complete with cambio. The traditional verse form

is called copla; however, many popular versions of Bulerias

verses exist (called cuples).


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Flamenco music styles are called palos in Spanish. Thereare over 50 different palos flamenco, although some

of them are rarely performed. A palo can be defined as

musical form of flamenco.

Flamenco songs are classified into palos based on several

musical and non-musical criteria such as its basic rhythmic

pattern, mode, chord progression, form of the stanza, or

geographic origin. The rhythmic patterns of the palos are

also often called comps. A comps (the Spanish normal

word for either time signature or bar) is characterized by a

recurring pattern of beats and accents.

To really understand the different palos, it is important to

understand their musical and cultural context:

Some of the forms are sung unaccompanied, while others

usually have a guitar and sometimes other accompaniment.

Some forms are danced while others traditionally are

not. Amongst both the songs and the dances, some are

traditionally the reserve of men and others of women, while

still others could be performed by either sex.

Many of these traditional distinctions are now breaking

down; for example, the Farruca is traditionally a mans

dance, but is now commonly performed by women too.

Many flamenco artists, including some considered to be

amongst the greatest, have specialized in a single flamenco

form.

The classification of flamenco palos is not entirely

uncontentious, but a common traditional classification is

into three groups. The deepest, most serious forms are

known as cante jondo (or cante grande), while relatively light,

frivolous forms are called cante chico. Other non-musical

considerations often factor into this classification, such as

whether the origin of the palo is considered to be gypsy or

not.

Forms which do not fit into either category but lie somewhere

between them are classified as cante intermedio. However,

there is no general agreement on how to classify each

palo. Whereas there is general agreement that the sole,

seguiriya and the tons must be considered cante jondo,

there is wide controversy on where to place cantes like the

fandango, malaguea, or tientos.

Many flamenco fans tend to disregard this classification

as highly subjective, or else they considered that, whatever

makes a song cante grande is not the song itself but the

depth of the interpreter.

The classification below reflects another traditional

classification of cantes more based on rhythmic pattern,

but also taking the origin into account.

Comps is the Spanish word for meter or rhythm or timesignature in classical music theory. In flamenco, besides havingthese meanings, it also refers to the rhythmic cycle, or layout, ofa palo or flamenco style.

Forms ofFlamenco


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Ton Palos (usually known as Cantesa palo seco)

DeblaMartinetesCarceleras

SaetasTonsTrilla

Palos based on the Sole rhythmAlbore

Buleras - Bulerias (and Jaleos fromextremadura, a variety of Buleras)

The Cantias group, including:AlegrasCaracolesMirabrsRomeras

PetenerasRomances

The related palos Caa and Polo.

Sole - Soleares and Buleras porSole.

Palos derived from Fandango

Fandangos de HuelvaFandangos orientales (from Eastern

Andalusia and Murcia)Fandangos abandolaos, including:VerdialesRondeasJabera

Fandangos libres (free of rhythmicpattern):GrananasMedia GrananaMalagueasCantes de las minas (songs originat-ed in mining areas): Minera, Tarantos,Tarantas, Cartageneras, Murciana, Le-vantica, Cantes de madrugFandangos personales (personal cre-ations)

Seguiriya Palos

CabalesLivianasSiguiriyas - (also seguiriyas)

Serrana

Palos with a Tango rhythm

FarrucaGarrotnMarianasTarantos (when played for dance).TientosTanguillosTango

Palos de Ida y vueltaOther palos with a tango rhythm areoften considered as Ida y vuelta, thatis, originated in Spanish America.

ColombianasGuajirasMilongaRumbaVidalitas

Other palos of difficult classification

CampanillerosBamberaSevillanas

NanasZambrasZorongo


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PH: Lorem ipsum

Edited: Lorem ipsumWritten: Lorem ipsum

CLASSICALGUITAR FLAMENCOGUITAR

BLUESGUITAR

JAZZGUITAR

ROCK

GUITAR

1859

1920

1925

1956

FUNKGUITAR

1960

~1500ADBIRTH OFFLAMENCO

ART FORM


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The Flamenco

Guitar Although, the flamenco guitar maylook like the classical type, it is builtdifferently to produce a harsher, brighter

and percussive sound. Both guitars

were invented by the same father of the

classical guitar, Antonio Torres. The two

guitars, competed, classical for the upper

class and the flamenco guitar for the

poorer low classes.

An examination into the guitar is given by

LESTER DE VOE.


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We are all familiar with classical guitars and some of us

have had the opportunity to play a flamenco guitar. I would

like to explain what makes a flamenco guitar different from

a classical.

Flamenco guitars feel lighter, play easier and have a more

immediate and percussive sound. These features reflect

differences in the method and types of woods used in

construction. The differences in construction are subtle and

vary from one maker to another, so I speak from my own

perspective.

Typically, the depth of the guitar body of the flamenco is

shallower than the classical, with the soundboard and the

back of the instrument usually 1/8 1/4 closer together.

This reduces the volume of air in the soundbox and raisesthe pitch slightly. Internally, the length of the fan braces

of a flamenco guitar are not as long and this shortens

the duration of tone, giving a more immediate sound the

characteristic punch that is a desirable flamenco attribute.

This punch or edge allows the guitar to cut through other

sounds when in accompaniment with the flamenco song,

dance and clapping (palmas).

Juan Martin playsa Flamenca Negra


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On the flamenco guitar, the action as measured by the

height of the strings above the twelfth fret is 1/32 lower

than on the classical. To facilitate right hand strumming

(rasgueados) and finger tapping (golpes) on the tap

plate (golpeador), the strings must also be closer to thesoundboard, which requires a lower bridge and saddle

height.

Flamenco guitars are tuned with tuning machines or, more

traditionally, by wooden friction pegs of ebony or rosewood.

Based on the woods used in construction, flamenco

guitars fall into two categories: traditional or modern. In the

traditional or blanca flamenco guitar, light colored cypress

is used for the back and sides while the modern or negraguitar uses dark colored rosewood.

During the time that Antonio Torres was defining classical

and flamenco guitar construction, Spanish cypress wood

was used because of local availability and low cost and

was generally used for flamenco guitars although some of

Torres most famous classical guitars were constructed withSpanish cypress.

The Spanish guitarist, Paco de Lucia, popularized the use

of the flamenco negra. The use of denser rosewood gives

flamenco guitars a fuller and richer tone approaching that

of classical guitars. However, if a guitarist has a strong

attack, with a low action, the rosewood negra still yields the

familiar flamenco sound and attack.


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Rare Flamenco

Harmonies(Chords)The Andalusian cadence is a term adopted from flamenco music for a chord progression comprising four chords descend-

ing stepwise--a VI-V-IV-III progression. It is otherwise known as the minor descending tetrachord. Traceable back to the

Renaissance, its effective sonorities made it one of the most popular progressions in classical music About this sound Play

(helpinfo).

Despite the name it is not a true cadence (i.e., occurring only once, when ending a phrase, section, or piece of music; it is most

often used as an ostinato (repeating over and over again). It is heard in rock songs such as Runaway by Del Shannon.

A popular melodic pattern of Ancient Greece offers a possible starting point for the Andalusian cadence. Called the Dorian

tetrachord, the sequence resembles the bass line of the chord progression developed centuries later. Some theorists consider

that the same structure may have occurred earlier in Judah. A sequence more or less close to the Greek tetrachord structure

might have been known to the Moors in Southern Spain and spread from there through Western Europe.


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Francisco Gustavo Snchez Gomes, known as Paco de Luca, was

a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer and producer. A

leading proponent of the New Flamenco style, he helped legitimize

flamenco among the establishment in Spain.

De Luca was noted for his fast and fluent picados (fingerstyle runs).

A master of contrast, he often juxtaposed picados and rasgueados

(Flamenco strumming) with more sensitive playing and was known

for adding abstract chords and scale tones to his compositions with

jazz influences. These innovations saw him play a key role in thedevelopment of traditional Flamenco and the evolution of New

Flamenco and Latin jazz fusion from the 1970s.

Richard Chapman and Eric Clapton, authors of Guitar: Music,

History, Players, describe de Luca as a titanic figure in the world

of flamenco guitar, and Dennis Koster, author of Guitar Atlas,

Flamenco, has referred to de Luca as one of historys greatest

guitarists.

Manolo Sanlcar (Manuel Muoz Alcn) is a flamenco composerand guitarist born in Sanlcar de Barrameda (Cadiz) in 1943.

He is considered one of the most important Spanish composers

of present times, and together with Paco de Luca,Tomatito, and

Vicente Amigo, one of the main figures in the evolution of the

flamenco guitar in recent years. His album Tauromagia is regarded

as one of the greatest flamenco albums of all time.

He soon began to research, aware that the guitar had infinite

possibilities that had hardly been explored. The most ambitious of

his contributions to the art has been his constant striving to integrate

flamenco in symphonic music. Several works of the greatest interesthave placed his name among the great composers of our time.

Pepe Habichuela (born 1944 as Jos Antonio Carmona Carmona

in Granada) is a Spanish flamenco guitarist, cited as one of the great

flamenco masters and one of Spains finest contemporary guitarists.

He belongs to a flamenco dynasty of gypsies started by his

grandfather, known as Habichuela el Viejo (Old Bean), who took

the nickname, and continued by his father Jos Carmona and

his brothers Juan Habichuela (1933), Carlos and Luis. Pepe later

pushed the boundaries of flamenco by fusing it with classical Indian

symphony.


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A Chords


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Carlos Garca Montoya(13 December 1903 3 March 1993) was a prominent

Flamenco guitarist and a founder of the modern-day popular Flamenco style of

music.

His unique style and successful career, despite all odds, have left a great legacy for

modern day Flamenco. It is because of his pioneering work in popular Flamenco

music that have allowed other great modern groups such as the Gipsy Kings to

take hold in all parts of the world. A few of his video recordings can still be found

on YouTube.

Diego del Gastor(March 27, 1908 in Arriate Mlaga, Spain July 7, 1973) was a

renowned flamenco guitarist. Diego del Gastor was the creator and best known

exponent of the guitar playing tradition of Morn de la Frontera, Sevilla. Few

today are able to capture the flamenco essence like Gastor. His tradition has been

inherited by his nephews Diego de Morn, Agustin Ros Amaya, Paco and Juan del

Gastor, several grandnephews and nieces.


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B Flat Chords

Gerardo Nez Daz (born 1961) is

a Spanish guitarist and composer.

His roots lie in flamenco, but he

has also ventured into fusion with

other genres, especially jazz. As a

composer, his music is complex and

rich, but it allows him to demonstrate

his playing ability, as he is a great

guitarist. He has composed a large

number of pieces for one of his bestartistic partners, Carmen Corts.

Sabicas(Agustn Castelln Campos)

was a Flamenco guitarist, of Romani

origin, who was born on 16 March,

1912 in Pamplona, Spain and died in

14 April 1990 in New York.

Sabicas was instrumental in the

introduction of Flamenco to

audiences outside of Spain. He was

probably best known for his technical

skills: blazingly fast picados(scales),fast arpeggios, quality composition

for the many forms of flamenco, and

infallible rhythm..

Victor Monge Serranito. Flamenco

guitarist and composer was born in

Madrid (Spain). He was self educated

and at the age of 12 he started as a

professional. He is regarded as one of

the best guitar virtuosos in History,

and one who has demonstrated in his

trajectory a great ease for performing,

as well as an usual interest in his own

evolution and artistic growth.


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Rafael Riqueni (born 1962 in Seville)

is one of Spains top flamenco

guitarists. Accomplished from a very

young age, at just fifteen years old he

was awarded the Ramn Montoya

Prize in the Concurso Nacional

(National Competition) inCrdoba.

Rafael Corts is one of the few

composers who unites the tradition

with the present time and maintains

pure flamenco, playing modern style.

In the Alcaicera young guitarist

demonstrates in impressive form not

only to be a technical magician butthat also being a sensible musician

who can transmit all the emotions

and feelings with his guitar.

Nio de Pura is one of the greatest

flamenco geniuses of our time,

Nio de Pura and his four-member

troupe from Spain brings a level of

world-class authentic flamenco rarely

experienced outside of Andaluca. A

child prodigy, Nio de Pura becameone of the most international prize-

winning flamenco guitarists in history.

Get ready for spectacular energy,

brillance, blazing fast finger runs and

never ending passion.


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B Chords


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C Chords


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C# Chords

Paco Cepero(born 6 March 1942) is a Spanish Flamenco guitarist. In addition to accompanying numerous artists, he has

released several solo albums, including Corazn y Bordn and De Pura Cepa.

Paco Cepero is undoubtedly one of the best guitarists to accompany singing there in these times. It has come at a time

when other guitarists are already more established, but has succeeded precisely because they like them, to have personality,

and, of course, being a great performer cleaning their executions. It is difficult to define the characteristics or contours of

his art, but when do you have to take into has at least two fundamental data: it de Jerez, which involves deep domain

knowledge and compass


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Manitas de Plata(born Ricardo Baliardo; 7 August 1921 5 November 2014) was a French flamenco guitarist. Despite

achieving worldwide fame, he was known for disrespecting certain rhythmic rules (comps) that are traditional in flamenco.

Ricardo Baliardo was born in a gypsy caravan in Ste in southern France. He became famous by playing each year at the

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer gypsy pilgrimage in Camargue, where he was recorded live by Deben Bhattacharya.

Manitas de Plata (Little Hands of Silver) only agreed to play in public ten years after the death of Django Reinhardt,unanimously considered the king of gypsy guitarists. One of his recordings earned him a letter from Jean Cocteau acclaiming

him as a creator.

Upon hearing him play at Arles in 1964, Pablo Picasso is said to have exclaimed that man is of greater worth than I am!

and proceeded to draw on the guitar.

Jos Fernndez Torres, known as Tomatito(born Almera, 1958), is a Spanish Romani flamenco guitarist. Having started

his career accompanying famed flamenco singer Camarn de la Isla (with Paco de Luca). Tomatito, who had been playingclubs in Andalusia, became a flamenco sensation when he was discovered by guitarist Paco de Luca. He accompanied

legendary flamenco singer Camarn de la Isla for two decades.

Tomatito incorporates elements of jazz in his style of flamenco; both, he says, emerged as a response to discrimination, a

cry of suffering, or the joy of liberation. Half of what he plays is improvised, he said. He frequently employs the Phrygian

mode.


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D Chords


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Nio Ricardo (11 July 1904-14 April 1972), born as Manuel Serrap,

was a Flamenco composer, considered by some sources as the most

accomplished flamenco player of his day. He played a significant

part in the evolution of the flamenco guitar. He lived in the city

center of Sevilla. A child guitar prodigy, his early audiences referred

to him as the son of Ricardo, leading to his stage-name Nio [de]

Ricardo.

Paco Pea(born 1 June 1942) is a Spanish flamenco composer and

guitarist. He is regarded as one of the worlds foremost traditional

Flamenco players. Pea has collaborated with the Classical guitarist

John Williams. Pea generated so much interest among a British

public previously uninitiated in Flamenco that he soon found

himself sharing concerts with artists such as Jimi Hendrix, and

made his solo debut at Wigmore Hall in 1967.

Manuel Moreno Junquera, Morato Chico (Jerez de la Frontera,

Cdiz, Spain, September 13, 1956 - Jerez de la Frontera, August 10,

2011) was a Flamenco guitarist.

He was known as one of the greatest and most in-demand

accompanying guitarists of his generation, and was the regular

accompanist for Jos Merc, Diego Carrasco and other popular

flamenco singers. He also played regularly for such stars as La

Paquera de Jerez, Camarn de la Isla and Manuel Agujetas. Moraito

was particularly renowned for his powerful, full and round sound,

driving rhythm and exceptional rasgueos. He was one of the finest

exponents of the buleria and can be seen and heard paying in

this style on Carlos Sauras influential Flamenco and Flamenco,

Flamenco films.


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D# Chords

NIO MIGUEL

Miguel Vega de la Cruz, better known as the Flamenco guitarist, Nio Miguel, passed away at

the Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos del Hospital Juan Ramn Jimnez de Huelva in the earlyhours of Thursday 23rd of May 2013. Miguel died aged 61 of Pneumonia. Nio Miguel took

the flamenco world by storm during the 1970s with his aggressive virtuoso playing style, many

consider him to be the greatest, but in later years he became largely forgotten, except in his home

town of Huelva in southern Spain and flamenco aficionados. His legendary presence was felt by

Paco de Lucia as an exemplary player and a fountain of pure genius. Able to play extremely long

pieces with unparalled technical dexterity, he was set to become a legend of the flamenco world

until drug abuse and a minor lack of left-right hand coordination ruined his career.


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E Minor Chords

Grigory Grisha Goryachev (born December 29, 1977 in St. Petersburg) is a Russian virtuoso flamenco and classicalguitarist now living in the United States. A master of both flamenco and classical guitar, he is one of the worlds fewguitarists to continue the traditions of solo flamenco in concert performances. He is heavily influenced by Paco de Lucaand Sabicas. Goryachev is technically a highly proficient player, testament to his background in classical guitar from avery young age. He has professed his desire to see more guitarists follow his example in playing traditional flamenco tokeep the music alive and to encourage classical players to play flamenco compositions in their repertoire and accept it.


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E Chords


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F Chords


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F# Chords


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G Chords


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G# Chords


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TheTechnique

In the minds of many guitarists, flamenco is the king of guitar styles, combining the most appealing aspects of

all guitar playing: its spectacular, driving rhythms rival the most exciting popular styles; it shares improvisational

freedom and great harmonic sophistication with jazz; it equals the musical depth and complete right-hand tech-

nique of classical guitar; and todays flamenco players perform with a level of virtuosity that leaves even heavy

metal players breathless.


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What was once an art limited to the narrow confines of ethnic boundariesthe Gypsies of southern Spaintoday,flamenco is played all over the world by guitarists whose enthusiasm appears limitless.

Many are first drawn to flamenco by exposure to superficial pop-flamenco styles; many begin playing flamencoby faking it in an attempt to sound Spanish such as a basic rumba in Andalusian cadence. But, oh-so-often,these same guitarists, once theyve heard the real thing, forget all that is fake and devote themselves to learningauthentic flamenco.

From classical to rock, guitarists of other styles often express frustration about solving the mysteries of flamenco:How can that technique possibly be done? or, I could never learn that complex rhythm, and so on.

- Dennis Koster


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Flamenco is known for its heavy complexity and a range

of difficult techniques, often completely unfound in other

forms of guitar playing. The left hand is often identical

to classical guitar, however there are many abstract and

awkward chords that you will have to overcome in flamenco.

To add to the complexity, there are no such things as chordsin flamenco, they are harmonies and their sound changes

depending on surrounding harmonies, like chameleons.

Adding to this, is the idea that flamenco is a music of

rhythm, so no flamenco is played the same twice with

variations and embellishments within the rhythm, much like

its distant ancestor, Indian classical music.

Flamenco is therefore taught mostly by oral methods. Note

that due to the different techniques, flamenco has a very

wide dynamic range, from soft and mellow in one second torazor sharp, aggressive strokes the next second.

It is recommended that you Google and closely examine

these techniques.

The flamenco right hand is just as complex classical guitar.

The right hand incorporates the following fundamental

techniques over which you must have a certain level of

proficiency to play flamenco.

The following key right hand techniques are found, all of

which must be mastered:

Rasgueado

There are over a 1000 variations of this right hand pattern

and this is the cornerstone of the flamenco sound. It

involves a rapid succession of outward finger flicks, the

nail striking the strings. The pattern can be repeated in

numerous variations. This technique requires a lot of

dexterity, stamina and strength in the right hand.

Arpeggio

Same as your average arpeggio however flamenco arpeggiosare played with a thumb rest stroke unlike classical. Often,

flamenco arpeggios can reach up to and over 500 BPM.


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Tremolo

The tremolo creates an illusion of two guitars playing.

The thumb rest strokes a bassline while the other fingers

rapidly strike another treble string. The flamenco tremolo

is different to the classical tremolo in that it is a 5 stroke

tremolo, with thumb, index, third finger, middle and back

to index. The classical tremolo is 4 strokes. The flamencotremolo sounds like a slow moving stream of water while

the classical tremolo is a fast river in constant motion.

Pulgar

Flamenco is often played at very high speeds and therefore

finger placement for arpeggios can be impossible. High

speed and an extra punch is created when the thumb is

used to strike strings into the soundboard.

Alzapua

This virtuoso flamenco technique can create the illusionof multiple guitars playing and originates from the middle

eastern oud method of playing. Notes are held, the thumb

strikes one string and then flicks down to strum the

remainder of the notes and then back up. Sounds like a

baseline on top of chords being strummed.

Picado

Another virtuoso technique, this technique gives flamenco

its blazing fast finger runs. A succession of several notes

are played after the other, however only two fingers are

used in a mandatory alternating pattern to play an entire

melody/ scale. Performing this technique with three fingers

is often heralded as the most difficult technique to master.Can exceed 500 BPM.

Golpe

Although, heavy tapping on the guitar is depreciated, this

is a finger tap on the soundboard of the guitar, typically

with the third finger, while playing something else. These

are used to accent beats of a palo. This is a traditional

technique, a cornerstone of flamenco.

Muting

The strings of the flamenco guitar is often muted fordramatic effect using the last finger on the left hand or the

left side of the right hand palm.


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Author reserves no rights on this document as it is a curation from numerous sources. Original authors are credited

Flamenco Handbook

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