Song forms in Flamenco

Alot of people get confused by some of the forms found in flamenco becuase they seem so different to western ears. Most of us are used to pop, rock and country music where the separate sections of the song are a lot easier to distinguish.We’re used to hearing an intro, followed by a verse and a memorable chorus.

Flamenco is a lot like blues where the form uses a repeating form over and over and the musicians create variations on the basic form. Unlike blues where the form is often a number of bars (usually 12), flamenco is built around sequences of beats.These various sequences of beats are the basic element of rhythm in Flamenco and are referred to as ‘compas‘. Each compas is a recurring pattern of accented beats which gives the regular pulse of the rhythm its movement and form.

These compas make up the various styles or ‘toques‘ in Flamenco. Each toque has its own characteristic pattern of beats and accents (its compas) and it also has its own kinds of key and harmonic structures. The toques have different regional origins and their names reflect this. The toques of central importance are: Soleares, Seguiriyas, Alegrias, Bulerias, Tangos and Fandangos.

Here is a video showing you how to properly count a Bulerias; one of the more popular forms. The basic compas of Bulerias is made up of sequences of 12 beats with accents on 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Advertisement