Palmas and percussion
Palmas are handclaps, an essential sound in flamenco. They
come in two types, sordas (soft) and fuertes (loud), also called secas or altas.
Palmas sordas are done by clapping the two palms together softly
with the fingers relaxed, giving a hollow sound. They are used during quiet
passages so as not to drown out the performer.
Palmas fuertes are done by striking the palm of one hand with
three fingers of the other hand (index, middle and ring). If you experiment
with this you will eventually find a "sweet spot" that gives a very loud, sharp
clap. Two or more people doing palmas fuertes can create an amazingly fast and
complex barrage of handclaps.
Palmas fuertes tend to be used during loud and climactic moments
in the performance, and when the guitarist is playing a falseta,
to "help him along". Other types of percussion are tapping with the knuckles
on a table or barrel top, playing the guitar with damped strings, and a recent
innovation, the cajón. The cajón is a wooden box that you sit on and play by
slapping and thumping with your hands on one of the sides, usually between your
knees. The side you play on is loosely attached at the top, which gives a sharp
rattling sound when hit high up and a deeper, more booming sound when hit lower
down. Although it is not used in traditional flamenco, the cajón has become
popular in the last few decades as percussion in theatrical flamenco shows and
on flamenco recordings.
Why
go to Spain?
Where
are the major centres of flamenco?
What
is compás?
What
are palos?
What
are falsetas?
What's
the difference between a flamenco guitar and a classical guitar?
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flamenco-guitar-teacher.com 2006