What is a palo?
A palo is a style of flamenco. Each one is defined by a rhythm,
a set of chords, and an overall feel.
The most often performed ones are:
Siguiriya. 12 - beat compás different from that of the soleá,
slow tempo, dramatic, dark, played in andalucían cadence por medio.
Alegría. 12 - beat compás like the soleá, but faster and
played in major key, most often C, E or A major. Happy, uplifting.
Bulería. The most rhythmically exciting and festive form of flamenco.
Based on a highly syncopated and very fast soleá compás. Festive and ironic,
lots of fun once you've mastered the compás. Guitar played in andalucían
cadence and sometimes major or minor, por arriba or por medio. Lots of rapid
palmas.
Tientos/Tangos. 2/4 rhythm, guitar played in andalucían cadence
or sometimes major or minor, usually por medio. Tientos are slowed-down tangos,
or tangos are speeded-up tientos, depending on which way you see it. But Tientos
have a special lilt of their own. A performance of tientos will often speed
up and become tangos.
Fandangos. Short songs following a set harmonic structure, which
the guitar faithfully follows in a call-and-answer accompaniment. Usually in
free rhythm, although there are regional forms such as Fandango de Huelva that
are played in strict 3/4 time. Guitar played in andalucían cadence in between
verses, por arriba or por medio.
Malagueña. Wistful, haunting, based on the fandango structure.
Highly embellished, lots of left-hand ligado, played in andalucían cadence por
arriba. Often end in a rhythmic form in 3/4 time called verdiales.
Taranta and Taranto. Desolate, powerful, from the mining regions
in the Levante (Eastern Andalucía). The Taranta is in free rhythm, the Taranto
is in a slow, pulsing 2/4 rhythm and is also danced. Guitar played in F sharp
andalucían cadence, or occasionally in A flat, which guitarists call minera.
Granaína. A strongly Arab-influenced palo from Granada, based
on the fandango structure and played in B andalucían cadence culminating with
a characteristic slide up the neck from F sharp to B on the 6th string. The
trémolo is a feature of the Granaína.
There are many other palos. Some are not performed very often
nowadays, some are regional styles you're more likely to hear in a particular
locality in Southern Spain, for example verdiales in Málaga, tanguillos
in Cádiz, livianas in Puerto Real. The ones listed above are the ones
that are essential to learn, because they form the backbone of present-day flamenco.
Why
go to Spain?
Where
are the major centres of flamenco?
What
is compás?
What
are falsetas?
What's
the difference between a flamenco guitar and a classical guitar?
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flamenco-guitar-teacher.com 2006