What is flamenco guitar

The flamenco guitar player usually crosses the legs and supports the guitar on the one that is higher, while the mast keeps it almost horizontal with respect to the ground. As far as the instrument itself is concerned, there are also differences and specific characteristics. The flamenco guitars are light and are usually made of cypress wood , a material that gives brilliance to the sound and adapts very well to the characteristics of this musical genre.

The use of the thumb is another characteristic feature of the touch with which the sonority of the instrument is enhanced. And with the beating, as an element of percussion, the guitarist prints strength to the interpretation. Nowadays, all flamenco shows are composed of singing, dancing and guitar. In a flamenco tablao, these three elements are linked in perfect harmony offering the flamenco audience in its purest and most authentic state.

Each of the traditional styles of flamenco are called "palos". In response to the harmonious progression and rhythm , a song is composed in different styles. In this sense, we must also take into account the technique used in each of them, by both type and level of difficulty.

These techniques identify the flamenco rhythm and force the flamenco guitar to have a series of different features to those of its classical variant.

The four-note tremolo or the guitar-strumming sound in a different way in a suitable guitar. Lisp and sound color sound like flamenco. In all cases, the most common rhythms are twelve, four, and three tempos.

Bearing in mind the importance of the rhythmic accompaniment by means of clapping and knuckle knocking, which is an essential and a representative accompaniment of the flamenco art. The strings of a flamenco guitar are closer to the frets to enable faster left-hand action, and they come with a tap-plate golpeador —a protective plate that is installed on the surface of the guitar and allows the player to tap the guitar without causing damage to the instrument.

As for sound, a flamenco guitar is more responsive and percussive. Its sound is brighter and drier than a classical guitar, which produces a deeper timbre. The adoption of the capo was key for the evolution of flamenco guitar… and of flamenco singing!

Before flamenco guitarists started using the capo, the singers had two basic keys they could sing in —each of them could be major, minor or phrygian. The adoption of the capo brought a greater scope for both guitarists and singers, and was key for guitarists to slowly discover the infinite musical possibilities of the flamenco guitar. There is a huge price range when it comes to flamenco guitars.

Prices vary depending on the materials used and construction. Guitar parts waiting for their turn at Pedro de Miguel workshop. And bear in mind that they also ship internationally, should you not be planning to come to Madrid any time soon!

Pedro de Miguel. These guys have made guitars for some of the best flamenco guitarists in Spain —make sure you check out their wall-of-fame! The guitars from Pedro de Miguel are excellent value, are very responsive and have a fantastic sound. Calle Amor de Dios, Mariano Conde. Mariano Sr. Their brand is globally renowned, and they make guitars for the very best, including non-flamenco guitar players like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen!

They pride themselves on using high-quality wood and knowing how to treat it, as well as finding out exactly what each guitar player wants when they order a guitar, and then constructing the best guitar for them. All lists are unfair, as they say, but these are three albums that truly capture the beauty and complexity of flamenco guitar. Sabicas, who lived a big chunk of his life in exile from the Spanish dictatorship led by Francisco Franco, was an incredibly talented guitarist and composer who reached international stardom before he was renowned in his native Spain.

He was a bit of a pioneer as a flamenco guitar soloist, and he was also one of the first flamenco artists to experiment with other music genres like rock with the album Rock Encounter The flamenco guitar is an indispensable element in a tablao. Nowadays it is impossible to imagine a flamenco show without the presence of this instrument, but, although it may seem incredible, this has not always been the case.

The guitar was incorporated into flamenco to accompany the cante singing. Little by little it has been gaining ground to become a benchmark for this art, thanks to the contribution of many artists who with their mastery have made this instrument even greater.

The flamenco guitar is one of the variants of the Spanish guitar, being the most popular and well-known inside and outside of Spain. The origins of flamenco date back to the 18th century, an art that has influences from various cultures such as Christian, Jewish, Gypsy and Arabic.

This cultural mix is present in the sound of the flamenco guitar, despite the fact that it was not until the 19th century, when thanks to the popularity of flamenco tablaos, the guitar joined the cante that, until then, had dispensed with any musical instrument.

When guitar and flamenco merged, they began to consolidate flamenco art as we know it today.