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Flamenco guitar

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A flamenco guitar is a type of classical guitar, built for the purpose of playing Flamenco music.

Flamenco guitar can also refer to toque, the guitar-playing part of the art of Flamenco. Both uses are documented on this page.


Construction

The traditional flamenco guitar is made of Spanish cypress and spruce, which accounts for its characteristic body color, and is lighter in weight and a bit smaller than a classical guitar, to give the sound a "brighter" and percussive quality. Volume has traditionally been very important in flamenco construction, as guitarists needed to be heard over the sound of the dancers' nailed shoes. The flamenco guitar, in contrast to the classical, is often equipped with a tap plate called golpeador, commonly made of transparent plastic, similar to a pick guard, whose function is to protect the body of the guitar from the rhythmic finger taps, or golpes. Originally, flamenco guitars were made with wooden tuning pegs similar to a violin. Some guitarists still prefer these pegs to the classical style modern tuning gears. It is widely accepted that more weight in the headstock can improve sustain; unsurprisingly, less weight can result in quicker attack, a desirable quality in a flamenco guitar. This could explain why many flamenco players still favor the traditional pegs. The action or the height of the strings above the fingerboard is generally lower (<3mm at the 12th fret) than that of a classical guitar. This aids faster playing, especially during fast picado passages, but can lead to some fret buzz-also a frequent feature of the traditional 'flamenco' sound. Also, the lower string height greatly helps reduce fatigue of the left hand over lengthy performances.

In short, flamenco guitars are better suited for flamenco music than classical guitars. Some modern flamenco guitars (flamenca negra), however, use similar materials to high-end classical guitars. These guitars hope to capture some of the sustain achieved by concert calibre classical guitars while retaining the volume and attack associated with flamenco.

Prominent among the guitar makers (luthiers) whose designs have contributed to the current form of the Flamenco Guitar are José Ramirez (1858-1923), Manuel Ramirez (1864 - 1916), Santos Hernandez (1874-1943), and Domingo Esteso (1882–1937).

Difference from classical guitar

The differences between classical and flamenco guitars lie in their materials, construction and sound.

Materials

Classical guitars are generally made with spruce or cedar tops and rosewood or mahogany backs and sides to enhance sustain. Flamenco guitars are generally made with spruce tops and cypress or sycamore for the backs and sides to enhance volume and emphasize the attack of the note.

Construction

The body of a classical guitar is generally deeper and the woods are slightly thicker. Flamenco guitars have a flat or negative (before string tension) neck relief, making the action very fast at the cost of some buzzing. The strings are also closer to the body on flamenco guitars to facilitate tapping. Flamenco guitars often bear a golpeador, which is a sheet of plastic mounted to the face of the guitar to protect its finish.

Sound

The classical guitar is designed to give the soloist the tools to perform poly-timbral music: "An orchestra in a box". The attack is soft with a longer and gradual decay. The flamenco guitar is designed to cut through the sound of dancers stomping their feet. The sound is a bit more percussive, a loud sonic burst followed by a swift decay.

Music

Main article: Flamenco

Flamenco is a genuine Spanish artform. It exists in three forms:

  • Cante: the song (this is the heart of flamenco)
  • Baile: the dance
  • Toque: guitar playing

Strictly, flamenco guitar is an accompaniment to singing and dancing in the traditional Flamenco forms. Those in English-speaking countries outside the Flamenco community often use it to mean vaguely Spanish-sounding guitar playing which utilises some of the techniques listed below, especially rasgueado. Although Flamenco guitarists are now often accompanied by orchestras, flutes, percussion and other accompaniments, when Flamenco first started the guitarist would be playing all by himself. This lead to a development in guitar music to make one guitar sound like more than one instrument and forced guitarists to develop techniques to make them sound louder. Those techniques affected the music they’re producing to be a bit aggressive. To gain some understanding of the stricter definition of flamenco, read the main article.

Techniques

Flamenco is played somewhat differently from the classical guitar, utilizing different strumming patterns and techniques. Flamenco is commonly played using a cejilla (capo) which somewhat causes the guitar to sound more brilliant and percussive. However, the main purpose in using a cejilla is to change the key of the guitar in order to suit the singer's vocal range.

In addition to the techniques common to classical guitar, flamenco guitar technique is uniquely characterised by the following:

  • Golpe: Percussive finger tapping on the soundboard at the area above or below the strings. This requires a golpeador (tap-plate) in order to protect the surface of the guitar.
  • Picado: Single-line scale passages performed apoyando but with more attack and articulation.
  • Rasgueado: Strumming done with outward flicks of the right hand fingers, done in a huge variety of ways. A nice rhythmic roll is obtained, supposedly reminiscent of the bailador's (flamenco dancer) feet and the roll of castanets.
  • Alzapua: A thumb technique which has roots in oud plectrum technique. The right hand thumb is used for both single-line notes and strummed across a number of strings. Both are combined in quick succession to give it a unique sound.
  • Tremolo: Done somewhat differently from the conventional classical guitar tremolo, it is very commonly played with the right hand pattern p-i-a-m-i.

Well-known luthiers

See also

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