Flamenco Guitars

The earliest form of flamenco only involved dance and singing. The clapping of the hands and feet to create a rhythm, that is, the "palo". Julian Arcas was one of the most dedicated composers, a father to the creation of flamenco guitar ("toque"), as we know it today.

Up until the early nineteen hundreds, flamenco resided in southern Spain's "cafes cantantes", intimate, musical, café bars. This is where flamenco evolved, amongst the people and the culture. As a more serious, theatrical, almost operatic form of flamenco evolved, the flamenco dance gained worldwide notoriety, as did the flamenco guitars. They were no longer an accompaniment to the dancer, the guitar developed as a sophisticated art form in it's own right. Paco de Lucia became a virtuoso of the 'cante jundo'. One of the more intense forms of flamenco.

The guitar itself is not dissimilar to a classical guitar, lighter and slightly smaller. It also has a "Golpeador", a small plate which protects the guitar from all those tapping fingers, during a performance. A technique known as "Golpe", literally translated meaning "hit". Normally the "Golpeador" will be above or below the strings near the soundboard. This instrument has been developed solely for playing flamenco music. When people refer to "flamenco guitar", they may mean the actual guitar itself, or the playing of the guitar. Traditional guitars are made of Cypress or spruce, both native to southern Spain, especially in the Andalucian region. Where flamenco music began. Modern guitars, known as the "flamenca negra", black flamenco, have tuning gears, but many musicians still prefer the original wooden peg guitars. The frets are more narrow than with the classical guitar, for increased agility, allowing the fingers to move more rapidly from note to note.

Outside of Spain, the flamenco guitar is often used to describe, just about, any guitar playing that sounds remotely Spanish. The music may contain certain elements, of certain techniques, used in flamenco. But that doesn't make it flamenco! Flamenco guitars are different physically, the various techniques, with which they're played, are also different. A "capo" is more often used than not, intensifying the sound. This is a clip which is attached to the neck, the fretboard, changing the scale of the musical notes played. Rasgueado is a technique often mimicked by the classical guitar. Many people have seen this, one of the most recognised flamenco techniques. The musician strums the strings, quickly flicking his hand open. Another technique, synonymous with flamenco, is "Alzapua". Where the thumb plucks each individual string, moving at almost lightening speed! An amazing site to see! Some musicians use a pluck, but the most traditional players prefer to grow their nails. In Spain, you can tell a flamenco guitar player by his ten inch thumb nail!!!