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I have a tendency to include references, appositions, and other errata in my text as I write. As I realize that not everyone cares for such digressions, however, I generally "hide" them in scripts. To access this "additional information," just click on the boldfaced text. To expand all errata at once (brave soul!), click here.
Flamenco Dance Accompaniment for Guitarists
This article series discusses how to prepare the principle song forms commonly demanded of dance accompanists. It is broken up into five sections:
- Part I: Accompaniment Basics
- Part II: Sevillanas
- Part III: Alegrias
- Part IV: Soleares
- Part V: Further Afield
Part III: Alegrias
9 August 2008
Alegrias: What and Why?
The word alegrias is commonly translated as “happiness” or “merriment” and, as you might expect, it is typically played at an upbeat tempo and in a major key (usually A or E). As with the previous article in this series on Sevillanas, the goal of this article is both to help you understand the overall structure of alegrias and to help you learn how to tailor it to the needs of your playing situation. While the alegrias does not have a rigid structural formula like the sevillana, it does have relatively distinct “song parts” which, in more traditional arrangements, are often assembled in a predictable order.
The explanations and examples given here are concieved with dance accompaniment in mind, but many of the same principles apply to solo instrumental arrangements as well. If you're looking for a way to get beyond just playing "what's on the page," this is a good place to start. In developing this article and its accompanying score, I have used as source recordings Camarón and Tomatito’s “Tus Ojillos Negros” (Paris 1987), Grupo de José Galván’s “Alegrias” (Solo Compás, Alegrías II y Cantiñas), and Chicuelo’s “Dulce Sal” (Complíces).
The examples that follow are for a traditional alegrias in E major; a full PDF of this arrangement can be found here.
To load and play a video of this alegria, click here.
Structure and Compás
The basic structure of alegrias por baile (“for dance”) can be schematized like this:
Though this is a common order for alegrias, these sections can be rearranged, doubled, or eliminated altogether. The compás of alegrias is based in 12s and, like soleá, is accented on the 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12 beats. It can be counted like this: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. The examples given here (and in the PDF transcription) are blocked out in 12 beat phrases, starting on 12:
The Details
Many well intentioned sources give the structure and compás of alegrias and seem to assume that that’s enough. In order to make your own musical interpretations build and move purposefully, however, it helps to get a sense of how these pieces fit together—and how, exactly, to play them. What follows is a detailed description of each of these sections, with musical examples, that will address both the whys and the hows of alegrias. In some cases I have included illustrations directly in the text, but remember that all of these examples are drawn directly from the PDF. The letters next to the section subheadings correspond to the rehearsal letters in the PDF score.
Guitar Intro (A)
In this case I’ve chosen a falseta, this one based on the falseta Tomatito plays for Camarón on the Paris 1987 album. You could also play a traditional four compás “marking” progression that moves through the basic alegrias chords (as we’ll see an example of this progression later in the footwork rehearsal letter “L”), or begin your alegrias with the temple (as we’ll see next!).Temple (B)
The temple is traditionally the cante (singing) intro, usually a melodic string of nonsense syllables, most commonly “Tirititrán tran tran.” In this arrangement the temple section is four compáses of alegria rhythmic marking with some melodic variations. For an instrumental or accompaniment arrangement, this temple could also serve as an introduction. The first line of the temple provides an example of the basic alegrias compás rhythm:
Lllamada (C)
Llamada literally means “call” and it is the signal to the singer, dancer, or guitarist to take the lead. In this case, since there is no cante (singing), the guitarist is “calling” him- or herself. Though this is not always necessary for a choreographed piece, in this example it helps the musicians and dancers keep track of where they are in the arrangement by clearly defining and delimiting the different sections of the alegrias. In this arrangement, llamadas also help to keep the different sections from running into each other; they allow the piece “room to breathe.”
Copla (D)
The copla is the “verse” of the alegria. Even though there is no cante in this particular arrangement, we can still use the copla chord progression to give the alegrias some substance and a sense of movement. The copla gets us away from simply alternating between the E and B7 chords. This first copla moves through the base alegrias chords (E, B7, A) and is played to a traditional alegrias rhythm, echoing the rhythm used in the intro falseta. In the second copla we’ll see some rhythmic and chord variations that can be used to make this basic pattern more interesting.Llamada (E)
As discussed in “C” above, the llamada here is more of an articulation from one section to another than a “call” properly speaking. When used as a transition in this way, the llamada still ends on the ten count—and still closes the musical phrase—but it also leads into the next section. More open, legato, rhythm playing (versus abrupt contratiempo) will help to achieve this effect.NB: Parts “F” through “I” can be thought of as variations of the copla/llamada structure seen above and can be used to give length and variety to an accompaniment—or eliminated, as you see fit .
Falseta (F)
This falseta is based on a passage Chicuelo plays in “Dulce Sal.” The main part (or theme) of the falseta is four compáses long and is followed by a two compás remate (“remate”comes from the verb “rematar,” “to finish (something)”; in this case it’s the tying off or finishing of the falseta). Again, the opening rhythm of the falseta echos the traditional alegrias rhythm we've used in the introduction and first copla.
Llamada (G) (cf. “E” above)Second Copla (H)
This copla follows the same basic structure as the first copla, but introduces three new elements to give the progression we started with above a whole different feel:
- Syncopation: Instead of accenting the 12, 3, 6, 8, and 10 beats, here we can play around those beats in order to. When syncopation is done well, it highlights the underlying compás and in a way provides a new “point of view” on it. In order to pull this off, however, you must, as a guitarist, always know where the compás is—and where you are in it. You should be able to tap out the compás with your foot while playing a syncopated passage.
- Alternate chord positions: The first and second compáses of this copla are both hanging out on the E major chord, but the chords are played in different positions, which gives them a different feel. During the first compás, the open position E major is played, but only on the three highest strings. For the second compás, the E moves up to the seventh fret, here played in the “C form” (i.e. the form you would use if you were paying and open C major chord). You can also play the E major in an “A form” at the seventh fret—or in the “D form” at the ninth fret, or the “G form” at the twelfth (which is, however, pretty hard to grab!). By moving your chord positions around, you not only get different “sounding” chords, but you’re also presented with different ways to ornament them by grabbing the notes that the various form put in reach.
- Passing chords: When moving from the second to the third compás in this copla, we “pass” through a C#7 (beat 3, bar 103) and an F#m7 (bars 104 and 105) in order to get to the B7. E major to B7 is still the base progression, but the passing chords give that simple movement more “color.” Passing chords are typically (though not always) the “seven” chord one string lower (an inverted fourth) than the chord at which you eventually want to arrive. When to use passing chords—and how long to stay on them—is largely a matter of taste. Too many passing chords and the underlying chord structure starts to get lost; not enough and you find yourself repeating the same three chords over and over. Experiment to find out what works best for your particular style.
Llamada (I) (cf. “E” above)
Subida (J)
“Subir” means literally “to rise” or “to wind up.” In the subida, the dancer will build his or her footwork both in intensity and in tempo. For the guitarist, the subida generally starts at or slightly below the main tempo of the piece and begins relatively softly. As it progresses, it gets faster and louder.Desplante (K)
The desplante marks a break in the dance, generally at the high point or climax (though not necessarily the end) of a footwork section. The dancer will signal the desplante by raising his or her arms and taking a step or two backwards. While the standard alegrias chords and compás will work with the desplante, a more dramatic (and traditional) accompaniment is given here. These chords pass through the A, breaking up the regular chord sequence, and accent the 7, 9, and 11 (i.e. play in contratiempo) during the first compás. The chords and compás resolve as the dancer finishes his or her desplante, and the toque (guitar playing) returns to the base compás.
Footwork (L)
Here the toque marks four compáses of the basic alegrias progression while the dancer performs his or her footwork. As with much of alegrias this section can be stretched or compressed depending on what your dancer has in store. As mentioned above (cf. “A”), this progression could also be used to introduce your alegrias.Cierre (M)
The cierre is the close of a section of song or dance. The cierre shown here has more of a “modern” feel and is the variety used in the Grupo de José Galván alegrias. The first compás plays like a llamada, but the second compás is more heavily syncopated and moves to the E major sooner, closing definitively on the ten count. (We’ll see a more traditional cierre following the castellana at rehearsal letter “R”.)
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