Bulerias Falsetas Collection # 1 - Flamenco Information

Bulerias FalsetasCollection # 1 Charles H. Keyser, Jr. 1974The Academy of Flamenco GuitarP.O. Box 1292Santa Barbara, CA 93102

Bulerias Falsetas - Collection 1Falseta 1 ( Source: Agustin Rios/Paco del Gastor)Play Bulerias 01Falseta 2 (Source: Paco del Gastor)Play Bulerias 02Falseta 3 (Source: Paco del Gastor)Play Bulerias 03Falseta 4 (Source: Diego del Gastor, Agustin Rios)Play Bulerias 04Falseta 5 (Source: Paco del Gastor)Play Bulerias 05Falseta 6 (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 06Falseta 7 (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 07Falseta 8 (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 08Falseta 9 (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 09Falseta 10 (Source: “El Mellizo”)Play Bulerias 10Falseta 11 (Source: “El Mellizo”)Play Bulerias 11Falseta 12 (Source: Sabicas)Play Bulerias 12Falseta 13 (Source: Paco / Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 13Falseta 14: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 14Falseta 15: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerrias 15(Continued Next Page)

Bulerias Falsetas - Collection 1 (Cont.)Falseta 16: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 16Falseta 17: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 17Falseta 18: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 18Falseta 19: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 19Falseta 20: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 20Falseta 21: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 21Falseta 22: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 22Falseta 23: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 23Falseta 24: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 24Falseta 25: (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 25Falseta 26 (Source: Diego del Gastor)Play Bulerias 26Falseta 27 (Source: Uncertain)Play Bulerias 27Falseta 28 (Source: Uncertain)Play Bulerias 28Falseta 29: (Source: Diego Del Gastor)Play Bulerias 29

Play Bulerias 01Bulerias Falseta Collection 1Bulerias Falseta 1 ( Source: Agustin Rios/Paco del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode.This falseta is one of Agustin’s; the first part is an excellent example of hemiola. Bar the2 , 3 , 4th strings (only) with the first joint of your l.h. index finger, playing the ligados with theother available fingers (2,3, and 4). Right hand technique is all thumb.ndrd

Bulerias Falseta 1 (Cont.)Play Bulerias 01

Play Bulerias 02Bulerias Falseta 2 (Source: Paco del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian ModeI believe this falseta comes from Paco del Gastor, although Diego might have had a handin it. In any case, it is one of my all-time favorites; lots of excellent ligado and thumb work.(The ending is my addition, imported from Juan Maya “Marote”; just one of many possiblealternatives.) You can also start the falseta on count 12, inserting an extra count just before thefinal sequence.

Bulerias Falseta 3 (Source: Paco del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian ModeThis also has Diego’s influence; a strong use of thumb/ligado.Play Bulerias 03

Bulerias Falseta 4 (Source: Diego del Gastor, Agustin Rios) Key: A Phrygian Play Bulerias 04ModeHere’s a falseta of Diego’s with a picado finale of Agustin Rios’. Note the use of octavesin the 1st and 3rd measures. Also note the phrasing of the quadruplet picado sequences, and theascending 3rd’s.

Bulerias Falseta 4 (Cont.)Play Bulerias 04

Bulerias Falseta 5 (Source: Paco del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian ModeThis falseta makes good use of the 2nd and 3rd positions for the A Phrygian Mode.Play Bulerias 05

Bulerias Falseta 6 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian ModePlay Bulerias 06Here is a short falseta of Diego’s with some interesting syncopation and a typical use ofthe thumb.

Play Bulerias 07Bulerias Falseta 7 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian ModeThis falseta is one of Diego’s trademarks. Note the interesting phrasing.

Play Bulerias 08Bulerias Falseta 8 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian ModeA good ligado exercise in the 2nd and 3rd positions.

Play Bulerias 09Bulerias Falseta 9 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian ModeHere’s another octave falseta with a syncopated ending.

Play Bulerias 10Bulerias Falseta 10 (Source: “El Mellizo”) Key: A Phrygian ModeThis falseta (and the next one) are from Francisco “El Mellizo”, Diego’s brother. Theseare some of the most haunting and beautiful Bulerias falsetas in the Flamenco repertoire, and inthe proper setting can really inpire a singer. What is most important in falsetas like these is thenotes that are NOT played.

Play Bulerias 11Bulerias Falseta 11 (Source: “El Mellizo”) Key: A Phrygian ModeAnother beautiful falseta from El Mellizo.

Bulerias Falseta 12 (Source: Sabicas) Key: F# Minor (Relative to A Major)Play Bulerias 12Agustin told me that this is one of Sabicas’ falsetas, although I’ve never discovered it onany of his recordings. Nevertheless, it does have Sabicas’ compositional genius. You could alsothink of the falseta in Bm; however, I usually perform this falseta out of an A Major chordingcompas, as in the accompanying recording.

Bulerias Falseta 13 (Source: Paco del Gastor/Diego del Gastor)(F# Minor relative to A Major)Play Bulerias 13Here’s another falseta in the relative minor to A major. I’ve heard a lot of guitaristsperform this falseta, and am not absolutely certain of its geneology.

Play Bulerias 14Bulerias Falseta 14: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MajorThis falseta is another of Diego’s famous trademarks. Use your 3rd finger (l.h.) for theslides. Use picado for the right hand. The melody is a Spanish folk song “La Zarzamora” (TheBlackberry”)

Play Bulerias 14Bulerias Falseta 14 (Cont.)

Play Bulerrias 15Bulerias Falseta 15: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MajorThis falseta has some interesting lligado counter-rhythms in the last measures, as well asa method of expressing chords in 6/8 time (see also falseta 25).

Play Bulerias 16Bulerias Falseta 16: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MajorAnother of Diego’s ideas. Falsetas like this are often improvised, and you get to hearthem only once, if you happen to be in the right place, at the right time.

Play Bulerias 17Bulerias Falseta 17: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MajorDiego often performed this falseta in juergas. It is a great picado falseta in the old style.

Play Bulerias 18Bulerias Falseta 18: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MajorHere’s another falseta of Diego’s with an octave finale characteristic of the Moron style(see also falseta 19)

Play Bulerias 19Bulerias Falseta 19: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MajorHere’s another of Diego’s famous trademarks. This falseta has great expressive goodhumor in the appropriate situation.

Play Bulerias 20Bulerias Falseta 20: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MinorHere’s a falseta of Diego del Gastor in A minor. Use your thumb for this one.

Play Bulerias 21Bulerias Falseta 21: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MinorAnother falseta in the old style, using octaves.

Play Bulerias 22Bulerias Falseta 22: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MinorNote the interesting way the phrases resolve in this falseta.

Play Bulerias 23Bulerias Falseta 23: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MinorHere is a melodic falseta of Diego’s; again, note the interesting resolution.

Play Bulerias 24Bulerias Falseta 24: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MinorAnother of Diegos’s famous trademarks. He usually “bends” the “chords” a little forexpression.

Play Bulerias 25Bulerias Falseta 25: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A MinorThis falseta is similar to Falseta 15 in concept; it somewhat reminds me of “AutumnLeaves”. (This brings up an interesting point. Often Diego would hear snatches of themes ofAmerican pop music (usually from Americans at the base in Moron), and woud work them intohis toque. Americans at juergas would often be disconcerted by a Bulerias falseta with the themeof “In a Little Spanish Town” or even “How dry I am” thrown in with all the rest of the funkyGypsy stuff. Of course the Gypsies just thought it was more funky Gypsy stuff.

Bulerias Falseta 26 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: B MinorPlay Bulerias 26Here’s a rather extended Bulerias falseta from Diego’s “Suite in B Minor”; itsconstruction is interesting; note the syncopation/polyrhythm (5 5 2) in the chord sequence.One point: I play this a little differently on the tape from the way it is written. After I recorded it,I went back and realized that the arpeggios were different from the way I learned it from Diego.The difference is slight; on the tape I alternate basses, where as Diego arpeggiated them.

Bulerias Falseta 26 (Cont.)Play Bulerias 26

Bulerias Falseta 27 (Source: Uncertain) Key: A Phrygian ModePlay Bulerias 27This falseta and the next are similar, in the old style. You used to hear these performedquite often, but I’m not sure whose they are. Perhaps Melchor de Marchena, or Morao, butmaybe earlier. I doubt they are Diegos’s, since they have a different style, or “aire” from his.

Bulerias Falseta 28 (Source: Uncertain) Key: A Phrygian ModePlay Bulerias 28This falseta is a variation of the preceding one, and probably from the same source.

Bulerias Falseta 29: (Source: Diego Del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian ModePlay Bulerias 29Here’s yet another famous falseta of Diego’s; he uses variations of this in various places,for effect.

The Academy of Flamenco Guitar P.O. Box 1292 Santa Barbara, CA 93102. Bulerias Falsetas - Collection 1 Falseta 1 ( Source: Agustin Rios/Paco del Gastor) Falseta 2 (Source: Paco del Gastor) Falseta 3 (Source: Paco del Gastor) Falseta 4 (Source: Diego del Gastor, Agustin Rios)