In flamenco, repertoire is understood in a slightly different way than it is in other musical forms. Although certain pieces may be considered standards\u2014for instance, Paco de Luc\u00eda\u2019s \u201cEntre Dos Aguas\u201d\u2014a guitarist\u2019s role is principally to accompany singers and dancers. And in order to do this well, the guitarist needs to have perfect rhythm and a thorough knowledge of flamenco\u2019s different styles, known as palos<\/em>.<\/p>\n There are dozens of palos, many with multiple sub-categories based on provincial variations. To learn and understand them all requires a lifetime\u2019s study. Thankfully, a handful are performed repeatedly in performances and recordings. Here is a short introduction to the basic palos within flamenco.<\/p>\n Joyful and erotically charged, tangos<\/em> complete the best flamenco parties. Tangos have a 4\/4 rhythm, the first beat being silent. The tempo is usually very fast, although it may slow down a little to accompany a dancer. The style of playing is light and jocular. The city of C\u00e1diz, Spain, is particularly known for its tangos, although\u00a0Jerez, M\u00e1laga, and Seville are also great centers of the style. (These tangos have only a passing resemblance to Argentinian tangos and should be considered quite separate.)<\/p>\n Slow and soulful, the sole\u00e1<\/em> is one of the most important palos in flamenco and its 12-beat rhythm forms the basis for many other styles. There is debate about the meaning of the name, but one etymology links it to the Spanish word soledad<\/em>\u2014\u201csolitude.\u201d This may offer a clue to its\u00a0emotional intensity and the cathartic, almost blues-like charge at its heart. The sole\u00e1 is often followed by a more upbeat buler\u00eda<\/em>.<\/p>\n Along with tangos, these are quintessential flamenco party pieces, with a 12-beat rhythm. Usually played at the end of a performance, with the musicians and dancers standing in a semi-circle together onstage, the buler\u00eda has become the most popular palo in flamenco, thanks in part to its development by the nuevo flamenco players of the 1970s and 1980s. It is typically the piece guitarists use to demonstrate their virtuosity and speed, often with a backing of jaw-droppingly fast palmas<\/em> clapping.TANGOS<\/h3>\n
SOLE\u00c1<\/h3>\n
BULER\u00cdAS<\/h3>\n
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