Flamenco Palmas Overview Tutorial by Kai Narezo 

Solea 1:30 Bulerias 7:50 Seguirilla 11:45 Contra 17:56 Tangos 23:20

When I started learning flamenco compases some 40 years ago, I was trapped as many beginners in a tangled mass of numbers and accents. After struggling quite a lot of time understanding the tricks of getting the compas internalised, I started to take lessons with one of the most profound guitarists, composer and recording artist Andres Batista. (First guitarist of the great Carmen Amaya). "It's okay if you count, but you will not get it in your blood as fast as with another approach that I will show you", Batista said. He, as a born catalan gypsy, coming out of a family of performing artists, had the rhythms of all palos internalised since he was a child and didn't had to count, but could understand the problems that non flamencos had with it. So when he went to record a buleria with the Madrid Philharmonic Orchestra he was quite astonished that the musicians had no problems whatsoever with the piece they had to play. After the reording session he asked the conductor how he and the orchestra managed to get the piece in compas so easily. The conductor said:" For us this buleria rhythm is quite simple. It is nothing else but an alternating rhythm of 6/8 and 3/4." That really is the point!! Anyone knows a 6/8 beat, where the accent lies on the first and fourth eighth note. and can easily get the feel of it, because it's so common in all of our music. Same goes for the 3/4 rhythm. Here the accent lies on the first quarter note. What you have to do now is to put an accent on all quarter notes of the 3/4. Now lets get started then: 1,2,3,4,5,6,1,+,2,+3,+etc. alternating. You can see that it has 12 counting beats as the flamenco compas. If you take the flamenco counting time 12 and place it on the first eight note of the 6/8 then all the flamenco accents coincide with the accents of the standard 6/8 and 3/4. The whole pattern through. So buleria then starts on the first eighth note (which is 12 in flamenco counting)of 6/8. Alegrias, solea, solea por bulerias, etc. starting on the second eighth of 6/8. Siguiriyas, serranas, livianas, martinete, etc. start at the second quarter note of the 3/4. It all may sound complicated but in reality it isn't! Nevertheless all the efforts that this great flamenco aficionado and guitarist Kai Narezo is putting into his explanations should be a bible for all aficionados. Every word he says is golden. Keep the spirit! I was only in here to give a little help, as it was given to me some odd 40 years ago!

Excellent video for consolidating Palmas - thank you 🙌🏽

Thanks very much frend for all. You're hard work and making it available I have this type of guitar. Music in. My heart and always wanted to learn it and now I have access to it so thanks. Apreceated. ❤❤

This is the best, most clearly explained way I’ve ever seen to learn this! Keep it coming!

I love "any way you count Seguiriya is a compromise." Olé Kai! I just assigned this video to one of my students who has to sit out of class due to an injury. Her task is now to be the palmera in class.

This is truly one of the most helpful tutorial videos I've ever seen. Thanks a lot

What a beautiful round and precise sound you get from your hands. Thank you for posting.

This is amazing. Thank'you

Thank You for this thoroughly excellent explanation! Actually it is much more than an explanation - it's an entire course. Everything you need to know to dig into this matter is covered in this video.

Very, really very good explanztions Thank you very much. Isabelle (from Belgium)

very helpful! many thx

Excellent formal lesson in palmas. Although beat tempo and meter are vital, the final aim is performance without the counting voice over. Even in practicing, silent counting can still produce a stumble. Before and or after demonstrations of each technique as in performance would lead to a quicker intuitive sense in picking up the "knack". Now all I want is a metronome with hand claps sounds.

very helpful, thank you!

This is really well done, you’re awesome, thank you

Great Tutorial! Thank you so much Kai :)

Amazing! Thanks!

You Are Very Awesome, Gracias 🙏

Thanks, awesome video

Lucid, excellent.

1:49 2:18

Great!

fantastic

Could you tell me what metronome did you use, and the speed for the contras? and if you suggest a specific speed for practicing the different palos? Thank you so much!!It's a great video, very helpful!!

I'm serious ... Gracias

If you count in spanish, it becomes a lot easier.

is that an automatic watch? don't wear an automatic while clapping like that. It could damage your watch movement.

Wow you look alike my manager. The only difference he is darker (from India)

Camarón live