After a long absence, here is a post in response to two questions. Firstly, “what is soleá por bulerÃa” and the second a request for help with compás.
This recording is an exercise for soleá por medio using rasgueados alone. It is very simple and the idea is to develop evenness of individual finger strokes (though it should be practised more slowly to achieve this aim) and (at this speed) to develop a heightened awareness of compás.
I have recorded guitar with palmas">palmas and cajón which I have also uploaded the percussion recording. Please note that I do not claim to play cajón, I use it just to help with compás and to have fun with. Hopefully I will get more proficient as time goes on. I am quite pleased with how the guitar has come out. It is more even and though there are slips, the compás manages to work (if you can forgive a little crossing over).
As always, happy playing and keep in touch.
Pablo on 
Soleares on 
miguel on 
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5 Comments
Miguel
Really surprised myself yesterday. I’ve been trying to get to grips with bulerias for what seems like an eternity. Anyway, I decided to play some improvised stuff. I’d normally count, but following your advice, decided to play to me what SOUNDED like bulerias. When I analysed what I was playing afterwards….to my astonishment, the notes were in a structure.. and in phrases of six counts!
Thanks…
I am not counting at all, but I am listening to the cajón and palmas. You could try counting on 1 up to 10 and the 11th and 12th beats, count them as 1 and 2:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 etc…
Thank you for the website as I have never visited it I greatly enjoyed watching some of the videos. And thank you for continuing to visit this site.
Happy playing.
Miguel,
Nice piece…at least I can play along to this…and can get into the feeling.
However, when I listen to Moraito’s falsetas de bulerias (dailymotion website – when he is playing these slowly), the feeling seems very similar to your piece. The subtleties between palos still elude me… ..
Are you starting on beat 12 or 1…or does it not matter!!
regards, Richard
Thank you for your comment, both about the site and about the post. You have given me cause for thought. I agree that the cante is the bottom line definer. Would you be able to give some examples for my own education? I can think of one example: the granaÃna that El Indio Gitano sings on his disc ¨Nacà gitano por la gracia de Dios¨ – is it a granaÃna or is it a malagueña?
How would you describe the difference between soleá and soleá por bulerÃa to a non-Spanish speaking guitarist? How would you title this post so that it is helpful to a non native aficionado?
Sorry for so many questions, but it your comments are most welcome and I would like to use them in the question of accuracy.
Once again thank you, any corrections, comments and pointers are most welcome.
Miguel, I tried to send a comment, but have a feeling it didn’t go through, please forgive the possible repeat.
What I had written was, compás alone cannot define the palo, and the cante is the identifier. If a singer sings soleá to the compás of soleá por bulerÃa, then we say they’re singing “soleá”. If they sing alegrÃas to the compás of soleá por bulerÃas, then we say they’re singing “alegrÃas”.
Unless you’re talking about zapateado, and even then, if a singer starts singing tanguillos, then it’s no longer zapateado, but tanguillo.
Very nice website.
zata