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I just came across the word llamada when reading a first few pages of Duende flamenco of Claude Worms.
What is the difference between llamada and falseta? Llamada has something to do with baile accompaniment. Falseta is used for cante accompaniment. Am I right?
The book says llamada is a short theme. It gives more room for improvisation whereas falseta is more or less pre-determined melodical lines. That means one can't improvise falseta during accompaniment, let alone compose. So I have to thank you guys again, especially Mr Marlow, who has pointed out that in Which scale thread.
Could you guys show me the difference between the two using audio or youtube?
Also try this for a beginning introduction to accompaniment (baile), it explains the structure of an alegrias with audio and tab examples. Like everything else in flamenco there are variations but if you start by learning this you'll have some reference.
What is the difference between llamada and falseta? Llamada is something to do with baile accompaniment. Falseta is used for cante accompaniment. Am I right?
a llamada is literally a call.
the guitar plays a llamada to call the singer when accompanying cante.
a dancer does a llamada to call the singer, and the guitar accompanies the dancer calling the singer. so in accompanying the baile the guitar accompanies the dancer to call the singer.
a guitarist can punctuate their solo between falsetas with llamadas.
guitar falsetas give the singer a break between letras.
a dancer will dance to a falseta.
a guitarist will string together falsetas to make a solo
Also try this for a beginning introduction to accompaniment (baile), it explains the structure of an alegrias with audio and tab examples. Like everything else in flamenco there are variations but if you start by learning this you'll have some reference.
Thnx for the link. Is it me or is it difficult distinguish temple ,llamada, falseta, copla from each other in Alegria Accompaniment? The player knows where he is in compas and what he plays when. As a listener, I can't tell the difference.
quote:
Well, I sure am glad you didn't run into it 3 weeks ago when I wrote a full outline of an Alegrias choreography for you, which featured the word "llamada" 4 times...
I'm also glad that you didn't take those all but 5 minutes it would have taken to find an answer to this question on Google, Youtube, or even directly on this forum by using the search function...
As a beginner, I couldn't do anything with the your post in Structure of Palo thread. Here I asked what llamada is and how it differs from other sections of palo, in particular from falseta.
I could have used the search function but there's no audio or youtube explanation, mostly a definition of llamada or other sections of palo with weird names. Explaining it in words doesn't help me. Some youtube videos in older threads are not available anymore. That's why I asked for audio or youtube.
The book says llamada is some kind of falseta but it gives more room for improvisation whereas falseta is more or less pre-determined melodical lines.
I would say the reason he says llamadas have "more room for improvisation" is because llamadas are short, more or less the same, and occur in any and every song/dance, so every guitarist develops a variety of ways to play essentially the same simple thing, "improvising" slurred ornaments and/or rasjeos at will.
As you are looking at a guitar transcription book, here are two examples from solos from different eras that are basically the same, and would work (probably with some adaptation) for accompanying as well as solos:
here 1 compas llamada at 0:22 - 0:29
here compas llamada at 0:49 - 1:01 and again at 2:01 - 2:16
Hey Piwin Thank you very much. Feels like it's already Xmas! Gradually it becomes clearer.
Temple and ayeo sound kinda different to my ears. Temple is like eyee whereas ayeo is mostly ayeo in most palos except for Alegrias tiriti tran tran. Who's with me?
I read somewhere ayeo or eyee is very characteristic for any cante. They tried to solve the mystery behind it and asked where it might have come from.
quote:
Worms really wrote that a llamada is a kind of falseta, then dunno, maybe he was high when he wrote that?
Sorry for the confusion. He was correct. It was my mistake. I'm gonna correct it in my first post above.
He wrote that llamadas are short themes (maybe we have to know first in a musical context what a theme is). Llamadas are characteristic to each palo, based on compas and used as a bridge between falsetas and rasgueados, as well as between the singer and the guitarist. But I didn't understand the last part "...between the singer and the guitarist". Does anyone have an idea what he's trying to say there?
He also wrote that unlike the falsetas, the variations on llamadas are often improvised.
My conclusion is llamada is any short phrase that is played just before the singer starts singing.
It's not "any" sort of phrase, they are actually quite specific phrases, and any "improvisation" referred to by Worms is only in the details or ornaments of the phrase, or choice of which version of the specific phrase. They let the singer know that the guitar falseta has concluded and it's time for them to sing. The singer will recognise those specific phrases and take their cue.
In the baile, the dancers llamada is doing the same thing, calling the singer to sing after the entrada, falseta or escobilla, and the guitar's accompaniment to that is recognised (and can be used the same way in cante accompaniment or solo) as much as the dancers movements and footwork.
My conclusion is llamada is any short phrase that is played just before the singer starts singing.
It's not "any" sort of phrase, they are actually quite specific phrases, and any "improvisation" referred to by Worms is only in the details or ornaments of the phrase, or choice of which version of the specific phrase. They let the singer know that the guitar falseta has concluded and it's time for them to sing. The singer will recognise those specific phrases and take their cue.
In the baile, the dancers llamada is doing the same thing, calling the singer to sing after the entrada, falseta or escobilla, and the guitar's accompaniment to that is recognised (and can be used the same way in cante accompaniment or solo) as much as the dancers movements and footwork.
Piwin post was great nothing to add except yes temple and ayeo are interchangeable terms, the other most often used is “salida”.
About improvise llamada.... I get what he means. I always improvise the llamada for dance in the sense that I can make up accents and rasgueado and my own rueda of chords however I want so long as we rematar together. The better I know the choreography the more adventurous I may get with my version of the llamada. The less I know the dancer the more conservative I will be with my chords and accents. I agree “any sort of phrase” is not correct, it’s always a rhythmic statement, even if it is not only strumming techniques used. Falsetas are typically set in stone, so that’s what Worms probably meant. I must admit that those of us who don’t like editing our nice perfect falsetas to better fit a choreography more often opt to improvise or at least compose on the fly, a falseta that fits the dance structure perfectly. I call those “BS program falsetas” lol
It's not "any" sort of phrase, they are actually quite specific phrases, and any "improvisation" referred to by Worms is only in the details or ornaments of the phrase, or choice of which version of the specific phrase. They let the singer know that the guitar falseta has concluded and it's time for them to sing. The singer will recognise those specific phrases and take their cue.
In the baile, the dancers llamada is doing the same thing, calling the singer to sing after the entrada, falseta or escobilla, and the guitar's accompaniment to that is recognised (and can be used the same way in cante accompaniment or solo) as much as the dancers movements and footwork.
Thanks mark indigo. That clarifies a lot.
quote:
I always improvise the llamada for dance in the sense that I can make up accents and rasgueado and my own rueda of chords however I want so long as we rematar together.
I wonder how many beats do llamadas normally last in 12 beat compas such as Solea or in 4/4 time palos like Tango.
at least one compas For baile llamada cante often 2 compas, can be more e.g. 4 For guitar llamada cante more often 1, or 2 compas
Here at 0.26 guitar 'calls'=llamada for cante at 3.35 baile/guitar 'calls'=llamada for cante
Thnks orsonw
If I tapped my foot correctly, from 0:26 to 0:30, it's exactly 1 compas (12 beats). It ends actually on beat 9. Beat 10 is muted. Donwstroke on 11. 12 is muted again just before singer starts singing at 0:30. I thought in 12 beat compas, 10 is the beat where the guitar playing ends. Maybe my timing is 1 beat earlier.
What is played from 0:00 to 0:26? Falseta?
Llamada starting from 3:35 does last 2 compas. Cante starts on beat 3 or 4 of the 3rd compas at 3:44.
If I tapped my foot correctly, from 0:26 to 0:30, it's exactly 1 compas (12 beats). It ends actually on beat 9. Beat 10 is muted.
No it’s ten your count is off.
Here I am improvising llamadas on stage for a set choreography I am not familiar with. One compas llamada kick off intro cante, then a sped up buleria type llamada :22 it’s three compases then after the letra one compas llamada at 1:19. I played a single compas and realized I needed a falseta... I play one that is set and just pray it fits... it was short so I attached a second one that I had to cut short and do a super long llamada 5 compases long at 2:01(good example of having to improvise the rhythms to keep it interesting if you don’t know when they will end), second letra with a respiro at 2:27, basically a one compas llamada as well, after letra is a build up step ie the speed up into bulerias tempo and maintain it. I missed the llamada at 3:48, or rather I caught the end of it, which signaled a tempo jump up even faster... final one compas llamada at 4:00 and video cuts off.
Here I am improvising llamadas on stage for a set choreography I am not familiar with.
Nice video. Dancers seem to anticipate every beat and adjust their movements to that.
Which palo is that? What I noticed is llamadas tend to end on beat 10. Right? Because both llamadas starting from 0:22 and 2:01 end on 10 leaving last 2 beats muted.
The dancers when in a group can’t improvise so it is a set choreography well rehearsed. It was not rehearsed with ME however lol.
It’s Alegrias.
Stop on 10. The respiro I hit 9&, down up. Any llamada can do that too. Again when improvising count ten is the safest but it’s not wrong to anticipate the ten by stopping hard on 9 or 9& etc if you know it in advance.
The dancers when in a group can’t improvise so it is a set choreography well rehearsed. It was not rehearsed with ME however lol.
That means the guitar accompaniment was spot on.
Btw, what guitar are you playing there? Sounds as if it were amplified or something. A powerful sound if you think it was an open air stage.
It’s 1997 Conde Hermanos A26. It’s being miked of course but it’s not balanced to the singers, the falseta is lost and I’m playing hard as hell. I hate festivals.
That’s a “song” not a “song FORM”, which is an important distinction.
Thanks for pointing this out. Could you please shed some light on the distinction between the two?
I know that palos are musical forms. But it gets confusing. One source says cante jondo is one of the 3 forms of cante. Other sources say in classical music, forms are used to define movements with different tempos. For example a fast movement is in sonata-allegro form. A slow movement can be in rondo form.
That’s a “song” not a “song FORM”, which is an important distinction.
Thanks for pointing this out. Could you please shed some light on the distinction between the two?
I know that palos are musical forms. But it gets confusing. One source says cante jondo is one of the 3 forms of cante. Other sources say in classical music, forms are used to define movements with different tempos. For example a fast movement is in sonata-allegro form. A slow movement can be in rondo form.
Well I often use “blues” or “fugue” or “sonata allegro” as examples or song form similar to flamenco forms. But tempos are a small part of what might define a form. “Movements” in classical are usually the individual pieces in a “suite” or “Partita” where you have a group of “forms”. That suite concept would be like a flamenco Album where you know you will have at least several different types of forms depending on the artist. The details that might define ANY song form can’t be generalized across all genres. In the case of Fugue you have the subject and the answer in dominant, then again, which is exposition so you develop 4 separate voices....with blues you have the I IV I V IV I progression over 12 measures. Both of these forms don’t have a tempo dependence. An “allegro” is thought to be fast. In flamenco you have the compas and the structure of letras. Because compas is rhythm not just measures, tempo plays a more important role.
All of that above differs from writing pop songs as the Beatles example shows where you have a blank canvas to choose rhythm, melody length, harmony and chords etc there is nothing to follow or parameters to go outside of so the concept of “form” doesn’t apply. For example you pointed out the rhythmic conclusion which is only incidental as it follows the rhythm of saying the word “Yesterday” as three syllables starting on beat one. Yes....ter-day becomes 1 2&. There is no other reason the song needed to end there, in fact filling in the measure to next down beat would not hurt the song at all.
“Cante jondo” is a term used to generalize a group of cantes that is probably more to some aficionado’s tastes. Some guy likes sad or tragic theme lyrics so wants to apply a heavy “weight” to them and lump them together. Most flamenco artists don’t necessarily feel the lighter forms (alegria buleria fandango etc) are all supposed to be light hearted....on the contrary. The most obvious are shared lyrics of bulerias and solea. The exact same letra can be sung for both, so the depth and meaning can’t be any different. Slow tempos might superficially create “depth” however I would prefer to call that “drama” as opposed to true deep meaning.
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