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What is compas?
This is the metered out rhythm of a dance/song form. It is the basic element of flamenco rhythm. Specifically, compas is a recurring pattern of accented beats analogous to a bar of music. This dictates the unique rhythmic structure of any given song form. On this page the focus is on rhythmic structures with a cycle of 12 beats. But by definition, a 2 (Tarantos), 4 (Farruca), 6 (Sevillanas) or 8 (Tangos) beat rhythmic structure is also referred to as compas.