Ricardo -> RE: Flamenco & Improvisation (Oct. 15 2006 23:58:43)
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Hi. I have some experience with jazz and I play flamenco professionally. I would not feel comfy sitting in with a jazz combo if I did not know the chart well, but I would not be scared to try. Anyway, there IS improvisation in flamenco, though the concept is different than jazz. The improv happens purely on the rhythmic level, and the phrasing is sometimes worked out in advance. What you have is falsetas and fragments of falsetas that are usually well rehearsed, and can be short ( a few beats long) or long (several compases or rhythmic cycles long), and these can be used or tossed out at will. There is no real "chart" so in that sense there is more freedom. But the idea of creating a melody on the spot is not done often. The reason is because while a lot of falsetas are in fact created that way, just improvising on the rhythm, the end result has to be very "flamenco" whatever that means, and the player needs to structure the melodies and strumming in a way the fits nice and has the right feel. So it is common to prepare falsetas very well before performing them, and the resulting improvisation is like pulling magic tricks from a bag. (For the record, I analized a few choruses of Giant Steps by Coltrane, and found he repeated entire phrases as long as 4 bars with little variation. This is similar to having arranged "falsetas" and tossing them out at will. Also McLaughlin shows his "melodic minor" devices that he tosses out over ii-V-I chords in his DVD. Same idea). Paco de Lucia for example pulls falsetas from various albums and mixes them up live in his "bulerias". Never twice the same performance nowadays. On the other hand there are structured pieces where the falsetas can be arranged in a specific order such as when Paco plays "Alegrias" live. Nowadays his alegrias consists of falsetas half from "Luzia" and the other half from "la Barrosa". Then the improvisation is subtle and happens in the flouishes and endings, or by putting a twist on the rhythm of the melody or something. This type of improvisation is happening in the dance and cante as well. Short bits prepared and thrown into the mix at will. It is really fun when everyone is at the same level, guitar singer dancer. Like Jazz bands that know the "standards", there need not be rehearsal for experienced flamencos. If the dancer wants to dance "Alegrias" the guitar and singer should know the form and be prepared to improvise and follow the dancer appropriately. Now there is a modern dimension to flamenco improv which borrows directly from jazz. That is to actually have a chart and solo over it, still keeping the rhythmic structure. These pieces are considered "fusions" and cutting edge ideas. Paco started this with Rumba "Entre dos Aguas", but carried into Solea por Bulerias, Alegrias, etc. Simple changes usually. The guitar trio with McLaughlin and Dimeola of course attempts to use more interesting changes like jazz, but instead of the "swing rhythm" they do more 16th note, latin or flamenco phrasing with "remates" (rhythmic stops with rasgueados and such). A real fusion. Others copy Paco's ideas or continue that line of fusion. Nunez solos over changes por bulerias for example, and has the jazz guys "swing" over a solea por bulerias. It is not really supposed to swing but the math of rhythm allows it. Lisen to "Jazzpana II". Vicente Amigo has Bolero, many others us jazz instruments, Tomatito jams with Michele Camilo nowadays, Canizares uses that Brazillian style at times. Strunz and Farah are like Dimeola/Mclughlin but use more latin and south american beats and feel. But keep in mind in this environment there is always a chart so the true flamenco improv can't happen. That is why it is a fusion. Hope this makes some sense to you at the stage you are at.
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