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OK, I know this topic has been (insightfully) beaten to death over the years on this forum, but I would still seek some clarification from the experts here. I am thinking that an accompanying guitarist might play a half-compás either (1) because the singer's phrasing calls for it, or (2) for no particular reason at all. Many of us are familiar with Caracol's record, 2nd letra, "Ay que doble la campana", where the guitarist (Melchor de Marchena?) plays a half-compás around 1:45, and then again around 2:10. To my ear, this is unprovoked; there is no reason he couldn't have played straight 12-beat compás (although half-compás of course works perfectly well there). Am I understanding correctly? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KLek5UGKQQ)
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Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Dropping 6 in bulerias (Again?!?... (in reply to Steelhead)
Your example structure is buleria larga. This contains the zero verse extension on the second line of verse. Normally this is like “compañero de me Alma” type thing, but in this Caracol version, “una reina no era” is added instead. It serves the same musical function. Norman has numerous examples of buleria larga on his site where old school players chose to handle the zero verses in the cambio by breaking the 12 structure.
This did not catch on for buleria por solea, nor for solea if it ever occurs. There are some examples of it happening in solea due to the singer staring the second line of verse for the cambio, NOT in a comfortable timing spot (see Montoya and Mojama), but in general it became favored to maintain 12 count form thanks to Melchor And Ricardo always doing that. Solea and Buleria por solea were both accompanied at the same tempo so same rules apply. Buleria larga interpreted up tempo can be considered buleria proper, in which case 12 structure need not be adhered to at all. M. Morao and his felllow jereZanos adopted the practice of frequently closing the third and final line of each letra, 6 beats early. I would say M. Morao made a point to always do it. His nephew by comparison would mix it up however.
RE: Dropping 6 in bulerias (Again?!?... (in reply to Steelhead)
I'm not quite following. What exactly is "zero verse extension", and "zero verse"? I'm not seeing that in Norman's site. Likewise, the copla can be sung without "una reina no era"? And it seems that the guitarist (Melchor?) could just as easily have gone on playing in 12-beat compas, right? Thanks...
Posts: 14806
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Dropping 6 in bulerias (Again?!?... (in reply to Steelhead)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Steelhead
I'm not quite following. What exactly is "zero verse extension", and "zero verse"? I'm not seeing that in Norman's site. Likewise, the copla can be sung without "una reina no era"? And it seems that the guitarist (Melchor?) could just as easily have gone on playing in 12-beat compas, right? Thanks...
Well, solea is based on two lyric formulas, 4 liners and 3 liners. Please see Norman’s solea styles description.
Musically I think of them as the same, however the 3 liners have the option to repeat the first line, then option to repeat second two lines together. 4 liners have more complex options but the idea is similar...repeat first two lines Together (or one of the two) and always the last two lines together (sometimes replacing the last two lines for the first two) musically. So in both cases last two lines repeat together musically.
What it means simply, is each line of verse is a compas long. The second line of the 3 line structure (or 3rd line of the 4 liner structure) is the cambio or relative major key change. So what happens traditionally with the song “buleria larga”, which is the main melody used for buleria por solea song form, is that they add words o extend the second line of verse. “Compañera de Mi Alma” etc. This addition is like an added 6 beats. It shifts where the chords fall in time. There are two ways to deal with it, depending how the singer delivered it (singers are free to do it many ways, as I’ve argued), keep 12 and put the cambio later in time, or cut compas in half. Norman has clear examples of the later: http://canteytoque.es/mediocompasing.htm
However, all the solea and the 6 styles of buleria por solea can get buleria tempo treatment. When it’s fast, the guitarist is free to cut 12s or keep em as he wants thanks to traditional trends and fashion. If Melchor had accompanied the same song slower like solea, he keeps 12 like 3:27 here
RE: Dropping 6 in bulerias (Again?!?... (in reply to Steelhead)
Aha, thanks, now I see it there, the zero business. (I presume that is Norman's term.) Trying to get a handle on these estilos. I know staff notation is only for nerds like me, but that would make things so much more clear. Then one could point out, for example, the structural melodic elements in a given estilo, as opposed to the variable ones. E.g., it seems to me that the typical bulería corta goes roughly: d-d-e-d-C#-d… (guitar briefly to Dmin, then down), vs bulerías larga, more typically a-c-d-e-d-c-Bb-a…(up and down, guitar stays on A-Bb-A…). Or is that just some of them? Then trying to get a feel for the jaleos extremeños, which some of you discussed on this forum a while back. Corto and largo again. I have two books (by Lopez Godoy, and Lozano), which, like the Solers, give verbal descriptions and references to records, but if you can’t find the records, the verbal descriptions are pretty useless. Need someone like Norman to assemble them on a website. Or hire some music student to transcribe the passages. Lozano gives vague descriptions of six types, Godoy gives some, then they talk about these “cadencias” –recalcada, parada, de los Verdinos, de Porrina. But their vague descriptions would only make sense to someone who knows everything already, not a poor wretch like me. What are these "cadencias"? I do hear one very distinctive jaleo extremeño: melody to F, over F guitar chord, then down to C, with C chord, then over that chord melody ascending C-D-Eb [no one told them that note doesn't fit] -F -maybe G, then back down to Bb... Must be one of Lozano's "types."
Posts: 14806
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Dropping 6 in bulerias (Again?!?... (in reply to Steelhead)
Norman lists examples of “jerez anonymous” I would call buleria exremeño myself. The variations are all categories of reletivly modern interpretations.
The Eb is quite correct to my ear as the harmony F7 is implied that pulls to Bb. I view extremeños as a more filled circle of 4ths sequence, but you can imagine the timing such that the harmony precedes the melody unlike solea.
Dm-G7-C first line. That’s 2-5-1 in c major. The Dm is never heard but rather implied. I’ve often set the singer up for dance remates in jaleos by hitting the G7 on 12 before the singer starts. I might have done the same in the cante accomp thread.
Second line (after repeat of the first typically) is the related cambio, as solea does. However, again I set it up by leading the singer with F7 on 12, Bb on next 10. That’s where the Eb plays a big role, some singers stretching it out there an extra compas or so. (In which case I don’t release the F7 until they take me to the Bb whenever it happens). Then the last line is normal resolution like solea.
So the structure A-(dm)-G7-C7-F7-Bb-Bb7-A...it’s quite baroque sounding. The equivalent thing in solea happens (A-Dm-C7-F-Bb(7)-A) but skips the G7 and F7. And the infamous andalusian cadence skips the full cambio in favor of only C7 (Romances). So extremeños is like a filled in andalusian cadence (cycle of 4ths in disguise) such that the melody started late relative to the cycle, but allows for extra secondary dominants to make up for it.
Posts: 14806
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Dropping 6 in bulerias (Again?!?... (in reply to Steelhead)
quote:
Trying to get a handle on these estilos. I know staff notation is only for nerds like me, but that would make things so much more clear. Then one could point out, for example, the structural melodic elements in a given estilo, as opposed to the variable ones. E.g., it seems to me that the typical bulería corta goes roughly: d-d-e-d-C#-d… (guitar briefly to Dmin, then down), vs bulerías larga, more typically a-c-d-e-d-c-Bb-a…(up and down, guitar stays on A-Bb-A…). Or is that just some of them?
Sorry I addressed the second part of your question but skipped this. You are correct but keep in mind the true basis of buleria corta need not do the D minor part at all and jump straight to the d-c-b natural, calling in the E7 harmony. When done slow “pa’ escuchar”, that’s more typical in fact, giving it its name “corta”. The version you described is the typical thing done as fast buleria.
As you can see, lots of chromatics to the natural scale. Her version is so typical I would not have a problem calling it a bare bones classic version. I agree that written score of cante melodies all in por Arriba (no sharps or flats) as a comparative study would clarify a lot of what’s going on with cante, across all styles. I have done the mental work myself in this regard however, before I sat at the computer to tackle the project, I had to admit that almost nobody would care about all the effort. PLUS, I have no doubt that after completing such a huge project, I would be compelled to make changes every few months or so as details keep jumping into my lap that I missed before.
Edit: the linked thread above is annoying to follow, here’s my quote and video:
quote:
To further drive my point, the vid example of Maria singing (5:16) she is singing over the F chord so it’s not raised third, it’s #2, it’s approached from the natural 2...”de menos” is G-A-A-G#...she drops to F-E note for E chord. The next scale going up called “flat 3rd”, again a scale FGABCBC over or leading to F chord, or lydian scale, but comes down BAG#voice crack F# held. I repeat F#!!!!! Then she repeats de menos. So no minor or major thirds in context... you have chromatics over an F chord (lydian vibe) that finally resolve to E in the example. The song is called buleria larga. On the held F# it’s not wrong to toss in a B7 chord if you are good, so long as you still catch F-E resolution with her. Her guitarist is using Dm chord in place of F at times. (If you cant tell I’ve transposed it all to Arriba for ease of description and relevance.)
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