Have you ever gone to a flamenco show and tried to clap along with the performers only to get lost almost immediately?
Have you ever felt like you’ve mastered a step when you’re practicing in a dance group class, but as soon as you try it alone, suddenly you feel completely lost?
Have you ever rehearsed your falsetas, remates, escobillas for hours with a “Solo Compás” only to realize that it didn’t work with real musicians or dancers?
Failure to master and internalize the compás is the main reason many students struggle when they are learning flamenco!
The compás, or rhythm, is the foundation on which everything is built in flamenco and it is not as simple as just counting or just feeling. And learning compás is more than just learning palmas.
Of course, everything is important, such as technique, knowledge of cante, mastery of structures and improvisation, but compás should be the most important focus when learning flamenco.
If you just want to sing, dance, or play at home alone, then yes, you can be content with an unsteady, wobbly compás. But as soon as you want to play, dance or sing with other people, mastering the compás is no longer an option!
Mastering the compás is the only way to share a musical/dance moment!
If we don’t all feel and express a good compás together, we won’t be able to share what we can do. Our beautiful falsetas, stunning remates, impressive escobillas… will be of no use if we are not able to perform them a compás and with a musical intention.
That’s why we have to develop our sense of rhythm at different levels, in many different ways, because:
- Understanding the compás is not enough.
- Counting the compás is not enough.
- Feeling the compás is not enough.
Having only one or two palmas patterns for every type of compás is not enough.
If you really want to be confident, understand and master all that you do and be able to SHARE and ENJOY YOURSELF, you need to put all this together and make it your own. Internalize it. Feel it. Live it.
It takes 3 fundamental things:
Time, practice and consistency
This is what the new flamencoMAPS “Rhythm, Compás & Palmas” course is about.
By taking the time to understand, to feel and practice regularly, and finally be able express yourself and share your art with others!
I will give you the key concepts, method and exercises so you can become INDEPENDENT. After a point you’ll be able to practice on your own, exactly what you need, the way you need it. You’ll be able to practice efficiently, create your own exercises, and even create your own material!
Whether you are dancing steps, or playing falsetas, palmas or cajón patterns – everything is part of a whole, and it starts with mastering the compás.
If you want to be able to enjoy yourself and share your feelings through the beautiful art form that is flamenco, whether it is in a class, at a fiesta or on stage for a show, everyone will be able to enjoy sharing that artistic moment with you – if you are a compás.
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