Bulerias Falsetas

Collection # 1

© Charles H. Keyser, Jr. 1974

The Academy of Flamenco Guitar P.O. Box 1292 Santa Barbara, CA 93102 Bulerias Falsetas - Collection 1

Falseta 1 ( Source: Agustin Rios/Paco del Gastor)

Falseta 2 (Source: Paco del Gastor)

Falseta 3 (Source: Paco del Gastor)

Falseta 4 (Source: Diego del Gastor, Agustin Rios)

Falseta 5 (Source: Paco del Gastor)

Falseta 6 (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 7 (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 8 (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 9 (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 10 (Source: “El Mellizo”)

Falseta 11 (Source: “El Mellizo”)

Falseta 12 (Source: Sabicas)

Falseta 13 (Source: Paco / Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 14: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 15: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

(Continued Next Page) Bulerias Falsetas - Collection 1 (Cont.)

Falseta 16: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 17: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 18: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 19: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 20: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 21: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 22: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 23: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 24: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 25: (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 26 (Source: Diego del Gastor)

Falseta 27 (Source: Uncertain)

Falseta 28 (Source: Uncertain)

Falseta 29: (Source: Diego Del Gastor) Bulerias Falseta Collection 1

Bulerias Falseta 1 ( Source: Agustin Rios/Paco del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode.

This falseta is one of Agustin’s; the first part is an excellent example of hemiola. Bar the 2nd, 3rd, 4th strings (only) with the first joint of your l.h. index finger, playing the ligados with the other available fingers (2,3, and 4). Right hand technique is all thumb. Bulerias Falseta 1 (Cont.) Bulerias Falseta 2 (Source: Paco del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode

I believe this falseta comes from Paco del Gastor, although Diego might have had a hand in it. In any case, it is one of my all-time favorites; lots of excellent ligado and thumb work. (The ending is my addition, imported from Juan Maya “Marote”; just one of many possible alternatives.) You can also start the falseta on count 12, inserting an extra count just before the final sequence. Bulerias Falseta 3 (Source: Paco del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode

This also has Diego’s influence; a strong use of thumb/ligado. Bulerias Falseta 4 (Source: Diego del Gastor, Agustin Rios) Key: A Phrygian Mode Here’s a falseta of Diego’s with a picado finale of Agustin Rios’. Note the use of octaves in the 1st and 3rd measures. Also note the phrasing of the quadruplet picado sequences, and the ascending 3rd’s. Bulerias Falseta 4 (Cont.) Bulerias Falseta 5 (Source: Paco del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode

This falseta makes good use of the 2nd and 3rd positions for the A Phrygian Mode. Bulerias Falseta 6 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode

Here is a short falseta of Diego’s with some interesting syncopation and a typical use of the thumb. Bulerias Falseta 7 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode

This falseta is one of Diego’s trademarks. Note the interesting phrasing. Bulerias Falseta 8 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode

A good ligado exercise in the 2nd and 3rd positions. Bulerias Falseta 9 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode

Here’s another octave falseta with a syncopated ending. Bulerias Falseta 10 (Source: “El Mellizo”) Key: A Phrygian Mode

This falseta (and the next one) are from Francisco “El Mellizo”, Diego’s brother. These are some of the most haunting and beautiful Bulerias falsetas in the Flamenco repertoire, and in the proper setting can really inpire a singer. What is most important in falsetas like these is the notes that are NOT played...... Bulerias Falseta 11 (Source: “El Mellizo”) Key: A Phrygian Mode

Another beautiful falseta from El Mellizo. Bulerias Falseta 12 (Source: Sabicas) Key: F# Minor (Relative to A Major)

Agustin told me that this is one of Sabicas’ falsetas, although I’ve never discovered it on any of his recordings. Nevertheless, it does have Sabicas’ compositional genius. You could also think of the falseta in Bm; however, I usually perform this falseta out of an A Major chording compas, as in the accompanying recording. Bulerias Falseta 13 (Source: Paco del Gastor/Diego del Gastor) (F# Minor relative to A Major)

Here’s another falseta in the relative minor to A major. I’ve heard a lot of guitarists perform this falseta, and am not absolutely certain of its geneology. Bulerias Falseta 14: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Major

This falseta is another of Diego’s famous trademarks. Use your 3rd finger (l.h.) for the slides. Use picado for the right hand. The melody is a Spanish folk song “La Zarzamora” (The Blackberry”) Bulerias Falseta 14 (Cont.) Bulerias Falseta 15: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Major

This falseta has some interesting lligado counter-rhythms in the last measures, as well as a method of expressing chords in 6/8 time (see also falseta 25). Bulerias Falseta 16: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Major

Another of Diego’s ideas. Falsetas like this are often improvised, and you get to hear them only once, if you happen to be in the right place, at the right time. Bulerias Falseta 17: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Major

Diego often performed this falseta in juergas. It is a great picado falseta in the old style. Bulerias Falseta 18: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Major

Here’s another falseta of Diego’s with an octave finale characteristic of the Moron style (see also falseta 19) Bulerias Falseta 19: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Major

Here’s another of Diego’s famous trademarks. This falseta has great expressive good humor in the appropriate situation. Bulerias Falseta 20: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Minor

Here’s a falseta of Diego del Gastor in A minor. Use your thumb for this one. Bulerias Falseta 21: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Minor

Another falseta in the old style, using octaves. Bulerias Falseta 22: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Minor

Note the interesting way the phrases resolve in this falseta. Bulerias Falseta 23: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Minor

Here is a melodic falseta of Diego’s; again, note the interesting resolution. Bulerias Falseta 24: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Minor

Another of Diegos’s famous trademarks. He usually “bends” the “chords” a little for expression. Bulerias Falseta 25: (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: A Minor

This falseta is similar to Falseta 15 in concept; it somewhat reminds me of “Autumn Leaves”. (This brings up an interesting point. Often Diego would hear snatches of themes of American pop music (usually from Americans at the base in Moron), and woud work them into his toque. Americans at juergas would often be disconcerted by a Bulerias falseta with the theme of “In a Little Spanish Town” or even “How dry I am” thrown in with all the rest of the funky Gypsy stuff. Of course the Gypsies just thought it was more funky Gypsy stuff. Bulerias Falseta 26 (Source: Diego del Gastor) Key: B Minor

Here’s a rather extended Bulerias falseta from Diego’s “Suite in B Minor”; its construction is interesting; note the syncopation/polyrhythm (5 + 5 + 2) in the chord sequence.

One point: I play this a little differently on the tape from the way it is written. After I recorded it, I went back and realized that the arpeggios were different from the way I learned it from Diego. The difference is slight; on the tape I alternate basses, where as Diego arpeggiated them. Bulerias Falseta 26 (Cont.) Bulerias Falseta 27 (Source: Uncertain) Key: A Phrygian Mode

This falseta and the next are similar, in the old style. You used to hear these performed quite often, but I’m not sure whose they are. Perhaps Melchor de Marchena, or Morao, but maybe earlier. I doubt they are Diegos’s, since they have a different style, or “aire” from his. Bulerias Falseta 28 (Source: Uncertain) Key: A Phrygian Mode

This falseta is a variation of the preceding one, and probably from the same source. Bulerias Falseta 29: (Source: Diego Del Gastor) Key: A Phrygian Mode

Here’s yet another famous falseta of Diego’s; he uses variations of this in various places, for effect.