A flamenco guitar is a type of guitar that is similar to a classical guitar. However, it has some differences. The strings are closer to the fretboard, the top part of the guitar is thinner, the body is smaller, and there is less support inside the guitar. Like the classical guitar, it usually has nylon strings. Compared to the classical guitar, it produces a more lively and rougher sound. It is used in toque, which is the guitar-playing part of the art of flamenco.

History

Traditionally, guitar makers created guitars that sold for different prices, depending on the materials used and the amount of decoration, to meet the needs of people who liked the instrument across all social classes in Spain. The least expensive guitars were often simple instruments made from cheaper woods like cypress. Antonio de Torres, one of the most famous guitar makers, did not make a difference between flamenco and classical guitars. People began to see this difference only after Andrés Avelar and others made classical guitar music more popular.

Construction

The traditional flamenco guitar is made with Spanish cypress, sycamore maple, or rosewood for the back and sides, and spruce for the top. When made with cypress or sycamore maple, this gives the guitar its characteristic body color. Flamenco guitars are built lighter with thinner tops than classical guitars, which creates a "brighter" and more percussive sound. Builders use less internal bracing to keep the top more resonant. The top is usually made of spruce or cedar, though other tone woods are sometimes used. Volume is very important for flamenco guitarists, as they must be heard over the sound of dancers’ nailed shoes. To increase volume, harder woods like rosewood can be used for the back and sides, while softer woods are used for the top.

Flamenco guitars typically have lower action compared to classical guitars. This is because lower action helps with fast playing techniques, and string buzzing is not considered a problem in flamenco performance. It is often used intentionally as an expressive technique.

Unlike classical guitars, flamenco guitars often have a tap plate (a golpeador), usually made of plastic, similar to a pickguard. Its purpose is to protect the guitar’s body from rhythmic finger taps, or golpes.

Originally, all guitars had wooden tuning pegs that passed straight through the headstock, like those on a lute, violin, or oud. Modern classical-style guitars now use geared tuning mechanisms instead.

"Flamenco negra" guitars are called "negra" because of the dark, hard woods used in their construction, such as rosewood or other dense tone woods. These materials increase volume and tonal range. A typical cypress flamenco guitar (called a "blanca" guitar) produces more treble and louder percussion than the deeper, more resonant negra. These guitars aim to capture some of the sustain found in high-quality classical guitars while keeping the volume and sharp attack of flamenco.

Classical guitars are generally made with spruce or cedar tops and rosewood or mahogany backs and sides to enhance sustain. Flamenco guitars are usually made with spruce tops and cypress or sycamore maple for the backs and sides to increase volume and emphasize the note’s attack. Other woods, such as rosewood, maple, koa, satinwood, and caviuna (Cocobolo rosewood), may also be used for the back and sides.

A well-made flamenco guitar responds quickly and typically has less sustain than a classical guitar. This is helpful because the fast, repeated notes played by skilled flamenco guitarists might sound unclear on a guitar with a long, rich sound. Flamenco guitars are often described as having a percussive sound—they are brighter, drier, and more austere than classical guitars. Some jazz and Latin guitarists prefer this punchy tone, and some players have found that these guitars also work well for the complex harmonies of Renaissance and Baroque music.

Techniques

Flamenco guitar is played differently from classical guitar. Players use different postures, strumming patterns, and techniques. Flamenco guitarists are called tocaores (from an Andalusian pronunciation of tocadores, meaning "players"), and the flamenco guitar technique is called toque.

Flamenco players often hold the guitar near the bridge, between the sound hole and the bridge, to create a rougher, more raspy sound. In classical guitar, the strings are pulled parallel to the soundboard (tirando). In flamenco, the strings are struck toward the soundboard in a way that the finger is supported by the next string, called apoyando (from Spanish apoyar, meaning "to support"). This method can cause the vibrating string to touch the frets, creating a more percussive sound.

Classical guitarists support the guitar on their left leg and hold it at an angle. Flamenco guitarists usually cross their legs and place the guitar on the top leg, keeping the neck nearly parallel to the floor. This position helps with flamenco techniques like tremolo, golpe, and rasgueado, which are easier when the right arm is supported by the guitar body instead of the forearm. Some flamenco guitarists use the classical position.

Flamenco is often played with a cejilla (capo), which raises the pitch and makes the guitar sound sharper and more percussive. The main purpose of the cejilla is to change the key to match the singer’s voice. Since Flamenco music is often improvised and uses common structures, the capo helps musicians play together without needing to transpose music each time the singer changes pitch. Flamenco uses many open chord forms to create a steady drone sound and leave fingers free for melodic notes. Most Flamenco music is passed down through practice rather than written down, though books are becoming more common.

Both accompaniment and solo Flamenco guitar use both modal and tonal harmonies, often combining them.

Flamenco guitar techniques include:

• Tirando: Pulling or plucking the strings with the index, middle, and ring fingers during falsetas.
• Picado: Alternating the index and middle fingers to play fast, single-note scales. Other methods use the thumb on adjacent strings or the thumb and index finger.
• Rasgueado: Strumming with outward flicks of the right hand fingers. This creates a rhythmic sound similar to a dancer’s footwork or castanets. It can be done with 5, 4, or 3 fingers.
• Alzapúa: A thumb technique with roots in oud playing. The thumb moves up and down for single notes or strumming.
• Arpeggio: Playing notes up or down the strings, or both directions together.
• Ligado: Using the left hand to "hammer" notes on ascending frets or "pull" them on descending frets.
• Tremolo: Repeating a single note rapidly. Flamenco tremolo uses a pattern of p-i-a-m-i (4 notes), while classical uses p-a-m-i (3 notes). It can also be used as an ornament on a chord.
• Glisando: Sliding a finger along a string to glide through notes.
• Arrastre: Dragging the ring finger across the strings to create a fast arpeggio.
• Seco (Sorda): Damping the strings with the left hand while the right hand plays rhythmic patterns, creating a percussive, chugging sound.
• Golpe: Tapping the soundboard with the fingers, requiring a golpeador (tap plate) to protect the guitar.

Flamenco guitar uses many rhythmic and percussive techniques. Eighth note triplets and sixteenth note runs are often mixed in a single measure. Swung notes and straight notes are also combined. Golpes are used with different rhythms, like bulerias or soleas, and strumming is sometimes done with damped strings for long passages or single notes.

In terms of style, Flamenco guitar can be described as:

• Toque airoso: Lively, rhythmic, with a bright, almost metallic sound.
• Toque gitano o flamenco: Deep and expressive, with many grace notes and countertempos.
• Toque pastueño: Slow and peaceful, like a calm bull in a bullfight.
• Toque sobrio: Simple, without showy effects.
• Toque virtuoso: Highly skilled, with complex techniques.
• Toque corto: Uses only basic techniques.
• Toque frío: Opposite of gitano or flamenco, with little emotion.