← All lessonsModule 14 · Latin & World Grooves
Flamenco Compás
Flamenco's rhythm, the compás, is a cycle of twelve beats with five accents that shift from threes to twos. Count it, clap it like palmas, hear the hemiola hidden inside it, and play the Andalusian cadence Am G F E on its accents, resting on E for that Phrygian colour. Then look back at the whole Latin & World Grooves module.
In this lesson you'll
- Count the 12-beat compás out loud and clap its accents on 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12, keeping the other beats soft.
- Hear the cycle group as 3 + 3 (a 6/8 feel) then 2 + 2 + 2 (a 3/4 feel): the hemiola of lesson 31 built into one cycle.
- Play the Andalusian cadence on the accents (Am on 3, G on 6, F on 8 and 10, E on 12) and play along with palmas and chords.
Remember
The compás is a 12-beat cycle accented on 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12; styles like soleá and bulería are built on it.
Threes, then twos: 6/8 meets 3/4 inside one cycle, and palmas, foot stamps and rasgueado strums all mark the accents.
The harmony leans on the Andalusian cadence Am G F E and rests on E; with F a half step above it, that E sounds Phrygian.