Same Falseta on a Negra and a Blanca
As you are probably aware, there are two types of flamenco guitars namely blanca (white - cypress) and negra (black - rosewood).
All classical and flamenco guitar tops (soundboards) are made from either spruce or cedar. Spruce is more common.
For the back and sides the traditional raw material for flamenco guitars is cypress. At the time the luthiers in Spain probably chose cypress for its availability in their region. The dry sound that was generated by this type of wood has come to define the character of all flamenco guitars.
All classical and flamenco guitar tops (soundboards) are made from either spruce or cedar. Spruce is more common.
For the back and sides the traditional raw material for flamenco guitars is cypress. At the time the luthiers in Spain probably chose cypress for its availability in their region. The dry sound that was generated by this type of wood has come to define the character of all flamenco guitars.
The rosewood as an alternative to cypress is a more recent development in flamenco guitar lutherie. The guitars that use this material has a slightly wider range of sound and a bigger resonance - as far as my observations go.
It is important to note that one type is not necessarily better than the other. There are so many other variables that go into guitar making that it would be wrong to assume that negra is an improved blanca or negras sound more classical therefore less flamenco.
Watch the video and compare for yourself. The first guitar is a blanca and the second a negra. My immediate impression as I played the falseta was that the blanca handled the crowd of notes better due to its subdued resonance.
Then again, let me listen to a recording of flamenco music and ask me if I can recognize the type of guitar used, I probably cannot.
As for the falseta, it is a tremolo sequence I heard Paco Pena play live many years ago as part of a long introduction to a fandango. Later I found out that he plays the same bit for his piece Salobre which is a verdiales. I have also hear Sabicas play a very similar falseta.
Here are my tabs:
Watch the video and compare for yourself. The first guitar is a blanca and the second a negra. My immediate impression as I played the falseta was that the blanca handled the crowd of notes better due to its subdued resonance.
Then again, let me listen to a recording of flamenco music and ask me if I can recognize the type of guitar used, I probably cannot.
As for the falseta, it is a tremolo sequence I heard Paco Pena play live many years ago as part of a long introduction to a fandango. Later I found out that he plays the same bit for his piece Salobre which is a verdiales. I have also hear Sabicas play a very similar falseta.
Here are my tabs:
| paco_pena_tremolo.pdf |