Flamenco Fridays Arcángel nos canta ‘Alegrías de Cádiz’
While not as formulaic as sevillanap, alegria dance accompaniment does have a set of distinct “song parts” which, in more traditional arrangements, are often assembled in a predictable order. Many of the same principles apply to solo instrumental arrangements as well.
Structure and Compas
The basic structure of alegria por baile (“for dance”) can be schematized like this:
- Intro
- Copla (verse) & Falseta (guitar melody)
- Footwork
- Silencio
- Castellana
- Escobilla
- Buleria
Within this basic schema, sections can be rearranged, doubled, or eliminated altogether.
The compas of alegria is based in 12s and, like solea, is accented on the 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12 beats: