Solea usually played por medio (on the sixth string in E phyrgian, relative to the capo) and at a slow tempo – commonly around 90 beats per minute. Solea performance also often involves rubato, the expressive speeding up and slowing down of tempo at the discretion of the performer.

The compas of solea emphasizes the 3, 6, 8, 10, and 12 beats:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Solea is sometimes called “mother of palos.” Though it is not the oldest (siguiriyas is older), there are a number of palos that derive their compas from solea include solea por buleria, the palos in the cantiñas group, like alegria, romera, mirabra, caracoles and, to a certain extent, buleria.