How to Play Tango Compas | Flamenco Guitar

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Must Haves for any Guitar Player:

So right now we're going to talk about tangos, flamenco tangos, not to be confused with Argentian tangos. It's a totally different thing. Flamenco tangos is a style of flamenco that is in the meter 4/4, that means four beats per measure, and it features a 2 measure cycle. Okay, the first measure we're going to play our B Flat chord from B Flat position and on the second measure we're going to play our tonic position, which is A.

We're going to go one measure at a time and we're going to figure out how to play compas. Just remember compas is a part of the song that defines the style by key, by tempo, and by time signature. Measure one we're in B Flat, beat one is silent. It's one of the features of flamenco time, and we're usually going to do golpe.

Beat two, we're going to do a rasgueado. This is going to be a three finger rasgueado starting with A, M, I. So be careful, because I is the one playing the downbeat of beat two. These two are doing pickup notes, pickup sixteenth notes. That's a downbeat. It goes one, two, okay? So be aware. So we're going to do two of those, so one... From beat two and beat three, we do the same rasgueado, one. And one more time, beat one, golpe, beat two. Beat three and on beat three we're going to come back with our index.

Okay, one more time, so the end of beat three we come back with our index. One more time, one. Now on beat four we're going to play our G note with our thumb. We'll play G here. One more time. Then I'm going to do one of the techniques we learned in one of the videos, which is pulgar indifeco. Here's the pulgar and indife on the first string. That completes measure one. And the time. Now measure two I do another pulgar indife, but I'm over the A chord, A major chord.

So with that, one. Beat two I'm going to do our rasgueado again, three finger rasgueado. Now remember the downbeat falls on the index and now I'm playing small variations of A, which is A with a Flat 9, so it's going to be flat there. Okay, so see how far we've got, so one, two. So on measure two we begin with thumb down on beat one and we're going to do an index up.

Okay, one, index technique and I'm going to hold those notes over beat two, and for beat three I'm going to do a rasgueado with thumb up. I'm also not going to play on beat four. So here we go. So there are many variations you can do with the tango compas. This is the one I wanted to play for you today, but the main characteristics are silent one, and this little lick is G to the A. It's a very characteristic sound of the flamenco tango, so have fun playing flamenco tango.

[giladnuriel]

A Perfect lesson, not many good lessons on youtube, too bad that the art of flamenco isn't that free..
Thank you for your efforts!! looking forward for new stuff

[betweenevenings]

thanx for the breakdown..a perfect lesson to help start learn tangos. I got the fingerings quickly

[tastfisour]

Very clear teaching nice growl too the guitar also

[lclarke]

Senor Garcia is a fantastico guitar player and teacher!

[learnflamencoguitarapp]

Hi everyone, This is Dan Garcia from the video. Learn Tangos step by step with my new app w/ complete method "Learn Flamenco Guitar" for iPhone and Android.

[Yojimbonh]

I learned this with the i up, a down, i down rasgeo.  This works better because you don't have to start the rasgeo with the a finger immediately following the golpe.

[robertwallace]

Great lesson and easy to understand. Can a four finger resquao work or does it have to be a three finger? 

[duendedude]

Could you maybe answer a question for me. I understand and play compas, but I especially enjoy playing torque libres and never accompany singers or dancers. So is there some law that says you cannot use the melodic structures of, say, solea or segurias in a more free way?? So many people seem obsessed with compas and dismiss the music out of hand if it does not comply. Thanks.

[LikkanC]

Neither do I! haha, i just did it because some other people did 1st and 2nd, so I was like, why not

[CakeFladudle]

I could have said second before that other guy but I'd rather rip on people for looking like idiots rather than being an idiot myself.

[viahney]

Must have curved capo and picks for classical/flamenco guitar.. You made a mistake in your description.

[sansamman]

This is easy as hell, but it just takes too much time :(