Flamenco Harmony and Scales

Responding to a question on the subject of collaborating with Paco de Lucía, Chick gets into Flamenco scales and harmony in this livestream clip and shows how you can become familiar with these scales if you're not already.

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[santibanks]

There are a couple of things which Chick often apply to get that Spanish sound going. The most important thing to make anything sound Spanish is the employment of a half tone step between the first and the second, making it a flat 2nd or flat 9th. Be it in the scale used, or be it in the chord sequence:
+ Use of the Phrygian mode. You will find this mode in La Fiesta and Yellow Nimbus. Or derivatives of the Harmonic Minor scale (such as the Phrygian Dominant mode which is applied in Spanish Fantasy and Touchstone if I remember correctly);
+ Use of the Andalusian Cadence or a variation of it (iv > III > bII > I(7) so in the key of A that would be Dm > C(M7) > Bb(M7) > A(7) ). The "theme" of La Fiesta is built on this (but uses only the last 3 chords of this cadence, the 4th starts of the B section as a modulation to A major), it occurs in Love Castle and Trance Dance. Basically the Spanish distinguish the Por Ariba variant which is in the key of A—La Fiesta, and one which is Por Medio and in the key of D—Trance Dance/Love Castle. It's the same interval set, just in different keys.
+ Just vamping on a half tone chord change where the chords are Major. Again, that's basically just the last half of the Andalusian Cadence. Spanish Fantasy part 4 uses that vamp for the solo and Spanish Sketch is built on that.

Chick loves to embellish some of his Dominant 7ths with the Flat 9. So A7 becomes A7b9 which is again coming from the Harmonic Minor scale. Space Circus pt1 (AKA Children's Song #3) uses that chord (and actually ends on it).
Another thing regarding Flamenco like sounds is that a lot of this music is guitar based and therefor often is based around E or A as a tonal center (though capo's are used, including by Paco). As far as I remember, Chick bases his Flamenco influenced songs mostly on the tonal centers of D, C, Bb, A, E..

But what about Spain? Ironically, I personally find Spain one of the least "flamenco" like songs from his ouvre when it comes to the harmony. While the flat 9th makes an appearance (mostly as embellishment) and the first two chords (Gmaj7, F#7) have this half tone thing going on, but apart from the title, it's harmonically one of the least Flamenco sounding ones and the chordal patterns are pretty standard (it's basically 2 ii-V-I's, one in the key of D, the other in the key of B). I regard Spain more as a Latin song (given its Samba flavoured rhythm) than a Flamenco one. You can spice it up though and give it more of a Flamenco tone (as Paco and McLaughlin would do). Spain perhaps feels more like a Spanish danse and in that sense can be regarded as a more optimist Flamenco kind of sound, but most people associate Flamenco with a serious tone (similar to the blues. The Portugese have Fado, the Spanish have Flamenco) and associate some of the things I pointed out earlier as typical Flamenco.

[DihelsonMendonca]

💥 Absolute genius. Chick Corea has the rare gift of never run out of excellent ideas, and do exactly what he thinks, and NEVER do anything he doesn't want. These 2 characteristics I haven't seen on anybody else simultaneously. 🎉❤❤❤

[ygputof]

In Arabic and Turkish music it's Maqam Hijaz Kar and in Western music it's known as the double harmonic scale and I believe it's also referred to as Oriental Scale. Double harmonic being you literally take 2 harmonic minor scales and join them. For example, the F harmonic minor and C harmonic minor, take the last 4 notes of F harmonic minor (C, Db, E, F) and C harmonic minor (G, Ab, B, C) to create C Double harmonic.

[geraldillo]

I remember first listening to Zyriab; the whole concept of the song was new to me, but I liked it right from the start. It had a natural drive to it with a climax on the piano improvisation!

[je-pqde]

translating into words it would be i think: phrygian, with phryigian harmony, (b2maj7, b7min7 as most obvious cadential chords) but an added major third on the tonic. make sure to clash the root/b2 and b3/3 in interesting ways

[nancychace]

God bless him. Thanks for sharing the lesson. RIP. 💐

[estefaniafernandezguerrero]

Te queremos, y love you desde granada

[stefanomaurizi]

We miss you so much Chick ❤❤❤ thank you for your great music

[krikeyitstimeforcricket]

I’m a guitarist and love your music and this lesson. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. 🙏🏼

[christelion]

Good evening master.
I suggest that you put on the virtual piano so that the lesson is clearer for us because it will allow us to see the notes well. Happy New Year

[isamusika]

Today is a sad day in our music world.
The legend has transcended to another realm where he returns to forever...
but the legend’s legacy will never end.

[Smith]

So you are the jazz machine with scales or something like that. I just found you out. Nice to meet you.

[rontomkins]

Easiest way to think about it is: Whichever chord you wanna turn into a Flamenco Chord, just think the Harmonic Minor chord that's a 4th above. So if we're in C Maj, think of Fminor harmonic (F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, E)

[Yuffie]

That was incredible. Perfect brief description of Flamenco musicals the small piece at the end. Genious.

[bradking]

Thanks so much for sharing ‼️ Hope you are well God loves you deeply Shalom 🤗🐼❤️✝️💐 Philippians 4:8

[lydoel]

The scale is called phrygian dominant. fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale i believe

[fredjacksonjr.]

Interesting thing is the resolution is in the tension. This sound has a lot to do with tension and release.

[picksalot]

Phrygian mode/scale is often used in Flamenco music.

[zvonimirtosic]

Flamenco is folk music for folk dance, which belongs to the primitive (primal) type of music. There are no exact rules in folk music, no 'written' harmonies. Their basis are roughly Middle-Eastern / Egyptian / gypsy scales (Moors did conquer Iberian peninsula) which can be made up with a Western Phrygian scale. Easy way to make them, is to use any minor scale, then flatten the 2nd note by a semitone. Afterwards, a player can drop any other degree in the scale, often making ambiguous scales with no tonal centre. Because the singing in such folk music is continuous (often some sorrowful lamentation that goes on forever) and has no tonal pivot or reference point; it just goes on and on.

[valinurrafikov]

Чик Корея, ты моя юность, то чем я жил и живу.