Culture
What are flamenco palos? A simple guide for beginners
You will hear the word «palo» constantly in a flamenco class. Here is what it means, without any music theory.
If you have just started at the Rocío Pozo Dance School, you will hear the word palo constantly. Shall we dance a festive palo? Which palo is the guitar playing? Do not be put off by the jargon — here is the plain version.
What a palo actually is
Like genres in any other music
Think of music generally: rock, pop, jazz, classical. Flamenco works the same way. A palo is simply the name given to each of the styles within flamenco. Each has its own personality, its own rhythmic cycle — the compás — and tells a different kind of story.
The easiest way to sort them
By the emotion they carry
Deep or serious palos (cante grande) express pain, loss or lament. They are slow and intense: soleá, siguiriya, taranta.
Festive palos (cante chico) express celebration and joy. Faster, lighter, danced with a smile: alegrías, bulerías, tangos.
Where beginners start
Not with twelve beats
Learning a 12-beat compás on day one is discouraging, so beginners usually start with something easier to count.
Tangos: a four-beat cycle, as straightforward as most pop or rock. Festive, with plenty of hip movement, and enjoyable from the first minute.
Sevillanas: strictly speaking a regional folk dance rather than a flamenco palo, but taught with flamenco styling. Excellent for learning coordination, arm work and how to dance with a partner.
Moving up
Twelve beats, eventually
Once the body and ear are used to tangos, we move on to soleá por bulerías or alegrías, where you learn to count in cycles of 12. Later, when the technique is solid, come the fast bulerías and the mathematical complexity of the siguiriya.
Which one is yours?
Your personality will tell you
You do not need to master every palo. If you are outgoing and quick, you will love bulerías and alegrías. If you are more reflective and want a strong emotional release, soleá will be your refuge.
To train your ear at home, make a playlist: listen to «tangos flamencos», then «soleá flamenca». The difference is obvious immediately. Then come and dance them in our flamenco classes in Telde.