Compás

Compás is the Spanish word for meter and time signature in classical music theory. In flamenco, besides having these meanings, it also refers to the rhythmic cycle, or layout, of a palo or flamenco style. When performing flamenco it is important to feel the rhythm—the compás—rather than mechanically count the beats. In this way, flamenco is similar to jazz or blues where performers seem to simply "feel" the rhythm.

Flamenco uses three basic counts or measures: binary, ternary and the (unique to flamenco) 12-beat cycle which is difficult to confine within the classical measure. There are also free-form styles, not subject to any particular meter, including, among others, the palos in the group of the tonás, the saetas, malagueñas, tarantas, and some types of fandangos.


 * Rhythms in 2/4 or 4/4. These meters are used in forms like tangos, tientos, rumba, zambra, and tanguillos.


 * Rhythms in 3/4. These are typical of fandangos and sevillanas both of these forms originate in Spanish folk, thereby illustrating their provenance as non-Gypsy styles, since the 3/4 and 4/4 measures are the most common throughout the Western world but not within the ethnic Gypsy, nor Hindi musics.


 * 12-beat rhythms usually rendered in amalgams of 6/8 + 3/4 and sometimes measures of 12/8 in attempts to confine it within the classical constraints. The 12-beat cycle is fundamental in the soleá and bulerías palos, for example. However, the various accentuation differentiates these two. These types of accentuation don't correspond to the classic concept of the downbeat, whereby the first beat in the measure is emphasized. In flamenco, the different ways of performing percussion (including the complex technique of palmas) make it hard to render in traditional musical notation. The alternating of groups of 2 and 3 beats is also common in the Spanish folk or traditional dances of the 16th century such as the zarabanda, jácara and canarios. They are also common in Latin American countries.


 * 12-beat amalgams are in fact the most common in flamenco. There are three types of these, which vary in their layouts, or use of accentuation:
 * The soleá
 * The seguiriya
 * The bulería


 * 1) Peteneras and guajiras: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Both palos start with the strong accent on 12.  Hence the meter is  12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11...
 * 2) The seguiriya, liviana, serrana, toná liviana, cabales: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 The seguiriya is measured in the same way as the soleá but starting on the 8th beat
 * 3) Soleá, within the cantiñas group of palos which includes the alegrías, cantiñas, mirabras, romera, caracoles and bulería por soleá: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. For practical reasons, when transferring flamenco guitar music to sheet music, this rhythm is written as a regular 3/4. The bulerías is the emblematic palo of flamenco, today its 12-beat cycle is most often played with accents on the 1, 4, 8, and 9th beats. The accompanying palmas are played in groups of 6 beats, giving rise to a multitude of counter rhythms and percussive voices within the 12-beat compás.

The compás is fundamental to flamenco. It is the basic definition of the music and without it, there is no flamenco. Compás is therefore the division of beats and accentuation. It is the backbone of this musical form. In private gatherings, if there is no guitarist available, the compás is rendered through hand clapping (palmas) or by hitting a table with the knuckles. This is also sometimes done in recordings especially for bulerías. The guitar also has an important function, using techniques like strumming (rasgueado) or tapping the soundboard. Changes of chords also emphasize the most important downbeats. When dancers are present, they use their feet as a percussion instrument.