Siguiriyas
Siguiriyas (also
seguiriyas,
seguidilla gitana) is a form of
flamenco music belonging to the
cante jondo category. Its deep, expressive style is among the most important in flamenco. The siguiriyas are normally played in the key of A-major with each
falseta consisting of 12 counts (4 measures of 3/4 time) with emphasis on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th and 11th beats as shown here:::
[1] 2
[3] 4
[5] 6 7
[8] 9 10
[11] 12
Sometimes this pattern is described as only having 5 counts: 3 fast, and 2 slow. Compare this rhythmic pattern with that of the
soleares. This rhythm, however, has been the subject of disagreement, possibly due to changes in style. At different times, scholars have detected a 3/4 time, a combination of 3/8 and 3/4 (closest to the example above), and later 2/4 and 3/8.
Listen to siguiriyas audio clip (135Kb,29 seconds)*
Get to know the flamenco forms: the seguirilla
