Modal Improvisation and Melodic Construction in the Flamenco Environment
"Great books from a great musician.”
— Juán José Suarez Paquete
Now in English! The definitive, comprehensive explanation of both the harmonic and melodic aspects of flamenco! - FLAMENCO IMPROVISATION - Modal Improvisation and Melodic Construction in the Flamenco Environment by famed guitarist Enrique Vargas.
This volume deals with new scales in the flamenco modal language. Some of these scales, such as the diminished, wholetone, overtone or hexatonic symmetrical, come from modern classical or jazz. Others come from ethnic modalities which are external to flamenco.
The harmonic implications of these scales is analyzed and their application in the flamenco environment is explained.
These explanations are illustrated by numerous melodic examples, both original and by renowned flamenco artists.
The concept of modal substitutions is introduced and modal polytonality is explained.
The notion of replicating dominant scales by minor thirds and tritones is introduced and various ways to resolve a tritone are explained.
Appendix I contains a collection of 110 licks in modern penta-, hexa-, hepta- and octatonic scales. Each lick is harmonized and comes with detailed guitar fingerings.
Appendix II is a complete thesaurus of vertical and horizontal guitar fingerings for every modern penta-, hexa-, hepta- and octatonic scales in flamenco, in every flamenco tonality.
Each lick is recorded with harmonic accompaniment and bass.
513 pages!
"Nobody knows more about flamencos modal and harmonic language than Enrique Vargas. These manuals are a must for those who want to learn to compose or improvise modern flamenco.”
— Jose Jiménez el Viejín
"Enrique Vargas is a real expert when it comes to all these complex scales we use in flamenco today.”
— José Fernandez Torres Tomatito
"Great books from a great musician.”
— Juán José Suarez Paquete
"A true treasure; you need years and years to process all this incredible information.”
— Antón Jiménez
