One of the most difficult parts of flamenco for a newcomer to grasp is the concept of ‘compás’ or rhythm. Many flamenco palos (musical styles) use a compás of 12 beats, with the accents on beats 12, 3, 6, 8, 10. (Unfortunately, as complicated as this may seem already, it’s already an oversimplification.)
When musicians and dancers learn flamenco from a young age and are surrounded by the art form, their sense of compás evolves naturally. As foreigners to the genre, we need to put in a lot of effort to understand and internalize it. It’s a gradual process, so take your time and don’t expect it to come overnight.
Even though this seems complicated, it's important to think of compás in 12 rather than trying to translate it to familiar meters (ie, 2 measures of 3 + 3 measures). Simple meters cannot capture the subtleties of flamenco rhythm, and trying to translate them will just hold you back.
A good way to begin to understand 12-count compás is to start with a slower palo in 12 such as Solea. That way you can count out loud as you play, and subdivisions are a bit easier to manage.
There are a lot of flamenco metronome apps and compás tracks out there, and they can be a big help a little further into your flamenco studies. What’s more, they often include flamenco palmas (hand clapping) and percussion (such as cajón) that give you an authentic flamenco feel. These are great for making things fun when you’re speeding up and perfecting your repertoire. They can also help you develop sense of compás if you use them right. Just don’t get too addicted to seeing the numbers on the screen. The sound is what’s important, the numbers are just there to guide you in the beginning.
At the very beginning, flamenco metronomes or compás tracks can be overwhelming. Flamenco palmas is really a musical instrument in it’s own right. Even the most basic palmas for a certain palo does not fall in a steady beat (that would be boring). Rather, the palmas fills in the beats and captures the essence of a polo in a purely rhythmic form.
I’d recommend as a first step, learn to play some basic Solea (and perhaps a faster palo like Alegrias and/or Solea por Bulerias as well) repertoire with a simple click, and learn to keep time in 12 and feel the accents internally.
Once you have some repertoire solidly under your fingers with a simple metronome, try working with flamenco comás at a similar tempo. The first step is just to listen to the compás and find the beats mentally. Keep in mind there won’t necessarily be palmas or percussion on every beat or every accent. Once you can keep your place mentally, then try playing the repertoire you already know. Listen to the compás track and start to feel how it supports your playing in a more musical way than a steady beat can.
I have two flamenco compás apps, one is Dr. Compás and the other is Sevilla Soft. I like the sound of Dr. Compás better, though Sevilla Soft gives you more control the settings. Both of these cost ($20-30 I think).
Another great option is using recorded compás tracks, which are often free. Percussionist and Lessonface teacher Nasrine Rahmani recently released some really excellent compás tracks called ‘Tú Compás Flamenco - Bases and Loops’.
There are 5-minute loops available on youtube (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l-5-85WjW-WjPrpkRHGU0S57e5_iWufB0) and Spotify. If you prefer, you can purchase longer tracks at bandcamp (https://tucompasflamenco.bandcamp.com/releases) or other music platforms.
So to short answer the title question of this post, Do you need a flamenco metronome?
1. At first don’t worry about it, just learn to play, count, and (little by little) feel the compás.
2. Once you’ve acquired some technical and rhythmic basics, using a flamenco metronome or compás tracks is a great way to deepen your understanding of flamenco and enjoy your solo playing even more.
