Alegrias no. 2 - (Difficulty level - 4)
This falseta is a great one to learn in order to hear his use of phrasing against the 12 beat rhythm. You will find lots of tied notes and counting is crucial in order to play it correctly. With that being said it is one of the easier falsetas he plays. Let's take a look at his use of harmony:
Measure 1-4: The first chord is at the heart of what Flamenco is, modally speaking of course… The use of the lydian mode is evident here with the Amajor(#11). The melody is on the D# (#11) of the A chord which gives that classic crunchy Lydian sound that we are so used to hearing as the II chord in our Phrygian keys that we play in.
Measure 5-8: Here he plays almost the same melody (D# to E) but this time its harmonized with the C#min chord. The change from A major to C# minor is an interesting effect in that it creates a sense of rest or pause in harmonic motion. Being that these two chord are only a 3rd apart means that they share a lot of the same notes. So essentially, his move to C#min from the A is more like an extension harmony to sustain and repeat elements of the melody.
Link to Jose’s music for download: https://www.joseluisdelapaz.com/discography
Recorded in Santa Barbara, CA by Berto Boyd for more info visit: https://bertoboyd.com/
