Flamenco chords

When it comes to flamenco and chords, there are alternative open chords and ordinary open chord, and also barre chords and many voicings.

The Spanish cadence

You could use typical open chords when playing in the style of flamenco, especially A minor and E major, which also are used as a cadence. These can in some cases be substituted with barre chords.

Am

E

Dm

C

Typical chords and voicings

Here are additional typical flamenco chords, including voicings.

E

Fmaj7#11

F

F/E

G/E

A

Bb

C9

The chord called "A" is as you can see similar to a regular A major chord but with a finger on the third fret. You can also alternate between the ordinary A and the flamenco voicing.

Chord progressions

Some chord progressions to try are:

E - F/E

Am - G/E - F/E - E

Dm - C - Bb - A

A - Bb - F - C/G - Bb - A

Combine chords with scales

To enrich the playing with melody lines et cetera you should combine these chords with scales. Two scales frequently used in flamenco are "Por Aribba" and "Por Medio". You can find instructions for these together with more information about chords in this Brief Introduction to Flamenco Guitar.

Spanish chord voicings

One of the alternatives to what have been presented above are these chords, which can be played together alone or mixed with them above.

Am

E

F

G

A simple approach for getting a "Spanish" feel is to play these in the sequence is like this:

E - F- G

You can also combine these with the Am minor scale on the high e-string.

Techniques and rhythms

In flamenco it is fundamental to use proper techniques and congenial rhythms. A useful resource is this lesson: What is Flamenco Guitar? Terms and Techniques You Need to Know.

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