Flamenco

Flamenco is usually overlooked when it comes to teaching world music, but there are lots of good reasons why it can make for a fascinating and engaging topic for you and your students. Together, you can explore its powerful and unusual rhythms, the drama of its melodies and chords, and develop effective but simple improvisations while learning about flamenco’s rich history, from the caves of Andalusia to the tourist tablaos of the Costas.

You don’t need flamboyant singers or classically trained dancers in your class to make sense of flamenco; you don’t even need guitarists (although one or two might help) – keyboards and any bass and melody instruments will all work, together with clapping and some sort of hand drums, with singing as an optional extra. These lesson materials will give you the tools to perform two styles of flamenco music, as a class.

Number of activities: 4