Introduction – Flamenco Chords are Different
Flamenco is different. Both the entire harmonic universe and the specific chord voicings we play are unlike what you may know if you already play guitar in other styles. This can make it confusing at first to understand why we use some of the chords (voicings) that we do. The good news is that if you learn to think like a flamenco player, you won’t have to understand the theory behind everything in order to make sense of things.
Once you learn to use your Flamenco Brain, as I call it, things start to make sense. And in a lot of ways, Flamenco Brain is just what many of us think of as Guitar Brain – rather than understanding all of the theory, we see shapes and grab notes that are available within those shapes. In the process we come up with some great sounds that sometimes defy traditional analysis.
Because we use the capo so much in flamenco it gets confusing to talk about keys or chord names. For the purposes of both this article and of actually communicating with flamenco players, we will talk about playing Por Medio, Por Arriba, Por Taranta, Por Granaína, etc… These are “keys” that without a capo would be A Phrygian, E Phrygian, F# Phrygian and B Phrygian respectively. For chord names, we will always use the name of what the chord would be if we were not using a capo. So if it looks like a C chord but we have the capo on the third fret, we just call it a C. We do not transpose.
If you’re not familiar with the term “voicing,” you’ll want to be. A voicing is a specific way to express a chord. So while an A minor chord is the notes A, C, and E, a voicing will be a specific combination of those notes in a specific order. On the guitar we sometimes refer to “grips” or “shapes” to talk about voicings. I’ll use the term Voicing to refer to specific ways to play a given chord. I also use the term “moveable chord shape” to refer to what we usually think of as Bar Chords and other shapes that we can move to play the same voicing of different chords (i.e. BMaj7 or CMaj7 can be the same shape/voicing, but they are different chords).
An example of a chord that is pretty specific to flamenco is this A chord we use when playing Por Medio:
This chord is an A Major triad with an added Bb, and in standard notation we would write that as A (add b9), where the “add” denotes that it’s a note added to a triad, rather than a note added to a 7th chord. So the chord here is an A Major triad with a b9 – A, C#, E and Bb – and what you see in the chord diagram is the specific voicing we use the most in open position when playing Por Medio.
In flamenco we simply call this an A chord, and most of the time we don’t bother to mention that b9 because any flamenco player knows that it is always an option to add that note to that chord in that situation. The “in that situation” part is known as a chord’s function, and is another essential concept.
Function is a chord’s role in a given context. The context is the key we’re in – in this case A Phrygian. In this key, the A chord’s function is Tonic, which means that it’s the key to which we resolve, or the “home” chord. In another key, an A Major triad could play a very different role, and therefore might sound wrong with that added Bb note. But in this context the A sounds like home, and we have the option of adding that Bb note as a color just about any time we resolve to the A.
Nerd Alert:
Calling this key A Phrygian is not exactly correct for two reasons: It’s only really A if we’re playing without a capo, and in flamenco we play with a capo more often than not, especially when accompanying. But in flamenco if we are playing these shapes that look like the key of A but are really another key because of the capo, we will still call the chords A, Bb, C, etc… We simply ignore the capo, because we rarely if ever speak in actual absolute key names.
Secondly, it’s not the actual Phrygian mode. Rather it’s what I call Flamenco Phrygian, which is a unique combination of Phrygian and Dominant Phrygian (Phrygian with a natural 3rd degree). The “mode” we wind up with has a b2 and both the b3 and the ♮3. We use the ♮3 to harmonize the I chord, which is how we get a Major triad for the Tonic, and we use the b3 to harmonize other chords. In the scale we can use either 3rd or both, which gives us some very interesting melodic possibilities, including the augmented 2nd that makes some folks talk (mistakenly, in my view) about the flamenco key being a mode of harmonic minor.
Here’s an example of a voicing that is unique to flamenco and that also makes our point about function. In harmony class we would probably call this chord a Gm(Maj6) – it has exactly all of the notes of such a chord, and the G on the bottom only strengthens that argument. But in flamenco if we’re playing Por Medio we call this a Bb chord, because its function is to resolve to A and that will be the context in which we learned it. Also, our Guitar Brain will see that we’ve taken a common Bb voicing and simply added that G to the bottom. And while adding that G may not analyze well in your harmony class, it makes pretty good sense when you’re playing in that key.
So two things we notice right away: Flamenco is a different harmonic universe, but most of the voicings we use are slight variations of pretty familiar chord shapes. This is because flamenco did not evolve from music theory. It’s folk music.
Capos and Open Strings
Most Palos in flamenco have a “key” that they’re traditionally played in. As mentioned, it’s not so much about the literal key (we can change that by using a capo) as it is about how the guitar sounds when you play a certain set of voicings. The two most common “keys” are Por Medio and Por Arriba. Por Medio refers to the chords that would give us A Phrygian without a capo, and Por Arriba refers to the chords that would give us E Phrygian without a capo.
The essential chords Por Medio are A(addb9), Bb, C and Dm
The essential chords Por Arriba are E(addb9), F, G, and Am
The most common voicings for these chords are as follows:
Por Medio
Por Arriba
After Por Arriba and Por Medio, the next most common Phrygian keys are what we call the Granaína key and the Taranta key – B Phrygian and F# Phrygian respectively.
The essential chords for the Granaína key are B(addb9), C, D, Em
The essential chords for the Taranta key are F#(addb9), G, A, Bm
The most common voicings for these are as follows:
Granaína Chords
Taranta Chords
If you play through all of these sets of voicings, you’ll see that even when by using the capo we’re playing the same concert pitch, we get a wide range of very distinctive sounds. Same Flamenco Phrygian harmonic universe, but different colors through the use of the extensions/tensions that are added when we use those open strings.
Nerd Alert
What’s happening here is that we’re using the same open strings, the B and the high E, in four separate keys. When playing Por Arriba, the open E is the root of the E chord, the Maj7 of the F, the 13 of the G and the 5th of the Am, but when we play Por Medio that same E is the 5th of the A chord, the #11 of the Bb, the 3rd of the C and the 9 of the Dm. The Granaína key has the open b string which is the tonic of the key, so using that as a pedal adds an airiness to the sound. The open E gives us the 11th of the Tonic (which we would avoid in Tonal harmony), 3rd of the C, 9th of the D and root of the Em. Compare this with Taranta, where that same E is the b7 on the tonic — a dissonance that has become a defining characteristic of that key’s sound.”
What’s interesting here is that you can analyze the role of those open strings in relation to each chord, but you can’t really make a coherent system out of that information. If you did, every key would sound the same. This is part of what makes flamenco so vibrant, if occasionally frustrating.
Ready to learn flamenco guitar?
At Flamenco Explained, we teach flamenco voicings from the ground up—whether you’re a complete beginner or an advanced player refining your technique. Our structured lessons guide you through compás, technique, and the musical concepts behind the chords in this guide. Start risk-free with our 14 day money back, no questions asked.
Dominants
Just as in the Blues, in flamenco we use 7 Chords in ways other than a dominant function. The bII and bIII chords are very often voiced as 7 Chords, even though they do not resolve down a 5th. And as in the Blues, that b7 is really just a color or extension of the Major triad.
Nerd Alert
If you’ve studied jazz, you’ll will notice that the bII chord happens to be Lydian, and that the #11 is often a prominent part of the sound of that chord. So a pretty strong argument could be made that this chord is behaving as a tritone substitute (SubV) does when it resolves down a half-step. The bII chord is in fact a tritone away from the Dominant of the Tonic, it does in fact resolve down a half-step, and it’s quite common to play the whole-tone and symmetric diminished scales over the bII chord. Interestingly, however, the Lydianb7 scale itself sounds a bit off in a flamenco context.
We do, however, also make use of secondary dominants – most commonly in the context of V/bIII and V/bII. In other words, when our chord progression moves linearly – say from Am to G to F to E, we will insert secondary dominants and get the following progression: Am, D7-G, C7-F, E, where the D7 and the C7 are each resolving down a fifth and acting as secondary dominants would in any other context. So it’s quite useful to learn how to insert these dominant chords in the various keys to get:
Por Arriba: Am, D7-G, C7-F, E
Por Medio: Dm, G7-C, F7-Bb, A
Granaína Key: Em, A7-D, G7-C, B
Taranta Key: Bm, E7-A, D7-G, F#
Tritone substitutions of these secondary dominants are also commonly used, giving us a descending chromatic bass line. For example, if playing Por Medio the bass line would be D, Db, C, B, Bb, A, where the chords are Dm, Db7, C, B7, Bb, A.
It’s helpful to learn all of the above 7 Chords in open position as well as in the more common barred forms. Pay special attention to the voicing that resolves to Root6 Bar Chords, as it’s one that is very common in flamenco but not common at all in other styles of guitar music. Technically it’s a 2nd inversion 7 Chord with an 11 on the top string (which you don’t have to play, though in practice it doesn’t seem to ever get in the way as it’s become such a common voicing in flamenco).
That chord looks like this in open position (B7)
And it looks like this when barred:
There’s a common line we play inside of these voicings, where we move stepwise from the bottom note of the Dominant to the root of the chord of resolution. For example, when C7 is resolving to F, we move the note G (5th of the C7 and bottom note when in second inversion) down to the Gb and then we resolve to F. It’s really just a little chromatic descent, but if you analyze the result you see that what we get over the Gb chord is actually a SubV of the F.
Despite what might sound like a sophisticated discussion of Tritone substitutions, this move is a traditional one in flamenco – one that evolved the way that so much has in flamenco guitar harmony: It was easy to see and grab on the guitar and it just sounded good.
Conclusion
Up until the mid 1960’s you were likely to only hear triads, 7 Chords, diminished chords, and these very specific “flamenco voicings” that incorporate the open strings. Since Paco de Lucía came along and changed just about everything, the harmonic language of flamenco has been evolving. Today, for better or worse (you decide!) much of the color of “flamenco harmony” is indistinguishable from that of jazz, only in a very different harmonic context. And still, these very specific voicings we’ve looked at, whose sound owes so much to the open strings on the guitar, define the sound of flamenco and are essential to any guitarist.
Common Questions About Flamenco Guitar Chords
What’s the difference between flamenco and classical guitar chords?
The chords themselves aren’t dramatically different – it’s how they interact. Flamenco lives in what we call the Flamenco Phrygian Universe, while classical music typically uses major and minor keys. Flamenco also embraces voicings that would be considered “wrong” in classical contexts, especially when open strings create unique colors. As we say at Flamenco Explained: if it sounds like a Bb, it’s a Bb – function matters more than theoretical purity.
Do I need to understand music theory to play flamenco chords?
No. Many excellent flamenco guitarists don’t read music or understand formal theory. What you need is to collect voicings, understand their function (where they want to resolve), and develop your ear for what sounds authentically flamenco. Theory can help you understand why things work, but it’s not required to play them.
Why do flamenco players ignore the capo when naming chords?
Because we think in shapes, not keys. When you’re playing with dancers and singers who might be in different keys every night, it’s simpler to say “play it Por Arriba” (E shape) than to constantly recalculate actual pitch. It’s confusing at first, but becomes second nature.
What are the most important chord progressions to learn first?
Start with the basic Por Arriba progression: E, F, G, Am (or with 7ths: Am7, G7, F7, E(addb9)). Then learn Por Medio: A, Bb, C, Dm. These two “keys” will cover the majority of flamenco palos and give you the foundation to understand everything else. Once you have these down, Granaína Key (B, C, D, Em) and Taranta Key (F#, G, A, Bm) will make sense naturally.
How many chord voicings do I need to know?
There’s no magic number. At Flamenco Explained, we teach students to start with 3-4 essential voicings for each chord function, then gradually expand their collection. The more voicings you know, the richer your vocabulary becomes – but even professional players are constantly discovering new voicings that work in certain contexts. Think of it as an ongoing collection that grows with your playing.
Can I use jazz chord extensions in flamenco?
Sometimes. Extensions that work in a jazz context often work in flamenco, especially for secondary dominants. But flamenco’s use of open strings creates unique opportunities (and limitations) that don’t follow jazz rules. The best approach: try it and trust your ears.
What is the Andalusian Cadence, and should I use that term?
At Flamenco Explained, we avoid using “Andalusian Cadence” because it comes from outside flamenco and refers to a specific linear progression (like Am – G – F – E). In flamenco, we don’t have a name for it because it’s literally just the universe we live in. Those chords aren’t restricted to one progression or direction – they can move in any order that sounds right. We prefer to think of it as the Flamenco Phrygian Universe instead.
Private Flamenco Guitar Lessons with Kai
Flamenco Explained yearly subscribers receive one free lesson included in their membership — if that’s you and you haven’t used yours yet, this is the time.