The Power of Simple Falsetas

A couple months back I wrote a newsletter ** about really focusing on your basic compás until it’s rock solid, as a way of sounding great sooner. The idea being that if you play stuff you can nail you’re going to sound so much better than if you play harder and “more interesting” material that you’re struggling with. And I mentioned having a few simpler falsetas that you can nail every time for the same reasons.

You’ll Actually Play Better

I want to take that idea one step further, by suggesting that focusing on the simple falsetas has another amazing benefit: It will actually help you play the harder stuff better as well.

You see, the easier it is for you to play a falseta, the more you’ll be able to focus on the nuances that make you a good player. If you’re struggling to get to each note in time, you’re likely to be satisfied just by getting there in time. But as you dive around to get to each note there’s a pretty good chance that you’re not particularly secure in your technique. What’s more, you’re less likely to hear the quality of each note you play.

Stay In Control

When you play a falseta that you have some control over, you can really hear if the notes sound good. And you can feel if your hands are secure getting to each note in time and with control. You can also relax more, which essential to good technique. So by focusing on the easier ones, you actually become a better player. And that leads to the ability to play the harder stuff.

Of course, you can always slow down a tricky falseta until you feel in control of it. But as you work to improve your technique, there’s a unique satisfaction in playing a simpler falseta really really well. Plus, as I keep saying, you’ll sound better now instead of later!

Start With The Thumb

I recommend starting with some simple thumb falsetas. Choose ones that feel pretty easy for you. And remember that a falseta doesn’t have to be hard to play in order for it to sound great. I say start with thumb falsetas because there’s nothing more flamenco than playing a powerful thumb falseta with intention. But there’s no reason not to expand to other techniques as well. The important thing is to choose some material that you really feel in control of. You can check out our Falseta by Technique category to choose falsetas this way.

So add a couple of easier falsetas to your repertoire and really dig in to making them sound just as good as you possibly can. Play each note with intention and focus on the sound. Get the groove right. Practice playing some compás before and getting into the falseta, and when the falseta is over keep going with more compás. This will make it easy to fit the falseta into any context with ease. And then just listen to how good it sounds when you’re truly in control of your playing, rather than struggling.

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