Exploring Flamenco: Petenera and Tangos
About Exploring Flamenco: Petenera and Tangos
Learning two contrasting pieces of music at the same time is a great way to broaden your technical abilities and interpretive skills.
Petenera is a solemn, emotive palo that’s often overlooked by flamenco newcomers. Verses are dramatic and serious, and their melodies have existed in musical styles throughout history long before their adaptation to flamenco. Several South American regions have their own versions of Petenera in folk music, and you can also hear traces of the melody in old Sephardic tunes. Playing Petenera will develop another dimension of your sense of 12-count rhythm and will challenge your interpretive abilities.
Tangos is one of the core flamenco palos and features a lively four-beat rhythm. The palo is often danced at parties and social gatherings, and its mood is festive and upbeat. Note that flamenco Tangos is completely different from the Argentinean form by the same name. Tangos will develop your right-hand rasgueo and alzapua technique and your sense of compás.
You’ll end the course with a collection of compás variations and falsetas for Petenera and Tangos and the knowledge of how to arrange that material into unique solos.
What's Needed
Materials
Guitar - nylon strings recommended
Playing Experience
One year of playing experience (any style of guitar) is recommended. Ideally, students will already know basic chord shapes and be able to change chords smoothly. It will help with Tangos if you are comfortable with barre chords.
Less-experienced guitarists are welcome but may find this course overly challenging.
No knowledge of music notation is needed. I’ll teach using a combination of TAB and demonstration.
Class Goals
- 1. Learn compás (rhythm) and several falsetas for Petenera and Tangos.
- 2. Arrange your repertoire for both palos into unique solos.
- 3. Recognize Petenera and Tangos when you hear them.
- 4. Expand your technical abilities in flamenco guitar, particularly in rasgueo, arpeggio, thumb, and tremolo techniques.
- 5. Deepen your understanding of flamenco compás in two different styles.
- 6. Enjoy playing two new palos with flamenco guitar enthusiasts all over the world!
Contact the Teacher
Send a direct message from the teacher's profile page with any questions you might have about the class.
When
The class will meet for ten weekly 50-min live online sessions on Sundays at 12 pm ET | 9 am PT | 17:00 UTC on the schedule below. The first session is on January 15.
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Enrolled students receive lifetime access to the video recordings of the classes.
How It Works
Enroll above to save your spot in the class. Lessonface will send you a confirmation right away, and a Zoom link 24 hours before each session's start time. You can log into your Lessonface dashboard to access class materials, communicate with your instructor, join the live Zoom session, and access the class recordings and chat transcript afterward. Contact us with any questions. This class, and all lessons and classes on Lessonface, are covered by the Lessonface Guarantee.
Students Say
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Eric F. on September 4, 2022
Class: Exploring Flamenco: Granaína and Solea por Bulerias
Today's lesson was the perfect first class for learning Granaina and Solea por Bulerias. Nothing looks too difficult to learn, and at the same time, nothing looks too easy either. A great balance of technique explanations and compas. I'm really looking forward to next week's lesson!
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Jarek on July 6, 2022
Class: Exploring Flamenco: Seguiriyas and Alegrias
Great, challenging, sometimes, but fun. highly recommended!
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Paul M. on July 6, 2022
Class: Exploring Flamenco: Seguiriyas and Alegrias
Really good with a lot of new and challenging pieces to learn. All were explained and taught thoroughly and access to the videos is very helpful
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Verified Student on July 5, 2022
Class: Exploring Flamenco: Seguiriyas and Alegrias
Interesting with new palos, which will require more work to incorporate into my learning
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Verified Student on June 24, 2022
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Leah does such a great job organizing the class and teaching the fundamentals. Our daughter has learned SO much and really enjoys herself each class.
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Verified Student on June 14, 2022
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Verified Student on June 14, 2022
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Jarek L. on May 8, 2022
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Verified Student on April 13, 2022
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Challenging
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Ami S. on March 21, 2022
Class: Music Theory for Everyday Guitarists 1
This class was worth every moment! Leah is so knowledgeable and covers an impressive amount of material in this course. My musicianship was taken up several levels by the material in her course. I highly recommend any interested guitar player to roll up your sleeves and check out this value-packed class.
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Lou D. on March 20, 2022
Class: Exploring Flamenco: Farruca and Guajira
As always, lessons with Leah are great, well explained and technically challenging. Since I've been taking lessons with Leah, my guitar playing has improved greatly.
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Eric F. on March 20, 2022
Class: Exploring Flamenco: Farruca and Guajira
As always, it was a real privilege to be in this group! Leah's teaching style is perfect--so much is covered in each lesson, but never at a pace that's too overwhelming. She has a wonderful sense of where we are, which must be very difficult, as everyone's at a different playing level. We are encouraged to ask questions and to share answers as well as play something if we so choose. Besides all these points, I'd just like to mention how incredibly helpful it is to review the recordings from each week's lesson. I'm really looking forward to the next class, beginning May 1--meanwhile, I've got plenty of material to practice!
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Jack B. on March 20, 2022
Class: Exploring Flamenco: Farruca and Guajira
Very informative and a challenge for me
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Verified Student on March 20, 2022
Class: Loog Guitar for New Musicians - Loog Level Zero
Leah was AMAZING!!!
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Eric F. on September 26, 2021
Class: Exploring Flamenco: Fandangos de Huelva and Tarantos
This was a fantastic lesson today! Leah's pace was just right for my playing ability--she want slowly enough so that I could keep up and yet not too slowly, thus keeping things challenging. I like the way she always demonstrates how to play things in a basic way and then shows us a "fancier" more musically interesting way to play it. Very much looking forward to next class!
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Hayes D. on July 27, 2021
Class: Spanish Fingerstyle Guitar with Leah Kruszewski
Leah is very attentive. She gives you multiple chances to understand what she`s talking about. She gives examples at the beginning of the class, explains how to do what she is teaching, takes questions, excepts different interpretations and points of view, and gives students a chance to play. She also gives examples at the end, first playing slowly, and then faster, so that we really get to hear the piece and appreciate its potential. Thanks Leah!
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Neil G. on May 11, 2021
Class: Rhythm and Rasgueos for All Guitarists
exciting and challenging new tools. Looking forward to the next class.
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Liga V. on March 20, 2021
Class: Spanish Fingerstyle Guitar with Leah Kruszewski
My son has been taking group lesson since January and is having a lot of fun learning a new song every week. Thanks so much for this opportunity!
Book 1:1 online lessons with Leah Kruszewski on their Lessonface profile.
Leah Kruszewski
Multi-year Teacher of the Year for Flamenco and Classical Guitar, Leah loves introducing flamenco guitarists to the rhythms and melodies of southern Spain and guiding classical players as they develop their technique and repertoire. She also enjoys guiding beginners in Loog, fingerstyle, and acoustic guitar (ages 6 & up, please).
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