How to count it
Picture a clock face: 12 beats in a circle, with 12 at the top. Each compás of soleá is one full turn, and the beats that carry the weight are 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12. The others are played too, but without an accent.
In the first half of the turn, the accents come in threes; in the second, in twos. It is the same compás as bulerías, soleá por bulerías and alegrías, and soleá is where you hear it best, because it goes slowly and gives you time to feel each change.
| Beat | Accent |
|---|---|
| 1 | Weak |
| 2 | Weak |
| 3 | Strong |
| 4 | Weak |
| 5 | Weak |
| 6 | Strong |
| 7 | Weak |
| 8 | Strong |
| 9 | Weak |
| 10 | Strong |
| 11 | Weak |
| 12 | Strong |
The cierre, on 10
Soleá is counted from one to 12, and its last beat is also its last accent: the turn does not start with weight, it ends with it. The app’s recordings start right on that 12, and the wheel follows from there.
The landmark that matters most is beat 10. That is where remates, cierres and llamadas end, and the two beats that follow give the cante or the baile room to come in. That is why the second half of the turn tends to build towards 10, and soleá also ends there, in its last compás.
The same toque por soleá is used to accompany other cantes, such as the caña, the polo or the bamberas.
What tempo it is played at
Soleá is the slowest palo in the app: it is recorded at 90, 100, 110 and 120 beats per minute, and you can set it to any tempo from 60 to 120 without changing pitch. The first time you open it, it starts at 90.
Being slow does not make it easy. There is so much space between one beat and the next that the hard part is not rushing, which is why it helps so much to practise it with something marking every beat.
If another metronome gives you 45 for a soleá, it is probably ticking once every two beats: here that would be 90 beats per minute.
| Beats per minute | One compás lasts |
|---|---|
| 90 | 8 s |
| 100 | 7.2 s |
| 110 | 6.55 s |
| 120 | 6 s |
How to practise it with the metronome
A sequence that builds up step by step:
Count out loud
Choose Full and count from one to 12 following the wheel. At this tempo there is time to say each number without hurrying.
Mark only the accents
Clap on 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12 and let the rest go by. Notice that there is more space between the first accents than between the last ones.
Close on 10
Stop on 10 at the end of a compás and let the next two beats go by before coming back in.
Keep the sound sparse
Switch to Instruments, leave a single instrument and turn on the Click. With so little between one accent and the next, this is where you notice if you rush.
Build up gradually
Once you have it at 60, turn on the Speed trainer and let it rise on its own to 120. With that compás settled, soleá por bulerías and bulerías will come much more easily.
What you can practise it with in the app
In Full you hear the whole accompaniment; in Instruments, each instrument separately, with its own pattern and volume. With Fills turned on, every few compases one of them rounds off with a recorded fill: for soleá, there are fills on tinaja.
- Full
- 2 accompaniments
- Cajón
- 2 patterns
- Palmas
- 2 patterns
- Tinaja
- 2 patterns
Frequently asked questions
How many beats does soleá have?
It has 12, with accents on 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12. It is the same compás as bulerías, soleá por bulerías and alegrías.
How is it different from bulerías?
In speed and character, not in the compás: the accents are the same. In the app, soleá runs from 60 to 120 beats per minute, and bulerías from 150 to 240.
Where is the cierre in soleá?
On 10, just as in bulerías, soleá por bulerías and alegrías. That is where remates, cierres and llamadas end, and soleá itself too.
What about soleá por bulerías?
It is a livelier soleá, halfway to bulerías: the same compás, from 80 to 190 beats per minute in the app.