The modern flamenco guitar is first cousin to the modern classical guitar. The two have a common ancestry, and are handbuilt by essentially the same methods. The flamenco guitar, however, has a particularly distinctive sound and playing action of its own, achieved by the use of different timbers for the body and subtly different dimensions and proportions.

There are three primary differences between the flamenco and classical instruments: The classical guitar is typically made of rosewood, with a cedar or spruce top. The traditional flamenco instrument is made entirely of cypress, and is generally lighter in construction, giving it overall a lighter and more percussive sound. Some flamenco guitarists actually prefer the depth of the classical instrument for their solo playing, while others use a hybrid instrument.

The flamenco guitar has plastic tapping plates called golpeadores. These protect the face of the guitar from the taps with the right-hand fingernails, a feature of the flamenco music. Flamenco guitars still often have push-pegs (like a violin) for tuning. On the classical guitar, these have been replaced by geared machine heads.

Like the modern classical guitar, the flamenco guitar is an instrument of comparatively recent invention. Available evidence suggests that Antonio de Torres should be credited with the development and stabilization of the flamenco guitar in the 1850's, at the same period and in the same way he defined the classical guitar.

An examination of an early flamenco guitar, made by Torres in 1867, reveals the basic characteristics of the type. The six strings are tuned by wooden pegs, and the body is a little smaller than the equivalent classical type. The two most important characteristics of the typical flamenco guitar, however, are the use of Spanish cypress for the back and sides, and the extreme lightness of the construction. The use of very thin, light cypress sides and backs helps to give the flamenco guitar its distinctive sound. The whole internal construction is simpler than on the classical model. The action of the flamenco guitar is set lower than that of the classical, with the strings closer to the frets for rapid fingering, and the fingerboard itself is usually slightly narrower. Finally, the table carries the distinctive tap plate to protect it against the drumming and slapping of the guitarist's fingers, which forms an essential part of flamenco technique.

It has been suggested that many of the characteristics of the flamenco guitar initially arose from the need for an inexpensive instrument. There is an element of truth in this argument: flamenco guitarists have not, traditionally, been rich men.

Over the last century and a quarter, the basic flamenco guitar has undergone few modifications, although it has increased a little in size. Trials have been made with maple rather than cypress bodies. The most recent introduction has been the hybrid "concerto flamenco" guitar, which combines the flamenco fingerboard and tap plate with the classical rosewood and machine tuning.

The Recent Rise of Female Flamenco Guitarists

Laura Gonzalez

The female guitar player from Cordoba, Laura González, backed by the guitar of José Rojo and the percussion of Jorge Cano, interprets concert pieces of her own personal creation in “Guitarra Flamenca”. Starting with “granaínas”, and moving through malagueñas, guajiras, alegrías and finishing with bulerías. Laura has an artistic career full of successful projects that started at a very early age when she was studying flamenco dance and flamenco guitar as a child. She holds a diploma in musical education and combines her career as an artist with her teaching labor. She has worked in France, Spain, Switzerland and Portugal in well regarded “peñas” as a soloist and also backing great flamenco stars. She has also worked at the Music Conservatories Puertollano, Córdoba and Jaen, where she is currently professor of flamenco guitar.

Masters of Flamenco Guitar

Vicente Amigo

He has been called "The Bruce Lee of Flamenco", "greatest guitarist alive" by jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, World's Best Guitarist", and has legions of fans worldwide.

Vicente Amigo has been called "the natural continuation of Paco De Lucia". A former child prodigy, Amigo has continued to evolve as a musician and vocalist. In a 1998 interview, Amigo explained, "I believe that flamenco has always been something for adults, not just for children. To understand flamenco, you need maturity. You can learn to play the guitar as a child, you understand the technique. Also, of the singing, you can more or less understand the technique.

But, the essence of flamenco is something that requires maturity". Amigo's involvement with music began at a very young age. At the age of five, he studied with influential flamenco guitarist Merenque De Cordoba. By the age of fifteen, Amigo was attracting attention as a protege of Paco Pena. Although he launched his professional career as a member of a band, Manolo Sanlucar, Amigo has performed most of his concerts as a soloist. Amigo has also accompanied numerous vocalists including El Pele and Luis De Cordoba and dancers including Javier La Torre and Israel Galvan. Amigo collaborated with singer Jose Merce on an album, "De Amanacer". He is one of the most outstanding flamenco concert guitarists, although he has also played as a backing guitarist on recordings by PelŽ, Camar-n de la Isla, Vicente Soto, Luis de Cordoba and the rociero band Salmarina, and he has acted as a producer for Remedios Amaya and JosŽ MercŽ. His last work, Ciudad de las Ideas, won the Latin Grammy for the Best Flamenco Album in 2001 and the 2002 Ondas award for the best Flamenco Work.
"Making music for so many years has carried me deep into the heart of myself, to the place where I have come to understand what it means to be a fully realized human being," says Amigo. "Music plays a very important part in the world today, and it's wonderful to be a part of bringing that joy to people. When people listen to me play, they know it's coming from a very real and truthful place inside me."

After five years without publishing a solo album, Vicente Amigo returned in 2005 with Un momento en el sonido. The album features Tino di Geraldo and Joan Albert Amargos as well as singers Antonio Villar and 'Potito'. Paseo De Gracia, released in 2009 was produced by Vicente Amigo and features many friends and guests including the entire Morente family led by the patriarch, Enrique morente together with Estrella, Soleá and Enrique Jr. Other stars include Niña Pastori, Alejandro Sanz, Rafael de Utrera, Pedro Heredia, Miguel Ortega, José Parra, Lin and Nani Cortés. The band on the album includes Tino di Geraldo (drums and percussion), Antonio Ramos "Maca" (bass), Alexis Lefêvre (violín) and Paquito González (percussion).

Although he is Sevillian by birth, he was raised and lives in Cordoba, where he attended his first guitar lessons with El Tomate and El Merengue, and later, he perfected his guitar playing with Manolo Sanlœcar, with whom he worked for ten years. After a period of accompaniment which began alongside PelŽ, he started to devote himself almost exclusively to playing concerts in 1988. De mi coraz—n al aire (1991) was his first record. A childhood admirer of Paco de Luc’a, he took part with him in the show Leyendas de la guitarra (Guitar legends) that was held in Seville as a foretaste of the Expo '92 exhibition, and featured Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Phil Manzanera, Joe Cocker, Jack Bruce and Richard Thompson. By that time, he had already been awarded some of the most prestigious flamenco guitar prizes. In 1992, alongside Leo Brouwer, he composed and recorded the Concierto para un marinero en tierra, a tribute to Rafael Alberti, which was included later as part of his album Poeta (1997) for which he obtained Premios de la Mœsica (Music Awards) in the Best Flamenco Artist and Best Flamenco Composer categories. He is open to experimenting and gaining in-depth knowledge about other forms of music, and he has taken part in recordings by Miguel BosŽ, Carmen Linares, Manolo Sanlœcar, Wagner Tiso, Rosario, Nacho Cano, Alejandro Sanz... and has shared the stage with the greatest artists: Paco de Luc’a, Stanley Jordan, John Mc Laughlin, Al Di Meola, Milton NascimientoÉ
While flamenco remains the foundation of his sound, Amigo has been equally inspired by the jazz of Stanley Jordan, John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola.

José Fernández Torres, known as Tomatito

José Fernández Torres, known as Tomatito, is a Spanish roma flamenco guitarist. Having started his career accompanying famed flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla, he has made a number of collaborative albums and six solo albums, two of which have won Latin Grammy Awards.

Artist Biography

One of the best guitarists associated with the nuevo flamenco generation, Tomatito (born José Fernández Torres in Almería, Spain in 1958) grew up in a family of prestigious flamenco lineage, and at only 12 he had managed to impress none other than Paco de Lucía. Still in his teens, Tomatito began to accompany famous cantaores, such as Enrique Morente and La Susi, but he attained definitive flamenco stardom as the great El Camarón de la Isla's guitarist of choice. Tomatito became Camarón's inseparable sidekick during the late singer's last 18 years of life, and took part in legendary tours and recordings such as La Leyenda del Tiempo. Tomatito also developed a solo career, dazzling audiences at festivals in Spain and abroad, playing at some of the world's most renowned venues, and winning countless accolades, as well as composing music for films and orchestra and collaborating on various projects by other artists. By 2013 he had released seven solo albums and one anthology

Paco de Lucia

The role of the flamenco guitar has evolved through the playing of Paco de Lucia (born Francisco Sanchez Gomez). The son of flamenco guitarist Antonio Sanchez and the brother of a flamenco guitarist, Ramon, and flamenco singer, Pepe, de Lucia has extended the former accompaniment-only tradition of flamenco guitar to include deeply personal melodic statements and modern instrumentation. His collaborations have included ten albums with late flamenco vocalist El Camaron de la Isla and work with American pianist Chick Corea and the Guitar Trio, featuring guitarists John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, and Al DiMeola. His recordings with his sextet, which includes his brothers Ramon and Pepe, include such groundbreaking masterpieces as La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia, Fantasia Flamenca, Fuente y Caudal, Almoraima, and Zyryab. Yet, de Lucia has not completely forsaken traditional flamenco. His 1980 album, Interpreta a Manuel de Falla, paid homage to the classical composer and flamenco enthusiast, while his 1987 album, Siroco, marked a return to pure flamenco. "I have never lost the roots in my music," de Lucia said during a late-'90s interview, "because I would lose myself. What I have tried to do is have a hand holding onto tradition and the other scratching, digging in other places, trying to find new things I can bring into flamenco."

Born in Algeciras, a small city in southernmost Spain's Cadiz province, de Lucia was bred to be a world-class musician. He trained with his father and brother from the age of five. Mastering the art of flamenco guitar by his 11th birthday, he made his public performance debut on Radio Algeciras in 1958. A year later, he received a special award at the Festival Concurso International Flamenco de Jerez de la Frontera. Heralded as a child prodigy, de Lucia was invited to join the flamenco troupe led by dancer Jose Greco at the age of 16. He remained with the group for three years. A turning point in de Lucia's musical development came while on tour with Greco's troupe in North America. Meeting Sabicas, the first flamenco guitarist to tour the world, he was instructed to pursue his own style of playing. Although he remained tied to traditional flamenco on his first two solo albums -- La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco de Lucia in 1967 and Fantasia Flamenca in 1969 -- and recorded ten albums accompanying flamenco vocalist de la Isla, de Lucia continued to seek a personal approach.