This is an arrangement of a falseta from the Paco de Lucia buleria Jerezana, on the Fabulosa Guitarra De Paco De Lucia album. Melodically it moves between the C, Bb, and A chords, which makes it an easy fit most bulerias played por medio.

Alzapua & Ligado

As you’ll notice from the video, most of this falseta is played with thumb downstrokes and pull-offs/hammer-ons. Part of what makes this falseta particularly interesting is where this thumb melody starts: instead of on the 12 count (beat 1 of bar 9 in the tab), it starts on the upbeat of count 1 (beat 2.5 of bar 9).

Timing

This phrasing is consistent throughout the falseta, so be sure that you’re counting the compas correctly from the start. If you tap your foot on the 12, 3, 6, 8, and 10, for instance, you would want to feel a footfall at beat 1 of bar 9 (again, in the tab), beat 1 of bar 10, beats 1 and 3 of bar 11, and beat 2 of bar 12.

This might seem baroquely complicated, but the falseta won’t work if it’s out of time (fuera de compas). For more info on counting and tapping your foot to buleria, check out the Foot Tapping for Buleria article. Also be sure to check out the Ravenna Flamenco buleria metronome.