Fandangos de Huelva (6 of 6) by Jose Luis (SB Sessions)

Fandangos no.6 (Difficulty level - 6-8)

My personal favorite out this series of falsetas por Fandangos de Huelva. A gorgeous melody going from Amin to Bbmaj7 and then changing quickly back to E7(b9), Jose uses a lot of borrowed dominant chords to move around.

Quick analysis here:

Measure 8-9: Here Jose uses the Bb major chord interchangeably with the E7(b9) and therefore shows mastery of bV dominant substitutions. These two chords share some very important notes mainly the D (3rd of the Bbmaj - 7th of the E7) and the F (5th of the Bb major - b9 of the E7(b9)).

Measure 14-15: Here he plays an A7 which then resolves to D minor (Borrowed dominant #1)

Measure 18-19: He then uses the same type of device by playing a B7 to resolve to the E(b9) (Borrowed dominant #2)

Measure 20-21: He then goes back to the same A7, this time with an added flat 9th A7(b9) and then resolves to D minor with the variation of using a completely different texture with the arpeggio.

Measure 25-26: He then uses the same harmonic device as before by moving the progression up a whole step to B7 which then resolves to E(b9).

Measure 30: Here we see the E7 resolve to A minor followed by a nice crunchy F7(maj7)-measure 32-33.

Measure 35-43: He then goes back and forth changes from Dmin to E7(b9) while syncopating his melody.

Measure 44-51: Here he goes to a Spanish Cadence progression (Am,G,F,E) but disguises the latter 3 chords in the progression by playing them all in 1st inversion. (1st inversion means that he uses the 3rd of the chord in the bass rather than the root. Example: G/B, F/A, E/G#)

Measure 54: At this point he brings the recapitulation of the theme back which is genius and how a proper falseta should be composed with a thematic statement, a development, recapitulation of the theme, and then the closing of the falseta, in this case with a blistering picado starting at measure 61.

Measure 62-66: Picado final

Measure 69-70: Here he plays the borrowed dominant chords in front of the last three chords found in the traditional Spanish Cadence. D7/A - G and then to C7/G - F which then resolves to home Phrygian key of E Altered Phrygian.

Link to Jose’s music for download: https://www.joseluisdelapaz.com/discography

Recorded in Santa Barbara, CA by Berto Boyd for more info visit: https://bertoboyd.com/