[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Social Sharing Buttons ” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|true|true” custom_padding=”0px|0px|10px|0px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1280px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][dssb_sharing_buttons icon_placement=”icon” columns=”6″ icon_width=”fixed” alignment=”left” icon_color=”#111111″ use_custom_icon_size=”on” icon_font_size=”16px” icon_bg=”#f4f4f4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” border_radii_main=”on|4px|4px|4px|4px” border_radii_icon=”on|4px|4px|4px|4px” border_width_all_icon=”1px” border_color_all_icon=”#f4f4f4″ border_color_all_icon_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}” border_color_all_icon__hover_enabled=”on|hover” border_color_all_icon__hover=”#111111″][dssb_sharing_button _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][dssb_sharing_button social_network=”twitter” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][dssb_sharing_button social_network=”whatsapp” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][dssb_sharing_button social_network=”telegram” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][dssb_sharing_button social_network=”email” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][dssb_sharing_button social_network=”copy” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][\/dssb_sharing_buttons][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” admin_label=”About Section” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ module_alignment=”right” custom_padding=”10px||10px||true|false” custom_padding_tablet=”||120px|” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ background_enable_color=”off” max_width=”none” custom_margin=”2%|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|true|false” border_color_all=”rgba(0,0,0,0.12)” border_width_bottom=”2px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”25px” text_line_height=”35em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||0px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
They appeared earlier in classical music than in flamenco, but as soon as they arrived in Andalusian art, they joined their paths. Today, castanets are a Spanish heritage. We review their origin, how they are used and the figures that have made them famous. <\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9mZWF0dXJlZF9pbWFnZSIsInNldHRpbmdzIjp7fX0=@” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _dynamic_attributes=”src” _module_preset=”default” image_caption_font=”Domine||||||||” image_caption_color=”#000000″ image_caption_size=”11px” image_caption_lineheight=”1em” image_caption_alignment=”right” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ max_width=”none” custom_margin=”2%|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”2%|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”||2%||false|false” custom_padding=”||2%||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The castanets are two pieces. They are a percussion instrument composed of two opposing parts, the outer part convex and the inner part concave. One castanet provides the higher-pitched sound (female) and the other the lower-pitched sound (male).<\/p>\n
These instruments are usually made of different types of wood. Cherry trees, boxwood, granadillo, rosewood, walnut, chestnut… are used. But the most demanded by dance figures are the ones made of jinjolero wood (junjube). It must be taken into account that the castanets have a different sound, not only because of who plays them, but also according to the variety of wood. However, because they are fragile and very sensitive to heat and moisture when made of wood, pressed paper and fiberglass are the most common materials today. <\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”||2%||false|false” custom_padding=”||2%||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Almost all historians believe that castanets are at least 3,000 years old. Prehistoric castanets have been found in Egypt, such as this one in the image in the National Archaeological Museum<\/a> in Madrid.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/allflamenco.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/castanuela-egipcia.jpg” alt=”Egyptian castanets” title_text=”Egyptian castanets” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ _module_preset=”default” image_caption_font=”Domine||||||||” image_caption_color=”#000000″ image_caption_size=”11px” image_caption_lineheight=”1em” image_caption_alignment=”right” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”||2%||false|false” custom_padding=”||2%||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The castanet (or castanets), like the one pictured here, is the oldest percussion instrument recovered from the land of the Nile, where they were used for magical protection or religious festivals. They were usually made from two plates of wood, ivory or bone and were straight or curved. They were always playing in pairs, playing against each other with both hands or tied together and playing with one hand.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It is thought that it was the Phoenicians, around 1,000 years ago, who spread the castanets throughout the Mediterranean arc As the Phoenicians were a trading people, this instrument became known in Spain, Croatia, Greece and Italy.<\/p>\n The Iberians took them from the Phoenicians and each Spanish people adapted them in their own way. In the Middle Ages, its use had spread throughout most of Spain as part of folk dances. The Aragonese jota or many Asturian dances are still based on the playing of castanets.<\/p>\n In each area or region they are produced in a special size or are also used in a specific way. In addition, there are hand-held (which we are talking about in the case of flamenco), table-top (in symphony orchestras), with a handle, among other types.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/allflamenco.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Castanuelas.jpg” alt=”Castanets from Granada. Image: Junta de Andaluc\u00eda. ” title_text=”Castanets” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ _module_preset=”default” enable_caption_text=”on” image_caption_font=”Domine||||||||” image_caption_color=”#000000″ image_caption_size=”11px” image_caption_lineheight=”1em” image_caption_alignment=”right” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”2%||2%||false|false” custom_padding=”2%||2%||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The academic form of attachment is usually on the thumb (the two passes of the cord) of each hand, with attachment on the first pass on the first phalanx, and attachment on the second phalanx for the second pass of the cord, which allows the edging to be more virtuosic with the percussion of the remaining four fingers.<\/p>\n In the case of right-handed people, the castanet of the right hand (the female) is played with the little finger, ring finger, middle finger and index finger. The one on the left hand (male) should be pressed with the middle and ring fingers at the same time, marking the compass.<\/span><\/p>\n But they have not always been so positioned. It was not until the appearance of the ears, at the end of the 18th century, that the castanets were attached to the thumb, because previously they were placed on the middle finger (the usual way to dance the jota) or attached by a string or rope to the three fingers of the hand, or held by the hand, as for the crotales.<\/p>\n By being attached to the thumb, you have the remaining four fingers of the hand with which to play and draw out further connotations.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”2%||2%||false|false” custom_padding=”2%||2%||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n RI can be considered the initial step. The female castanet is used by means of <\/span>four strokes with the little finger, ring finger, middle finger and index finger<\/strong> in succession. It must be done in one go.<\/p>\n The “A” touch is carried out with the male castanet, once the “RI” touch has been made. To do this, use the ring and middle fingers simultaneously.<\/strong> <\/span>and strike the instrument with greater force.<\/p>\n The RI-A rhythm is produced in two beats, although it is also possible to start with the A beat and for the composition to be produced in three beats (A-RI-A).<\/p>\n We repeat the stroke with our <\/span>ring and middle fingers, but this time with the female castanet<\/strong>. We would already have the RI-A-PI or A-RI-A-PI-A rhythms.<\/p>\n To continue to evolve, he combines both castanets. The 6 castanet toques have peculiarities, such as that the TA toque is produced when <\/span>we played the A and PI together<\/strong>. The succession of these four previous touches results in the famous <\/span>rhythm<\/strong> <\/span>RI-A-PI-TA<\/strong>. Another possible combination is A-RI-A-TA, typical of the jota.<\/p>\n You just have to <\/span>clashing both castanets<\/strong>. Very simple, but also requires practice.<\/p>\n In the PAN, both castanets are played simultaneously, by means of the <\/span>palmeo with the little finger, ring finger and middle<\/strong> finger.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/uvNPTz4aEVk” image_src=”\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/uvNPTz4aEVk\/hqdefault.jpg” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”2%||1%||false|false” custom_padding=”2%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n At first it was not flamenco who used them for their performances. Great dancers of the<\/span> <\/span>Ballet Romantique<\/em>, such as Maria Taglioni, Fanny Cerrito, Lucile Graham would play castanets along with their dances<\/span>.<\/p>\n The German Richard Wagner used them in Venusberg, during a performance of his opera Tannhauser. Boccherini, the Italian composer and cellist, already living in Spain. composed in 1798 the quintet No. 4 in D major entitled “Fandango”. The castanets were the protagonists. <\/span><\/p>\n Santiago de Murcia, a composer and guitarist of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, used castanets in his satirical j\u00e1caras or fandangos. Although his fame was as a classical musician, in reality, he left folkloric works of jotas or the aforementioned fandangos. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”2%||1%||false|false” custom_padding=”2%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Everything indicates that it was dancers from C\u00e1diz who popularised the use of castanets in Andalusia, where they are usually called “palillos”.<\/p>\n It was the “Bolera School” that fell in love with this instrument as the perfect percussion for their dances. The bolero dances used popular music with a seguidilla structure and the dancers accentuated the rhythm of the music by playing castanets. That is one of the major complications of these dances, which combine very fast leg steps with very difficult castanet playing. <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/allflamenco.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Captura-web_11-8-2023_91746_balletnacional.mcu_.es_-e1691738460765.jpeg” alt=”National Ballet of Spain in Invocation. ” title_text=”National Ballet of Spain in Invocation. ” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ _module_preset=”default” enable_caption_text=”on” image_caption_font=”Domine||||||||” image_caption_color=”#000000″ image_caption_size=”11px” image_caption_lineheight=”1em” image_caption_alignment=”right” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.22.0″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”0px||1%||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Invocaci\u00f3n<\/em> is a newly created choreography by Rub\u00e9n Olmo. In addition to being one of the few recent compositions of this style, it is a tribute to the great masters who have marked the line to follow in the Bolera School, from \u00c1ngel Pericet to Mariemma or Antonio the Dancer.<\/a> It updates the essence of the traditional bolero school, one of the most characteristic, complex and unique styles of dance, characterized by the use of castanets.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text ul_type=”circle” _builder_version=”4.21.2″ text_font=”Domine||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”32em” ul_font=”Poppins||||||||” ul_line_height=”2em” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Domine|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”Raleway|700|||||||” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”2%||1%||false|false” custom_padding=”2%||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Vicente Escudero, representative of the Escuela Estilizada de baile, introduces castanets made of materials other than wood to flamenco dance. Inspired by La Argentina, his acting partner, he tried iron, bronze and aluminium.<\/span><\/p>\n Antonia Merc\u00e9 (La Argentina) would open the way for all castanet lovers, who continued the search until they found their definitive form and technique, such as the carretilla. Then came Pilar L\u00f3pez, sister of Encarnaci\u00f3n L\u00f3pez (La Argentinita), who discovered the half-wheelbarrow after a tour of the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n3 It was the Phoenicians who expanded them <\/strong><\/h2>\n
4 How they are positioned now and how they were played before<\/strong><\/h2>\n
5 The 6 basic touches<\/strong><\/h2>\n
RI Touch<\/h3>\n
Touch A<\/h3>\n
Touch PI<\/h3>\n
Touch TA<\/h3>\n
Touch PAM or CHI<\/h3>\n
Touch PAN<\/h3>\n
6 <\/strong>Classics introduce them to music<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/strong><\/h2>\n
7<\/strong> Bolera School adopts them<\/strong><\/h2>\n
8<\/strong> The Stylised School updates them<\/strong><\/h2>\n