Rumba Flamenca (How to Play Basic Strumming Patterns, Groove, Chords)

What You’ll Learn about Playing Rumba Flamenca in this Lesson

Here’s an overview (see the table of contents below for more detail) of some of the things you’ll learn here.

1. Learning how to warmup and practice
   1. Practice slowly,
      • with relaxed hands,
      • and with a beat.
   2. Count out loud (not all the time but sometimes)
   3. Remember to strum (up and down) with a twist in your wrist, kind of like you’re turning a doorknob
2. A basic, classic strum pattern with video and diagrams
3. If you want an even more fundamental. bare-bones rumba strum pattern
   • A set of progressive strumming exercises to get you from your first up and down strums to your first rumba flamenca strum pattern (this is a different strum from the strum pattern in #2)
4. Some more advanced challenges to improve your groove. I wrote these for salsa guitar, but they definitely apply to rumba flamenca.
   • Just practice with the strumming, not the single-line
   • Muted the strings
   • Remember to strum (up and down) with a twist in your wrist, kind of like you’re turning a doorknob
5. Some common Rumba Flamenca chords and chord progressions
6. Some other stuff, like cool songs to check out and other lessons and ideas on GuitarKitchen that you might be interested in!

Questions? Ideas?! Lessons & Coaching!

Questions, ideas, comments?

Please leave a comment and/or send a message!

Also, if you’re interested in personal coaching and lessons, please check out:

• Skype/Zoom/FaceTime online guitar lessons
• Correspondence Guitar Coaching & Lessons!

Disclaimer

I am still very much a student of flamenco. If you want first-hand knowledge of flamenco, you should find a good teacher, plus listen to all the great flamenco guitar masters.

Also, you should be careful with your hands. Playing flamenco is a lot of work and you should warm up slowly, stretch, take breaks, practice slowly and be patient.

Please also check out how to play Rasgueados as well.

Practice slowly

When you are first learning this stuff you need to practice very slowly.

This is very slow, but if you want to learn it, it is highly suggested that you practice in this manner at first. It is important to focus on correct technique (with good time) at first.

Remember to stay relaxed. Slowly increase the metronome speed.

When you are starting out learning flamenco, you it helps to  get a teacher or be born in a family that knows flamenco. Learning online is a decent way to learn – it’s a start if you are curious.

Relax

If you want to be able to play flamenco, your hands need to be relaxed,

or else you’ll never be able to play and you’ll hurt your hands. If these exercises are too difficult or your hands bother you, either do them slower, more gently and more relaxed.

Try to simplify the rumba exercises so you can work on one part at a time. Or work on the framework of the exercise and fill in the details later.

(I’ve also noticed I tended to tighten my shoulders, so I am trying to practice relaxing my shoulders, too).

Turn Your Wrist Like (Sort of Like) You’re Turning a Door Knob!

This is huge part of strumming correctly.

When I say turning your hand, I mean sort of like you’re turning a doorknob. It’s like you’re twisting your wrist. It’s actually how a lot people strum when they are strumming (with their hand or even a pick, in a lot in many different style of music.

Here’s a cool example that show’s how this technique (or a very similar style) applies in another style music – though it does have some similarities to flamenco, too (the clapping, the dancing, how her hat falls off when she’s dancing :] )

She’s obviously playing a different rhythm. But I wanted to show you this so you could see how rhythmic a guitar strum could be without moving the arm (hardly) at all.

Warm Up

Before practicing faster rumbas, I always like to make sure my hands are warmed up.

You could do a warm up by practicing basic (rumba-style) strumming. In other words just basic up and down strumming.

I also included a link (below) to a more comprehensive warmup that includes other Flamenco techniques like rasgueados and azupuas.

Warm Up (Simple)

• With the metronome set a very slow speed (like 35-60 bpm) for a few minutes, 1-2 strums per beat.
• Strumming up and down, rumba flamenca style (by gently spinning/twisting your hand

Warm Up Routine (~10 minutes)

Please check out my Flamenco Guitar Warmup (Right/Strum Hand) for a more in depth warm up! Though just a heads up, it does incorporate some more complicated right-hand flamenco techniques… I am planning to make a video soon to demo this.

A Classic Right Hand Pattern for a Rumba

You can, in theory, make anything sound good.

But this video lesson is a very clear and great place to start learning how to play a basic rumba flamenca rhythm on guitar. 

I summarize what he’s talking about in the section below his video lesson. Best wishes!

Diagram of a Rumba Guitar Strum

Tips on How to Play/Practice the Strum

• Try muting the left hand (if you’re right handed) so you can focus on the right hand
• Make sure you’re turning from the wrist (suppination/pronation) – like you’re turning a doorknob
• “Slap” the strings behind/below the sound hole
• For beat ‘3+‘, gently plant your thumb on the biggest string (low E/6th), and strum the other 3-5 strings with your index finger.
• Once you have this basic strum, use a metronome! Set it to (maybe) 60 and do every part of the strum to a click. Once you’re playing in a solid, relaxed way – increase the metronome speed in small increments.
• If you’re struggling with a certain portion of the strum, skip the whole strum and isolate/play only a part of the strum – still with a metronome.

How to Practice Rumba Rhythm in Small Sections

Here’s 8 ways you could break the strum apart before putting it back together (practice slowly with a metronome!):

Number One. For this portion of the strum, just focus on the beats 1 and 2.  Strum down (hitting the strings with your fingers) and up (hitting the strings with your thumb). 

Number Two. Just focus on the slap.  Try to place the slap on the right spot on your guitar so it sounds good.  Also, (with a metronome, like all of these!) try to sink that beat 3, so it sounds good!

Number Three. Basically, just keep your thumb planted on the low ‘E’ string and focus on your index finger.

Number Four. This is the same as #1, but you add the “slap” on beat 3 as well.

Number Five. This is like #3, but now you add the “slap”.  This means practicing transitioning between the “slap” and the planted thumb (while strumming with the index finger)

Number Six. Now you practice transitioning the planted thumb (while strumming with the index finger) and the strum where you turn your hand “like you’re opening a door”.

Number Seven. Like #6, but adding the slap to increase the groove. Remember that metronome!

Number Eight. Like #7, but now play the downstrum on beat 2. Now you’re playing all 4 down beats. After this exercise, you should be ready to play the whole strumming pattern!

More Rumba Video Tutorials

Here’s another great tutorial.  He teaches basically the same rumba pattern, but also shares a few more as well.

Progressive Exercises for a Super Barebones, Basic Pattern – Only One Strumming Technique

Here’s another progressive way to practice a rumba flamenca strumming pattern.

This pattern is even “simpler” than the one above. Remember simple doesn’t mean easy. If you can master this strum, then you’ll have a great base for rumba flamenca.

This set of progressive exercises starts with a small part of the whole strum – and works its way up. (see the sheet music below)

Set your metronome/beat-maker to a comfortable tempo and practice this a little bit every day.

For the down stroke, I suggest using your middle finger (m), ring finger (a) and pinky finger (c). Reminder – middle, ring and pinky fingers are sometimes notated as m, a, and c.

For the upstroke, use thumb (p).

Another Strum Pattern (Catalan and Gipsy Kings’ style!)

This rumba strum pattern is fun to play, especially at higher tempos!

It’s basically like the first one we learned above, it’s just the 2nd half repeated (you can play it like the first or even 2nd strum we learned above – just repeat beats 3 & 4).

The video below actually shows how to play this rumba strum in a slightly different way, so please check it out!

Once you get a feel for some of the different patterns (and also learn some of the other techniques like the abanico), you can mix and match to create fills and different vibes for different sections of the music.

This video shows the above rumba style at about 1:05.

He starts out playing the more traditional Southern Spain style of rumba (which starts with the thumb playing the bass note of the chord). But at about at the 1st minute he explains this Gipsy Kings-style!

Here’s some more variations on the Catalan Rumba style. It’s always an amazing thing to realize that the Gipsy Kings uncle is Manitas de Plata!

Simple Rumba beat/palmas

Basically, you stomp your foot on the 1 and clap on 2, 3, and 4.

Skipping the 1 helps gives it the feeling of a back beat. This is what the other musicians do while someone is playing guitar. Understanding this basic rhythmic feel will help you as you start to play rumba flamenca!

In this video, he taps/stomps his foot on 1 & 3.  He probably knows more about this than me.  But, please check it out!  It’s good to be able to play palmas, too!

Playing with Accents (Important!)

Understanding the Tresillo

When you’re playing a rumba pattern on guitar, you can add accents on the 1, 2+ and 4.  This is like the 3-side of the clave.  It will help your rumba have a different groove/vibe. This is called the tresillo.

The tresillo is the ‘1’, ‘2+’ and ‘4’ – like the 3 side of the clave.

Playing the tresillo is sort of like like playing the tumbao (the part highlighted in orange – basically 2+ and 4). But with the tresillo, you’d add the beat on ‘1′ for each bar..

Check out the Improve Your Rumba Flamenca Groove section below to practice these concepts – tresillo, clave, and tumbao.

To learn more, please check out the following two lessons about salsa. Also, check out New Orleans 2nd Line because it also has a (swung) clave/tumbao type of feel going on.

• Playing Tumbao and a Montuno, Salsa Guitar Lesson
• How to Play Salsa Guitar
• Learning to Second Line

Improve Your Rumba Flamenca Groove!

Here’s some cool stuff to practice to help lock in your strumming hand with the groove – this is basically derived from the basic elements of “salsa” music.

I made it for the salsa guitar lesson, but I though I’d include it here, too!

In Flamenco, the cantes de ida y vulta are the forms that Flamenco musicians incorporated into their music after their travels to other parts of the world.

Many flamenco musicians traveled to place like Cuba, so there are flamenco rhythms (palos) inspired by Caribbean styles of music, like the Rumba and the Guajira.

So that’s why you should check out salsa! Because salsa is already part of flamenco.

Look at one of the most famous rumba flamencas – Entre Dos Aguas – it features Paco De Lucia and next to him – a bongocero playing with some serious “salsa” chops. (Check out Entre Dos Aguas in the video/songs section below)

Just focus on the muted-string strumming – you can do the exercises as single line with muted string, but for working on rumba flamenca, the muted-string strum will help a lot.

Rumba Flamenca Chords

Here’s some of the main chords that you may use.

You’ll probably either play chords with roots on the 5th or 6th strings (with a few exceptions, like the D minor chord shown below with a root on the 4th string)

Using a Capo – Important part of Flamenco Guitar

A lot of flamenco guitar uses a capo to change keys – some of the chords in flamenco only sound good in certain positions, so it’s important to play with a capo if you want to change the key of the tune!

Look for Open Strings!

You don’t have to bar everything if you know that the open B and/or E string (high and/or low) sound good. It takes some experimentation, study and getting used to, but it’s such a fun and beautiful part of the flamenco guitar sound!

Take the classic 6th string major bar chord played as an F major chord (on the first fret)

Now play it with the open B and open E strings!

It sounds beautiful! And very flamenco like!

Another example:

Bb major chord, played on the 1st fret:

Now play the high, open E string – sounds very flamenco!

You can sometimes “subsitute” one chord form for another – it takes a bit of listening, study and trial and error – but it’ll sound good!

Some ‘Basic’ Possible Chords for a Rumba

First you have the typical progression that many people associate with flamenco. These are some possible chords that you can use on the 5th string or the 6th string. Remember use a capo if you want to play in another key!

A minor, G, F, E

D minor, C, Bb, A

Many rumbas or parts of rumbas consist of two chords, like A minor to G major.

Important (Moveable) Chords

There’s a guitar note finder guide table below – if you don’t know on which fret to play a certain moveable chord form to be in a certain key, then please check out the note finder table (located directly below the moveable chord forms)

Root on the 6th String

Major

Minor

Root on the 5th String

Major

Minor

How to Use the Fretboard Note Table to Play a Chord in a Certain on the Fretboard Diagram

1. What tone of a chord do you want to play?
2. For example, say you want to play in an A minor 7th.
3. Look for the note A on the table below.
   1. For chords, usually look on either the 6th string or the 5th string for the root of the chord.
4. You find 6th string, 5th fret as one instance of A.
5. Look above, to the moveable chord diagrams.
6. Look for the minor 7th chord diagram/form with a root on the 6th string.
   • The minor 7th chord form is show below for this example.
7. Whatever note is on the 6th is the root the chord (in this example – it could be on the 5th string if you were using a different chord form).
8. Now orient the chord diagram (of the 6th string root, minor 7th chord) so that 1st finger is on the 6th string, 5th fret of your guitar!
9. You have discovered an A minor 7th chord!
10. Enjoy!
11. Here’s the chord form used in the example – the 6th string root, minor 7th moveable chord form:

Guitar Fretboard Note Table (up to the 15th fret)

Check out these videos!

Video lessons

Here’s another take on the basic strumming pattern.  While you may prefer something else, it’s another good basic pattern to add to your repertoire.

This is an overview of a bunch of different flamenco guitar techniques.

This video uses the same chords found in the 1st section of Entre Dos Aguas.

Entre Dos Aguas by Paco De Lucia

One of the classics of instrumental rumba!

2 sections => 1st section – Amin, Bmin, Amin, B7 2nd section – Emin, D, C, B7

Cool studio version:

Camaron in Paris with Tomatito!

This is a beautiful concert! Not really any rumbas, but an amazing concert for lovers of flamenco and flamenco guitar.

Camaron – Como el Agua

Another version of this song. It’s a great song. It’s actually a tango, not really a rumba. But it’s good hear how they are similar and different.

Gipsy Kings

Allegria

A very beautiful, instrumental rumba. This is classic Gipsy Kings! The chords are A, F# minor, B minor, E7.

Pepe Habichuela

One of my most favorite rumbas! 

Very beautiful.  Besides wonderful to listen to, this would be a great song for someone who has a solid rumba pattern and wants to practice along to a song that is a bit faster.

His album with Bollywood Strings is beautiful!

And with Dave Holland!

Vicente Amigo and Niño Josele

Vicente Amigo and Niño Josele, to me, represent a lot of what’s great about the more modern style of flamenco. While there’s tons of great players out there, these 2 guys both sound great, and I love to hear them play. Here’s two great songs, both rumbas.

The chords to Tres Notas: Amin B7 Emin Emin, Amin D7 Gmaj7 Gmaj7, Bm7b5 E7 Amin, C#m7b5 F#7 B7 (6 beats) Emin7 (2 beats)

Best Wishes!

I hope this helps – I’ve definitely learned a lot and had a lot fun playing rumba flamenca on the guitar. For me, It’s one of most fun style to play on acoustic!

(Daily) Practice Makes Progress!

• Chill Flamenco Guitar Warmup (Right/Strum Hand)
• Basic Rasgueados for Flamenco Guitar (Learning the Forms)
• Compás, part 1 (Bulería, Alegría, basic counting)
• How to Play Salsa Guitar!
• Six 5-10 Minute Groove Practice Ideas!
• Make your Own Backing Track (5 Minute Practice Ideas)
• Playing Tumbao and Montunos Together, Fingerstyle Salsa Guitar Studies/Lessons