How the flamenco guitar makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the flamenco guitar belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
A flamenco guitar is a guitar similar to a classical guitar, but with lower action, thinner tops, smaller bodies, and less internal bracing. It usually has nylon strings, like the classical guitar, but it generally possesses a livelier, grittier sound compared to the classical guitar. It is used in toque, the guitar-playing part of the art of flamenco.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a flamenco guitar sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the flamenco guitar?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322-5).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q930531 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Flamenco guitar – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Fourplay – CC BY-SA 3.0