Encountering a world of music - Spain + Ireland

Acculturation

The process of cultural exchange where one group adopts traits of another, often seen in music when styles mix.

Andalusia 

A region in southern Spain, birthplace of flamenco music and culture.

Andalusian cadence

A common chord progression (iv–III–II–I) that creates the distinct sound of flamenco.

Andalusian mode

A musical scale/mode used in flamenco, closely related to the Phrygian mode.

Café-cantantes

Popular music cafés in 19th-century Spain where flamenco was performed and became commercialized.

Cante Flamenco 

The singing style of flamenco, often emotional, raw, and ornamented.

Compas

The rhythmic cycle or pattern that structures flamenco music.

Finger-picking ( guitar )

A guitar technique where strings are plucked individually with the fingers.

Flamenco

A Spanish art form combining singing, guitar playing, dancing, and rhythm.

Flamenco nuevo

A modern style of flamenco blending traditional elements with jazz, rock, or pop

Gitano

Spanish Roma people, central to the development of flamenco.

Melisma 

Singing where one syllable is stretched across several musical notes.

ópera flamenca

A commercialized form of flamenco popular in the early 20th century, often more theatrical.

Palmeros

Performers who provide rhythmic handclaps in flamenco

Phrygian mode

A musical scale with a distinctive Spanish sound, commonly used in flamenco.

Polyrhythm

The use of multiple overlapping rhythms at once.

Roma

A nomadic ethnic group (often called Gypsies), central to flamenco’s cultural roots.

Strumming (guitar)

Sweeping the hand across strings to play chords.

Vocables

Wordless syllables used in singing, often to add rhythm or expression

How was flamenco commercialized from the mid-19th century to today?

It moved from small community gatherings to public performances in cafés, theaters, and festivals; later adapted for international audiences, recordings, and fusion genres.

From what culture did flamenco originate? Where? When?

Originated with the Roma (Gitano) people in Andalusia, southern Spain, in the late 18th to early 19th century.

What musical elements create the style and sound of flamenco?

Cante (singing), toque (guitar playing), baile (dance), palmas (handclapping), compás (rhythmic cycles), and expressive ornamentation.

What new musical elements were added to flamenco in the second half of the 20th century?

1) New instruments (electric guitar, bass, cajón, saxophone).
2) Fusion with styles like jazz, rock, Latin music, and Bossa Nova.

How did Irish Trad and flamenco change when commercialized?

Both became more polished, theatrical, and geared toward entertainment rather than community; instruments and styles expanded; social function shifted from local/cultural expression to global performance.

Ballad 

A narrative song, often telling a story about history, love, or struggle

Binary form

A two-part musical structure, often labeled A–B.

Bouzouki

A long-necked lute-like instrument from Greece, adopted into Irish Trad in the late 20th century.

“Come all ye” song

An Irish ballad that begins with an invitation to listen to the story, usually about emigration, work, or politics.

Emigration

A common theme in songs, reflecting Ireland’s long history of people leaving due to famine, poverty, or political strife.

Free rhythm

Music without a strict beat, often used in sean-nós singing.

Gaelic

The Irish language, in which many traditional songs are sung.

Jig

A lively dance tune in compound meter (usually 6/8).

Oral transmission

Passing music down by ear and memory, rather than written notation.

Ornamentation in Irish Trad

Decorative notes or techniques (rolls, cuts, slides) added to embellish melodies.

How is an Irish Pub different from an American bar?

A pub is more family- and community-oriented, often hosting live traditional music sessions.

Reel

A fast dance tune in duple or quadruple meter (2/4 or 4/4).

Sean-nós

A highly ornamented style of unaccompanied Irish singing, often in Gaelic.

Session

An informal gathering of musicians, usually in a pub, to play Irish Trad together.

Set dance

A social dance performed in groups, similar to square dancing.

Step dance

A highly rhythmic and virtuosic solo or group dance, made famous by Riverdance.

Trad

Short for “Irish Traditional Music,” encompassing instrumental tunes, songs, and dances.

What were The Troubles?

A period of conflict in Northern Ireland (1960s–1990s) that inspired many political songs.

What are Uilleann pipes?

The Irish bagpipes, played with a bellows and known for their sweet, melodic sound.

How does today’s practice of Irish Trad create, sustain, and express community?

Through pub sessions, festivals, and social gatherings, music brings people together and strengthens cultural identity.

How does Irish Trad connect the present to the past?

By preserving oral traditions, old tunes, Gaelic songs, and stories of emigration and struggle.

How does Irish Trad balance new vs. old music, and indigenous vs. adopted instruments?

It keeps traditional jigs, reels, and sean-nós alive, while incorporating new instruments (bouzouki, guitar) and fusing with rock, jazz, and pop.

How does Irish Trad preserve Irish culture in both past and present?

It protects the Irish language, stories, and melodies while evolving to remain relevant in global music scenes.

What musical elements create the style and sound of Irish Trad?

Modal melodies, ornamentation, jigs/reels in compound or duple meter, uilleann pipes, fiddle, flute, bodhrán, and oral transmission.

How did Irish Trad and flamenco change as they became commercialized?

Both became more polished and performance-based; expanded instrumentation; marketed globally; shifted from local community use to international entertainment.