The Great Flamenco Guitarist of today Library

José Jiménez "El Viejín": CD "Algo que decir" Score books
These three books belong to Enrique Vargas's "The Great Flamenco Guitarists of Today Library" collection.

The transcription of José Jiménez El Viejín's album "Algo que decir" is the first work published by the founder of the sophisticated and mysterious "Caño Roto" style of guitar. This musically and technically complex style is unique to the gypsy neighborhood Caño Roto in Madrid, where the highest concentration of flamenco guitarists in the world can be found.

"Algo que decir" is an album that has given me great satisfaction because of my friendship with "El Viejo", but especially because of this work´s originality, creativity and tastefulness. "El Viejin", a true gentleman, doesn´t only play well for singing and dancing, which is fundamental; he is also a virtuoso and a great composer, as this album shows. PACO DE LUCIA

This album was awarded the "Discovery of the Year 1.999" prize by the Spanish Press Association.

The album features such artists as guitar maestro Paco de Lucía, Montse Cortés, Carles Benavent, Antonio Canales, Ramón el Portugues, Bernardo Parrilla and Luki Losada.

The work is divided into three volumes due to the magnitude of the musical text , and due to the number of explanations of the palos and falsetas that go with the sheet music for each piece.

•  For the first time, the guitar accompaniment to the singing has been transcribed completely,

•  As have the parts where there is more than one guitar.

•  In the "Comments and Suggestions" chapters, the tunings used in each piece are explained in detail, as are the flamenco scales and chord progressions found in each tonality. In addition, the clapping and foot-tapping patterns are described in detail. These aspects, not often explored in the flamenco literature, are essential to correctly keeping the compás.

•  In the "Analysis" part, El Viejín's techniques and his interpretation of each palo are explained falseta by falseta .

Music sample

Comments sample

Important note:
All the charts have been transcribed with all additional guitar tracks and the accompaniment to singing.  I also provide, in some cases, lead sheets with the melodies played by the instruments other than guitar. This additional material can serve the following purposes:

1. The falsetas with more than one guitar or with other instruments can be learned by students who would like to play with other musicians. Remember that the flamenco musical literature for more than one instrument is extremely rare.

2. The accompaniment to singing, which is very complicated in Viejin's case, could be an authentic treasure for students who want to learn the modern style of accompaniment. It also can be used by professional guitarists who would like to incorporate these letras in their arrangements for cante o baile .

3. Of course, all of these falsetas with more than one instrument can be useful for those flamenco groups, amateur or professional, who would like to incorporate these arrangements in their concert pieces and cante or baile numbers.

In this bilingual English/Spanish edition, the sheet music is presented in staff and tablature formats with complete fingerings for both hands.

Enrique Vargas is the author of the texts and the transcription, approved exclusively by the artist.

Volume 1
Reference: L-VIEJIEN 01

A4 Format
224 Pages

• • "Algo que decir" (tangos) This piece is composed in an unusual, modern tuning characteristic of the Caño Roto style. It includes transcriptions of the accompaniment to the singing and the second guitar parts.

  • "Sestipén Talí" (fandangos de Huelva) This piece is recorded in D# Hijaz, an unusual tonality for fandangos . All of the lyrics of the singing and the second guitar parts are transcribed.

• The gorgeous rondeña "Raíz"

Volume 2
Reference: L-VIEJIEN 02

A4 Format
208 Pages

• Soleá por medio "Vieja senda" Combining ancestral sensibility and the modern Caño Roto technique, El Viejín composed this piece with maestro Sabicas in mind.

• Buleria "Mi graciosa" recorded in a modern tuning.

• Zambra "A los niños que sufren" with the participation of maestro Paco de Lucía. The two guitar parts are transcribed in their entirety and with an adaptation for solo, duo, or trio performance.

Volume 3
Reference: L-VIEJIEN 03

A4 Format
184 Pages

• Soleá por bulería "Caño Roto" recorded in the modern tonality of D# Hijaz and a fascinating accompaniment to the singing transcribed in its entirety.

• Sevillanas "Cuatros" a virtuosic duo with bassist Carles Benavent.

• Minera "A mi hijo Jonatán", piece included in this album but recorded a few years earlier, whose extreme beauty and interpretive quality launched El Viejín to fame.