Golpe

Guitar Dictionary Category

Classical & Flamenco Guitar

What Is Golpe in Flamenco Guitar?

Golpe is a percussive tap on the top of a flamenco guitar. It is played with a finger or thumb as part of the rhythmic texture and is often combined with a strum, thumb stroke or melodic attack.

The tap adds a short, drum-like accent without replacing the pitched guitar sound. A flamenco guitar normally has a golpeador to protect the soundboard from repeated contact.

Where Golpe Is Played

The common tapping area is on the protective plate beside the strings, often below the treble side of the sound hole. Different players and patterns use the ring, middle, index finger or thumb in different locations.

The tap should land on the protective plate, not on an unprotected spruce or cedar top.

Golpe with a Strum

A common coordination combines an index-finger downstroke with a ring-finger tap. The strum and tap may occur together or as separate subdivisions according to the compás.

Practise the tap alone first, then mute the strings and add the strum motion. The two movements should not pull the hand in opposite directions.

Golpe Is Not Tambora

In tambora, the player strikes the strings close to the bridge to produce a drum-like pitched effect. Golpe strikes the protected soundboard. The two techniques can appear in the same arrangement, but they use different targets and sounds.

Notation

Golpe notation is not universal. Scores may use a cross-shaped notehead, an abbreviation, a symbol explained in a legend or separate percussion lines. Read the composer’s key rather than assuming one symbol always means the same hand or location.

Basic Golpe Exercise

Practise with muted strings and a metronome. Keep the tap short and avoid lifting the entire arm away from the guitar.

Why Golpe Matters

Golpe connects the guitar’s pitched and percussive roles. It reinforces compás, accents and dance-like energy while allowing one player to produce chord and percussion sounds together.

Related Terms

Golpeador Rasgueado Tambora Soundboard Pickguard Rhythm

Learn More

• Mastering Fingerstyle Ukulele Companion
• Guitar Arrangements
• Guitar Learning Path
• Flamenco Terminology: Golpe
• Flamenco Guitar Glossary
• Kalymi Music Library

Reviewed by
Brent C. Robitaille,
music educator and founder of
Kalymi Music.