Would you like to learn the castanets sounds to accompany sevillanas? If so, read on.
Below I share the toques (sound patterns) written out for all four sevillanas coplas along with a couple of instructional videos and another for your enjoyment.
But before we get to that,
Here’s a Mini Castanets Sound Glossary:
ta - left middle finger
pi - right middle finger
ri - roll with right
ria - roll with right then left single beat
chi (xi) - posticeo or choque - hitting castanets together
pan (I've also heard this called pom.) - hitting both castanets at the same time with the middle fingers.
(People who are left-handed may choose to play opposite making the roll with the left hand and the ta with the right. See below for a video of how to play the roll.)
Toques for Sevillanas
Below you’ll find each copla organized by tercio (part). Remember, there are three tercios to each copla. I have recorded the toques in two different forms. The first way is without counts and the second with. No matter which way you read them, the sounds will be the same, so use the one that makes the most sense to you. (I prefer the second way.)
NOTE: These are four common toques, but there are variations to how you can play Sevillanas.
(You can scroll to the end of the post to see those videos.)
La Primera Sevillana
La Primera
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria chi pam ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pita
Ta ria ria pita
Ta ria ria pita
Ta ria ria pita
Ta ria chi pam ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita ria
Pan ta ria pan
La Primera w/counts
1er tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
2° tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
3er tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria Pan ta ria
1
Pan
La Segunda Sevilana
La Segunda
Ta ria chi pam ta ria pita
Ria pan pan Ta ria ria pita
Ta ria ria pita
Ta ria ria pita ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pan pan ta ria
Pan ta ria pan ta ria
Pan ta ria pan ta ria
Ta ria pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pan pan ta ria
Pan ta ria pan ta ria
Pan ta ria pan ta ria
Pan ta ria pan ta ria pita ria
Pan ta ria pan
La Segunda w/counts
1er tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria pan pan
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pita
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pita
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pita ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
2° tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pita ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria pan pan ta ria
1 2 3 4 5 6
Pan ta ria pan ta ria
1 2 3 4 5 6
Pan ta ria pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
3er tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pita ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria pan pan ta ria
1 2 3 4 5 6
Pan ta ria pan ta ria
1 2 3 4 5 6
Pan ta ria pan ta ria
1 2 3 4 5 6
Pan ta ria pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria Pan ta ria
1
Pan
La Tercera Sevillana
La Tercera
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria ria pita
Ta ria chi pan chi
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan chi
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pita
Ta ria ria pita
Ta ria ria pita
Pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan chi
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan chi
Ta ria
Pan ta ria pan
La Tercera w/Counts
1er tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan chi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan chi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
2° tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta
1 2 3 4 5 6
pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
3er tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan chi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan chi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria Pan ta ria
1
Pan
La Cuarta Sevillana
La Cuarta
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria ta ria
Pan ta ria pita ria
Chi pan ta ria ta ria
Pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ta ria ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria pan ta ria pita
Ria chi pan ta ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ta ria ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita
Ria ria pita ria ria pita ria
Pan ta ria pan
La Cuarta with counts
1er tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
2° tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria pan ta ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria chi pan ta ria pi
3er tercio
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria ria pi ta ria ria pi
1 2 3 4 5 6
Ta ria pan ta ria
1
Pan
Watch
This instructional clip from Manuel Salado shows you everything from how to string your castanets, to exercises to prepare you for the basic roll to how to dance and play castanets for the first tercio of La Primera. You’ll notice they play a different toque for the pasada than we have listed here.
(This shorter video shows the basic roll, ria, and a couple of exercises to help you build up to it.)
I think you’ll enjoy watching this performance of all four sevillanas with castanets. (Unlike the first example, here they play the same toque we have listed for the pasada.)
Ready to Dance?
Join us for castanets classes in Portland and online.
You Might Also Enjoy
How I Finally Learned to Play Castanets (& How You Can Get Started)
Here’s The Thing About Sevillanas (& My Weird Way of Counting)
NOTE: This post is a summary of these: How To Play Sevillanas With Castanets, La Primera, Tying The Knot (& How to Play Castanets for The Second Sevillanas), How To Play Castanets For Sevillanas, La Tercera, How To Play Castanets For Sevillanas, La Cuarta