Tambour (guitar technique)

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Tambour is the technique most commonly used in Flamenco guitar where many or all of the strings are played at once by hitting them (usually near the bridge) with the side of the (outstretched) thumb.

It has also been used to refer to striking the bridge with the thumb; this may or may not be correct usage (is this is correctly called golpe (guitar technique)?)^{[citation needed]}.

Both tambour and pizzicato can be heard in Aconquija by Barrios.

[edit] Technique

Stretch out the thumb
Rotate hand and wrist rapidly, causing the side of the thumb to strike the strings.

Variation in tone can me achieved by striking different distances from the bridge and using different parts of the thumb (especially fleshy vs. bony parts).

Variation in chord texture can be achieved by selecting different strings to strike.