2009 JoeMcDrum

Joe McCarthys

Salsa & Afro-Cuban Survival Guide

Clave: A five-note, two-measure pattern which serves as the foundation for all the rhythmic styles in Salsa music. The two types of clave associated with popular music are:

Son Clave:

Rumba Clave:

The patterns are either 2:3 or 3:2, meaning the clave may begin with the two-note or three-note side, depending on the rhythmic and melodic structure of the tune. The direction of the clave does not change throughout the course of the tune. An odd numbered phrase (5 bars, 9 bars, etc.) will give the illusion the clave has changed directions. Another odd bar phrase will aurally return the clave to the "original" direction.

Another important clave pattern is the 6/8 clave, originating in West Africa, associated with triplet based grooves and is essentially the triple version of rumba clave.

6/8 Clave & Rumba Clave comparison

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Common Bell Patterns:Cascara (shell): A pattern heard on the shell of the timbales and also heard as a standard bell pattern. Accents are important to make this swing:

Mambo Bell Pattern: Often heard in the bridge or in the open blowing vamp, known as the Montuno section:

Bongo Bell Pattern: Also heard in the bridge or Montuno sections, be sure to play the downbeats on the mouth of the bell (O) and the eighth notes and off beats on the back of the bell (+) to get the proper tone.

6/8 Bell Pattern: This pattern can be felt in 6 or 4 (6 quarter notes or 4 dotted quarters), depending on the tune. Learn this both ways.

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Congas/Bongos/GuiroConga drums (tumbadoras): 3 main drums; quinto (high drum), conga (middle drum), tumba (low drum). Tones produced are open tone, slap, muffled tone, and bass tone. A standard pair (conga/tumba) is normally tuned to a perfect fourth. The main repeated pattern on the congas is referred to as tumbao, employing a heel-toe technique on the non-dominant hand to create a motor rhythm around the slap and open tones. There are many variations to this, in addition to countless other grooves which can be learned by listening to the great masters.

This is the one-bar tumbao pattern:

H=Heel T=Toe S=Slap O=Open Tone

This is the two-bar pattern which outlines the 2:3 clave:

Bongos: A pair of drums made up of the hembra (low drum) and the macho (high drum). This player normally plays the Bongo bell as well during the bridge or Montuno sections. The common repeated pattern on the bongos is known as Martillo, although this instrument is primarily an instrument which improvises over the groove. Again, there are countless variations to this pattern:

Martillo:

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Guiro: A hollowed gourd, often associated with Cha Cha Cha. The strokes are the combination of a long and two short strokes. Here is the basic pattern:

Chekere: A larger hollowed gourd covered with a netting of beads, associated with both duple and triple based grooves, used to color.

Piano/BassPiano: Plays a very rhythmic role in this style of music. The repeated, syncopated vamp is known as Montuno:

Bass: Plays a syncopated pattern also known as tumbao. The "and" of �2 and 4 are the essential accents of this pattern:

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Listening

As with all styles, listening is absolutely essential to understanding this music. Take the time to familiarize yourself with all the instruments associated with this music, including their corresponding tones and the musical role they play. Below is a partial list of artists who have played such an important role in the development of this music, both past and present. Listen to their recordings.

Ray Barretto, Batacumbele, Mario Bauza, Ignacio Berroa, �Caribbean Jazz Project, Celia Cruz, Fania All Stars, Fort Apache Band,

Dizzy Gillespie, Jerry Gonzalez, Don Grolnick, Horacio Hernandez, Conrad Herwig, Giovanni Hidalgo, Irakere, Ralph Irizzary, Cachao Lopez,

Los Muequitos de Matanzas, Los Van Van, Brian Lynch, Machito, Eddie Palmieri, Luis Perdomo, Danilo Perez, Dafnis Prieto, Tito Puente,

Changuito Quintana, Arsenio Rodriguez, Poncho Sanchez, �Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader and Miguel Zenon.