Salsa music traditionally utilizes a 4/4 time signature. Musicians play recurring rhythmic accompaniments often in groups of eight beats (two measures of four quarter notes), while melodic phrases span eight or sixteen beats, with entire stanzas spanning thirty-two beats.
While percussion instruments layer several different rhythmic patterns simultaneously, the clave rhythm is the foundation of salsa; all salsa music and dance is governed by the clave rhythm. The most common clave rhythm in salsa is the so-called son clave, which is eight beats long and can be played either in 2-3 or 3-2 style.
The 2-3 clave The 3-2 clave 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. ..*.*...*..*..*. *..*..*...*.*...
Even when the clave rhythm is not played by its own, it functions as a basis for the instrumentalists and singers to use as a common rhythmic ground for their own musical phrases. The instrumentalists emphasize the differences of the two halves of the eight-beat clave rhythm; for example, in an eight-beat-long phrase used in a 2-3 clave context, the first half of the phrase is given more straight notes that are played directly on beat, while the second half instead contains notes with longer durations and with a more off-beat feeling. This emphasizes that the first four beats of the 2-3 son clave contain two “short” strikes that are directly on beat, while the last four beats contain three “long” clave strikes with the second strike placed offbeat between beats two and three. Salsa songs commonly start with one clave and then switch to the reverse partway through the song, without restarting the clave rhythm; instead, the rhythm is shifted four beats using breaks and stop-time.
Percussion instruments have standard patterns that reoccur in most salsa music with only slight variations. For example, this is a common rhythmic pattern called the cáscara based on the 2-3 clave, and is played on the shells of the timbales during the verses and less energetic parts of a song:
Timbales cáscara rhythm in 2-3 clave 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. (beats) *.*.**.**.**.*.* (* = cáscara strikes)
During the chorus and solo parts, the timbalero often switches to the following rhythm, which is normally played on a cowbell (the mambo bell) mounted on the timbales set:
Timbales mambo bell rhythm in 2-3 clave 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. (beats) +.*.+++*.++*+.+* (+/* = weak/accented cowbell strikes)
The timbales pattern above is often accompanied by a handheld cowbell (the bongo bell) also played during the chorus but by another person, using this simpler rhythm:
Handheld bongo bell rhythm in 2-3 clave 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. (beats) +.*.+.**+.**+.** (+/* = low/high-pitched cowbell strikes)
The piano has many roles in salsa, being an important solo instrument and providing harmony, rhythm and sometimes even the lead melody. During the montuno section, in which the singers and chorus engage in a call and response pattern of singing, the piano player plays a repeating ostinato figure known as a guajeo or tumbao which serves as a backbone for the rhythm section. The piano always respects the clave. The montuno patterns have many variations, but are basically highly syncopated two-bar vamps made to match the clave. For example:
Piano montuño rhythm in 2-3 clave 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. (beats) *.**.*.*.*.*.*.* (* = key strikes)
The bass pattern often follows a distinct salsa rhythm pattern known as the tumbao which alternates between the fifth and the root of a chord. One side of the tumbao will be in near unison with the clave, while the other side is syncopated against the clave:
Bass tumbao rhythm 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. (beats) ...5..8....5..1. (5 = fifth of chord, 8 = high octave of chord, 1 = low octave of chord)No tags for this post.
