Authenic Beats - Authenic beats vs. made up beats

[mangorockfish]

When playing a gig or practicing with a group, what percentage of your playing is actual authenic beats, tumbao, guaguanco, calypso, etc, and what percentage is made up timekeeping beats?

[windhorse]

Part of our Rumba group played with a newly formed Latin singer-song writer/guitarist/bassist group tonight.
we played rumba clave on two songs - one without drums and one with Guaguanco, Son clave with mambo on the drums for about 4 or 5 songs, Yambu on one, and just various shaker/surdu drum things on the rest..

So, I'd say at least 3/4 of the tunes were standard rhythms.

Dave

[yoni]

Hi Mangorockfish!

I play with several groups, several kinds of music & rhythms. Never did a percentage check, but will apply traditional beats, or my own variations on them, where I see fit. More and more I like finding my own rhythms spontaneously as long as they groove with the music.

I also like to play in rubato, without time at all, just colors. Much Mid Eastern music and some jazz can have long sections like this, which I really enjoy as well.

Got bored with the metronomic time-keeping role long ago. But nothing like a great groove, be it traditional or otherwise. I think any rhythm can be authentic, even if not traditional.

All the best,
Yonatan Bar Rashi

[mangorockfish]

I have really been wondering about that for a while now. I was mowing my lawn yesterday and listening to my old conga teacher on a CD and found that what he was playing wasn't as intimidating as it was when I was taking lessons. I'm beginning to be able to listen and kinda pick out what is going on as opposed to trying to learn from reading written parts. I am very grateful for the written parts that show up here from timt to time, but one also must learn from listening .
Peace & good fortune,
Mangorockfish

[JohnnyConga]

yO MangoRock...it's all about "styles" rumba has it's styles(Matanzas-Havana) Pop has it's styles(Britney-Madonna), and so on. Now if your in a Latin band you play latin rhythmic parts that are "established" parts to play this particular form of "dance music". So study "styles' of playing by "listening" to different music-Jazz-Latin-R&B-Funk-Fusion-Pop-Afro-Caribbean-Disco, yes even Disco-Rock-African(HighLife),and others......pick a style an dgo for it!....."JC" Johnny Conga.... :;):