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Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2006 5:41 pm**

Hello,
I am a beginning percussionist who has been invited to play with friends but what they mostly play is in 3/4 time like the blues and so on. I haven`t found any rhythms in 3/4. Does anyone know any? What do others use to play the blues? Normally I play the congas but can manage on a bongò or cajòn. Thanks for the help.
Santiago

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:36 pm**

Actualy blues is usualy 4/4. 3/4 is very rare, it's a waltz :-)

If you need some western patterns check this book
http://www.amazon.com/gp....ng=UTF8
it has 3/4 in it.

Ok I looked in the book, and they recomend Steely Dan "Two Aganst Nature" as an example of 3/4, you can check part of it here
Two Aganst Nature

In the book they stretch it quite a bit it's notated in 16th notes like this

1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a
B - - - S - - -S - O O

Ok it's not lining up but you get the idea

Edited By fed on 1143226469

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:38 pm**

Welcome, to the forum, Santiago,and Fed..Certainly 'Blues' could be wrtten in 3/4,...in the 3/4 time signature,(Blues),the percussion /parmeter are usully place between the second and third beat,(behind the snare/beat of the drummer).Dr. Zaragemca

Edited By zaragemca on 1143337536

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2006 6:57 pm**

zaragemca
you are right that was very broad statement on my part.
I just wanted to point out that it's most likely not in 3/4, if anything it's probably 6/8 shuffle

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2006 7:15 pm**

Hello Santiago,

there are actually quite a few blues in 6/8 which is related to 3/4 even though the feel is different. I guess that is probably what you are after.
There are a few 6/8 rhythms in the conga book, check out afro blue examples, bembe, maybe even columbia. You could also try bata adaptations like chaka locafun also in the conga book.

good luck!

tone

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:49 am**

Well Afro/Blue is a different story,that was Mongo Santamaria,idea of writting this song with the 6/8 Yurubas Percutive Structure,but that song is in the Afro/Jazz category.In relation to the Blues,there isn't need to write it in 6/8...,you should check my article,(origing of the 6/8 time signature).Dr. Zaragemca

Edited By zaragemca on 1143337982

Posted: **Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:51 am**

Hi Santiago,
The music is not tied to any particular time signature. Folkloric music in particular developed completely independent of time signatures and all the other elements of written music.

You can write the music in any time signature. However, time signatures divide the measure into beats and African-based rhythms are generated from specific beats. Therefore, if you are speaking of "3/4" literaly, then I have to say that there are no 3/4 clave-based rhythms. All clave-based rhythms are founded on a cycle of four main beats. 3/4 would imply one main beat (clave written in one measure, played fast), three main beats (one measure), two main beats (written in two measures, played fast), or six main beats (written in two measures).

Two measures of 6/8 is the most common method of writing clave in triple pulse structure. 6/8 is compound duple meter, which means that there are four main beats spanning the two measures (one cycle of clave).

Basically, you can fit triple-pulse clave-based pattterns in a 3/4 blues, but like Fed said, 3/4 is a waltz. The two feels are not "meant" for each other.
-David

Posted: **Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:59 pm**

Thanks to everyone for their reply. I am in Mexico and playing sones but sones mexicanos. They are of course related to sones cubanos but different. The majority are in 6/8 and 3/4 and yes the waltz is a very popular form of "traditional" song here. And with the influence of blues the urban folk singers use the waltz but inject a very bluesy feel. The sones in Mexico dont have much percussion and if they do it is with the zapateado (making the percussion while dancing). The african content to the sones here is evident but the culture of the drum didn`t really survive the days of slavery. So I am trying to adapt what I know from cuban son to mexican son. Thanks for all of your help.
Santiago

Posted: **Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:34 pm**

Ok brother David,you are creating a little confusion when talking about Clave,when the subject is related only to a time signature,(3/4),there are Blues written in 3/4 time signature,and it have nothing to do with Clave,(this people didn't know anything about,'Clave),'it is just a historic background that when they started making score for Blues,for the purpose of Copyright it was written in 2/4 time signature and later some of the Blues were written in 3/4 time signature,(influenced by Gospel's music)...To Santiago that type of music you are reffering is the 'Guapango' style,(I had play with around 5 Mexican Bands so I have more than share of those), for some reasons they called Sones,...as,'Son de la Negra','Chilito Piking,''Guadalajara','Jarabe Tapatio',etc... there are written in 6/8 time signature and sometime 3/4 double pulse,(the percussion pattern used in Afro/Jazz,could be used to play in those songs,at one point you are going to fill that the songs is getting into a 'contra beat' feeling,but all you have to do is to hold in there becouse they are going to comeback...Venezuela have the same type of rhythms,but as it happened everywhere, it is called different,..'Joropo'...Colombia also have this type of music,and it is also called different,'Llanera",(del Llano)...In Venezuela and Colombia this type of music could be reinforced with drums...But none of this styles have anything to do with 'Clave'. Dr. Zaragemca

Edited By zaragemca on 1143583893

Posted: **Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:56 pm**

Ok brother David,you are creating a little confusion when talking about Clave,when the subject is related only to a time signature,(3/4),there are Blues written in 3/4 time signature,and it have nothing to do with Clave

Sorry Z, I think you are the one who is confused and perhaps misunderstood/misread Davids post. I dont think he has created any confusion.

You are both saying the same thing so to speak.

Ive understood it perfectly.

Therefore, if you are speaking of "3/4" literaly, then I have to say that there are no 3/4 clave-based rhythms.

Posted: **Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:29 pm**

Now I have played a few tunes that were either a Jazz waltz or Blues waltz in 3/4 time, as well as a few ballads. David is right. forget the clave, it won't work here. But why would everything HAVE to be in clave anyway? I make a lot of loot playing in interesting musical situations where no one in the band would know clave if it bit them on the ass!

Saludos.

Berimbau

Posted: **Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:36 am**

That's exactly what I'm trying to point out to Davis..Abakua..if we are talking about Blues and 3/4 time signature,there is not reason to mention the 'Clave' here...It could create a confusion,(not for me but for other musicians).Dr. Zaragemca

Posted: **Wed Mar 29, 2006 1:54 am**

Santiago wrote:I haven`t found any rhythms in 3/4. Does anyone know any? What do others use to play the blues?

Zaragemca,
The reason I brought up clave was because Santiago asked if anyone knew "any rhythms in 3/4". I assumed he was talking about conga drum rhythms since this is the conga board. Perhaps my assumption was incorrect.
-David ???

Posted: **Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:57 am**

Forgive me brothers, but I dont know any 3/4 blues, can anyone point point some out. I know a lot of blues in 4/4 with a triplet shuffle feel, and jazz blues with a swing feel, but blues waltzes sounds oxymoronic, you cant feel sad in 3/4 !!

.
I am prepared to be educated.

suave
Diceman

Posted: **Wed Mar 29, 2006 1:39 pm**

So sorry Diceman, but I'm a bit of an "alligator" or what you Londoners call a "Jazzer" so we don't necessarily think of Muddy Waters or even Mississippi or Chicago when we say blues! Now Toots Theilmann's "Bluesette" is one marvelous example of what I'm writing about. Now please remember to "mind the gap!" for me.

Saludos,

Berimbau

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Rhythms in 3/4 Time? Blues? - Are there any conga rhythms in 3/4