congaplace.com

I was wondering what some of you guys might play for jazz tunes that are "in three"?

I have a lot of bongo riffs in 3 from when I did Cielito Lindo with my band.
For congas I've been doing the old stand-by of adapting stuff I learned in 6/8 or 12/8,
especially for Afro-blue I think that's standard, I use a bembe caja adaptation.

Lot's of times those patterns don't really seem to fit the 3, which is always so strong on the 1.
I've come up with this for two drums which works for a good ride for a 3 song.

OSS BSO OSS BSO
123 123 123 123

It's a rip off of a bembe part I know.

Just wanted to see what you other guys have come up with for 3, I think it's called jazz waltz sometimes too?

Geordie,
here´s a non-traditional two-bar pattern I made up on my own a while ago, to be played on four congas,
preferably tuned in minor scale, e.g. from high to low tone C - Bb - Ab - F:



I find this pattern useful for medium tempo 3/4 tunes, Afro Blue etc.,
but it also works as a 6-8 pattern (or 12-8 as it were):

bongosnotbombs wrote:Just wanted to see what you other guys have come up with for 3, I think it's called jazz waltz sometimes too?

I don´t do jazz waltzes on congas that much, as I find them a bit corny (at least to accompany). The 3-4 and 6-8 combinations are pretty cool though. I taught my music class something about minimal music (à la Steve Reich) at school the other day, and my pupils themselves should put together a piece with this gradual change idea, and what they ended up with was a simple 3-4 pattern which changed in accentuation step by step into a similar pattern with a 6-8 meter and back again to 3-4. That was an exciting lesson, also for me!

- Mike

Edit: BTW, what is this heart sign in the title supposed to mean?

Cool Mike, I don't usually play 4 congas, I mainly stick to 2, but I can work with your
ritmo...

The heart is there just for fun

bongosnotbombs wrote:Cool Mike, I don't usually play 4 congas, I mainly stick to 2, but I can work with your
ritmo...

Alright, less is more sometimes

Greetings from the heart

Mike

Hey Bongo...

how does that bembe pattern splits between the two congas please?

Also there is some good 6/8 on the conga book which are very versatile. Split hands stylee.

You can also look for the various parts of Barravento (brazil) which i find are pretty adaptable, for example :
O_SSOOOS_SOO (rumpi part)

or a le part

O_BSTTOOBS_O (T is for tip or touch)

peace


tone

Tone wrote:Hey Bongo...

how does that bembe pattern splits between the two congas please?


peace


tone

I usually hit the first open note on the lower drum, but it can move around too.

It's a bembe mula part I adapted, so the bembe part is just for one drum. (BSOOSSBSOOSS)