Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

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Re: Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

Postby davidpenalosa » Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:09 pm

Hi Tone,
There are basically two types of rhythm: additive rhythm and divisive rhythm. African music is divisive rhythm; the two-beat and four-beat cycles are divided into smaller units of musical time, many which contradict the primary cycle. For example, in bembe the four primary beats are each divided into three pulses:

1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a

That makes a total of twelve pulses:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The twelve pulses are then divided by two, which creates the secondary, or six-beat cycle:

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 .

In bembe the main emphasis of cachimbo (open tones) is the primary beat cycle . The main emphasis of the mula (open tones and slaps) and the caja (open tones, bass and slaps) is the secondary beat cycle. These contradictory beat cycles are generated through divisive rhythm—dividing the cycle in different ways. All strokes of a rhythmic pattern are understood and felt within the primary cycle.

Rhythm in Asian musics is generated through addition. Let's compare how an Indian musician would interpret triple-pulse "son clave" with how an African would interpret the same pattern.

X . X . X . . X . X . . triple-pulse "son clave"

An African musician interprets the pattern within the primary (four-beat) cycle:

1 1a 2+ 3+ 4

An Indian musician interprets the pattern this way:

1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 or 2+2+3+2+3

Now, granted African folk musicians don't count, so this hypothetical comparison would have to have say, a drummer at the University of Ghana, where Western theory is taught. However, the primary cycle is not an abstraction in African rhythm because it is the emphasis of most of the accompanying dances.
-David
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Re: Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

Postby Tone » Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:04 pm

got it!

thanks
tone
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Re: Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

Postby wet bull » Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:49 am

Ciao all,

Wanted to weigh in on this a little bit. I have studied the Indian tradition as well as the African-based traditions (Cuban, Brazilian, others) and I thought I might be the only one who has thought about the syllablism (it's possible that I just invented this word) of clave.

For instance, a count of two beats can be pronounced 'ta ka'

a three-beat count 'ta ki ta'

a four beat count 'ta ka di mi'

a five beat count 'ta ki di na tom' or 'ta ri gi na tom'

so 4/4 son clave becomes ' TA ki ta TA ki ta TA ka | di mi TA ka TA ka di mi '

4/4 rumba clave becomes ' TA ki ta TA ka di mi TA | ki ta TA ka TA ka di mi '

6/8 son ' TA ka TA ka TA ki | ta TA ka TA ki ta '

6/8 rumba ' TA ka TA ki ta TA | ka TA ka TA ki ta '

Each syllable gets one 1/8th note in this notation. Make sense? Everyone has different ways of learning that work for them - I have found that showing this way of clave to some people really helps them in feeling the beats, rather than giving them sheet music or trying to teach them music theory if they are non-musicians.

Also, you can get heady and start using these for your solos. Say you have an 8 bar solo break. 32 beats. 64 8th notes. How many ways can you add 2, 3, 4, and 5 to make 64? This can help you play smoothly over and around the bar line. At first you may have to do some left-brain thinking, but eventually it becomes easy. You can still feel the one, but play in 5 bar phrases, simply thinking ' Ta ki di na tom Ta ki di na tom ....'

Try this. 5 + 3 = 8. So just make sure that you play an equal number of ' Ta ki di na tom 's and ' Ta ki ta 's, and you will be ok.

5 + 5 + 3 + 5 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 5 = 32. Try adding this kind of thinking into your playing and it can make "difficult" phrasing much simpler.

Hope you enjoyed this and were able to understand, I've been lurking around here for a while and glad to have an opportunity to contribute.

Ciao from Michigan
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Re: Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

Postby davidpenalosa » Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:06 am

Mr. Wet Bull,
Adding is definitely easier than division. Your method of accenting the pattern within a continuous pulse "grid" may be of some help for total beginners, but that additive system is contrary to the divisive structure and FEEL of African-based music. Your system works for Indian music because Indian music uses additive rhythm. Your additive demonstration treats accents as meter instead of the contra-metric pattern it is truly is. The result is that people playing in this way get thrown off time very easily because they are not grounded to the main beats.

If your system does not take into account both the pattern in question and the main beats, one will not be able to play effectively or advance as a percussionist. All patterns must ultimately be understood and felt as a composite (pattern + main beats).

By the way, are you familiar with the book "Ta Ka Ti Na, The Forgotten Power of Rhythm"?
-David
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Re: Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

Postby wet bull » Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:28 pm

David,

Perhaps I should have made this clear, but the method of speaking the claves like so already assumes that you have internalized the main beat. The additive system also doesn't require you to accent the first note in any pattern, and it doesn't in fact require any adding really. As long as you have the beat internalized, then you are free to combine any number of 2, 3, 4, or 5 beat riffs inside of the form and be able to finish it off nicely on the one (or the four, or wherever you like it). Of course, the main beat must have predominance - the additive method is only for playing around inside the groove, pulling and pushing and stretching.

And no, I am not familiar with the book.

Eric
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Re: Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

Postby davidpenalosa » Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:03 am

wet bull wrote:... already assumes that you have internalized the main beat. The additive system also doesn't require you to accent the first note in any pattern, and it doesn't in fact require any adding really.


Hi Eric,
I guess I don't understand why if one already internalized the main beats, there would be a need for counting in an additive structure. Is there a system that requires you to accent the first note of a pattern?
-David
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Re: Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

Postby wet bull » Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:05 pm

The counting system (which itself eventually becomes subsumed by the subconscious mind) is only to make it easier to play in strange time signatures, or to take solo phrases that might be more difficult without the syllables. The accents need not be on the first note of the pattern, I wrote them so to indicate a new rhythmic subdivision.

In short, it's just an idea to be added to the arsenal of techniques for any percussionist or drummer, to help stretch out the mind and the limbs. Play in 4/4 and then execute a series of 5-beat patterns inside the main beat. Many times, if you feel the main beat and then speak the syllables while continuing to feel the beat, it can give your brain a sense of how the two structures are fitting together. Of course, this kind of thing is just for practicing, just for stretching. You might not want to perform and mumble these things to yourself; but if it helps you do what you want to do, go for it.

ciao
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Re: Explaining Clave (Clave for Dummies)

Postby davidpenalosa » Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:41 pm

wet bull wrote:The counting system (which itself eventually becomes subsumed by the subconscious mind) is only to make it easier to play in strange time signatures, [...] Play in 4/4 and then execute a series of 5-beat patterns inside the main beat.


I see. It is a counting system that assists in odd meter and other additive approaches. "Odd meter clave" is an oxymoron because clave-based music is divisive rhythm. However, morphing clave rhythms into odd meter creations has been gaining popularity in recent years. I had some involvement with Conor Guilfoyle's book "Odd Meter Clave."

http://conorguilfoyle.com/news.html

I tried to play some of Conor's odd meter patterns and they kicked my butt! It's not that the patterns are particularly complicated, his presentation is very well done. It's just that I have a very difficult time playing in additive structures, after playing divisive rhythm exclusively for most of my life.
-David
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