by Firebrand » Tue May 27, 2008 2:10 pm
It's often the same thing. On Timbales, it's customary to have a clave block, a Cha Cha (smallest bell) and a middle bell (Timbale bell, or Mambo Bell). The biggest one in the family is the Bongo Bell, which bongo players usually carry or a latin-jazz drummer might have on their kit as an attachment (to substitute for a bongo player's role when there is no bongo player).
Within those basic 3 models (chacha, mambo, bongo bell), there are many variations. Some are longer...some are deeper sounding, some are higher sounding....some are designed to complement each other (as in LP's High and Low Timbale bells)...but...the basic structure is the same.
Chacha's are usually used to play quarter note Chacha patterns (and the occassional improvisation or 3 or 4 stroke ruff for effects).
Mambo bells or Timbale Bells are usually used to perform the Mambo bell pattern, or to be used in any of the new creative bell/clave mix patterns that are common in Timba or Mozambique.
Bongo Bells tend to keep their "KiKI-PUM" pattern, though they can also be used in ways imitating the cascara pattern on Timbales or imitating Agogo Bells from Samba, etc.
IF someone screams at you, "play the Mambo Bell", more often than not, they're telling you to play the larger bell on Timbales (the middle one between Chacha and Bongo Bells).