Clave Help? - Which rhythum goes with clave?
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by TampabayRey » Fri Sep 30, 2005 10:57 pm
Thanks franc, Yesterday I had a chance to speak with Johnny Rabb a drummer who has performed with Hank Williams III, Mindy McReady, Tanya Tucker and others. Although country music he also plays Jazz,Latin etc. He was giving me some advice using clave in latin music. I was also luck to have been the only one with a video camera filming this event and since I offered a copy 
he spend lots of time talking about percussion. I can't wait to meet some real conga players.
he spend lots of time talking about percussion. I can't wait to meet some real conga players.Rey
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TampabayRey - Posts: 47
- Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2004 6:59 pm
- Location: Florida
by hufos » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:26 pm
holy cow
this is a bit intimidating chiming in with big gunz like the folks here...
uhh...
UHHH....
YEAH WHAT THEY SAID and stuff.
Like you, I have been scrounging around, gleaning what I can from the net and books and stuff.
you said: "Can you give me an example for the type of music played using the 6/8 clave?
The other question I have is this? When playing music like rock, folk, country and R&B. What patterns to use and where does the cave fall in? "[B]
Once, I was playing on the street with some guys who were just "jamming" at a weekly street fair in Folsom...they were doing a mixture of stuff and it sounded like I could maybe keep up with them and they were bad enough at it, so I didnt feel too intimidated to ask if they would mind if I could try playing with them.
They said yeah, and so my career as a conguero who enchants very small children and infants(dont ask me why---many would become transfixed) with his playing was born.
okokokok there was one grown man with a shaved head and tats who was so taken with the rhythm that he did a backflip and landed on his head. (he doesnt count because he was really wired on something and went away after landing on his head ok?)
anyway, the guys started playing a shuffle blues groove and, while a swing tumbao worked ok, I decided to try bembe and the 6/8 cowbell/ cascara combo figuring it was triplets in four...and it seemed to fit ok.
one day a jazz sax player showed up and he also played congas, and was doing amazing things with them and we started playing with clave to whatever it was the guitar guys were doing...it worked pretty good.
(clave was about the only thing i could do to keep up with that guy...he was hot)
Whenever a friend and myself get together, she does guitar and sings, I try to search for something that fits....latin stuff is GREAT...and the simplicity of it (what were were doing that is) allowed me to hear the melodic quality of the drums and how they fit together with what was going on.
just about any of the rhythms, songo, samba, tumbao, etc.) fit...one tune she was scatting and vamping on (really simple cowboy chord stuff), songo behind it was also working the melody to the amazement and delight of both of us....and we were both sober ok?
This stuff works I tell ya.
My approach I guess, would be to play around and see what works with whatever is going on and go with that...the difference is always better to my ears than the standard 4/4 backbeat thing...and even more toetappy...but then I am biased ok?
playing with clave for nonlatin stuff...hmmm...to my ear, there is an ebb and flow to clave...and a section where the downbeats go better and one where the offbeats go better...and if you go cross clave, usually you can tell because it doesnt sound uhhh...help me out here...it sounds "off" or something...usually when you reverse it at that point, it seems to pull in and the spice is there.
I know you can go cross clave and stuff...but thats kind of advanced for me at this stage of my "congueroness" and stuff.
ok...thats it from the peanut gallery...and its probly all wrong anyway...but your questions made me think of that time in folsom...and I just couldnt keep still because those who dont know talk and those who do, have the wisdom to stay silent and stuff and things.
this is a bit intimidating chiming in with big gunz like the folks here...
uhh...
UHHH....
YEAH WHAT THEY SAID and stuff.
Like you, I have been scrounging around, gleaning what I can from the net and books and stuff.
you said: "Can you give me an example for the type of music played using the 6/8 clave?
The other question I have is this? When playing music like rock, folk, country and R&B. What patterns to use and where does the cave fall in? "[B]
Once, I was playing on the street with some guys who were just "jamming" at a weekly street fair in Folsom...they were doing a mixture of stuff and it sounded like I could maybe keep up with them and they were bad enough at it, so I didnt feel too intimidated to ask if they would mind if I could try playing with them.
They said yeah, and so my career as a conguero who enchants very small children and infants(dont ask me why---many would become transfixed) with his playing was born.
okokokok there was one grown man with a shaved head and tats who was so taken with the rhythm that he did a backflip and landed on his head. (he doesnt count because he was really wired on something and went away after landing on his head ok?)
anyway, the guys started playing a shuffle blues groove and, while a swing tumbao worked ok, I decided to try bembe and the 6/8 cowbell/ cascara combo figuring it was triplets in four...and it seemed to fit ok.
one day a jazz sax player showed up and he also played congas, and was doing amazing things with them and we started playing with clave to whatever it was the guitar guys were doing...it worked pretty good.
(clave was about the only thing i could do to keep up with that guy...he was hot)
Whenever a friend and myself get together, she does guitar and sings, I try to search for something that fits....latin stuff is GREAT...and the simplicity of it (what were were doing that is) allowed me to hear the melodic quality of the drums and how they fit together with what was going on.
just about any of the rhythms, songo, samba, tumbao, etc.) fit...one tune she was scatting and vamping on (really simple cowboy chord stuff), songo behind it was also working the melody to the amazement and delight of both of us....and we were both sober ok?
This stuff works I tell ya.
My approach I guess, would be to play around and see what works with whatever is going on and go with that...the difference is always better to my ears than the standard 4/4 backbeat thing...and even more toetappy...but then I am biased ok?
playing with clave for nonlatin stuff...hmmm...to my ear, there is an ebb and flow to clave...and a section where the downbeats go better and one where the offbeats go better...and if you go cross clave, usually you can tell because it doesnt sound uhhh...help me out here...it sounds "off" or something...usually when you reverse it at that point, it seems to pull in and the spice is there.
I know you can go cross clave and stuff...but thats kind of advanced for me at this stage of my "congueroness" and stuff.
ok...thats it from the peanut gallery...and its probly all wrong anyway...but your questions made me think of that time in folsom...and I just couldnt keep still because those who dont know talk and those who do, have the wisdom to stay silent and stuff and things.
- hufos
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:45 pm
- Location: Biscayne Bay
by franc » Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:56 am
raymond,
great to salute you and hope all is well. also the campanero ''bongosero'' must know which side of the clave to start after the break. i agree that the timbalero has the hardest part. aché ♪♪ franc
great to salute you and hope all is well. also the campanero ''bongosero'' must know which side of the clave to start after the break. i agree that the timbalero has the hardest part. aché ♪♪ franc
ibúkún,ire,
Franc ♪♪
Franc ♪♪
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franc - Posts: 359
- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2003 12:18 pm
- Location: P.R
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