"Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

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"Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby windhorse » Tue Aug 10, 2010 1:31 am

I'm lucky enough to be one of the fist people to get a copy of David's second book "Rumba Quinto".
Anyone else yet? I know it's early to bring this up, but here goes..
For the past two days I've been studying page 3. I figure that knowing the clave lock in it's stripped down 3 stroke version a page later, and this simplified repeating "full" 4 stroke ride, with alternating tone and slaps in a two clave sequence is worth some mindless repetition, then mindful, then mindless again.

So, today, not only did I work on the duple and triple structures with the filler strokes, heavy downbeats with legs both left and right, but also clave in either hand with the drum strokes in either hand. Everything was really slow, but I worked up to moderate speeds later on. Then, I made my own recording of clave and worked on the lock. Finally, I found a CD that goes with a Cliff Brooks's MelBay quinto drum book that has about four or eight speeds of guaguanco with clave, shaker, and the two support drums. I played the clave lock, I guess the 4x4 version with and without the second note of the quinto lock pattern at slow, then up to ripping fast speeds.. I hope for this to become a routine warmup practice..

So, I feel good.. Like a lot happened, but it will take many more of these "woodshedding" days to really "get" it.
One thing that is really fuzzy at this point is that I am still unsure of how to shift from the triple to the duple rides.. David?
Go slow to go fast? Specifically, the place I lose it, is the connection between knowing these with filler strokes, and playing with clave. When I get how it sounds with clave, or physically playing the clave in the other hand, any relationship to a triple and duple pulse feel goes out the window.

And of course, that's only the beginning of the book!
I feel like I was really getting those cross patterns in the class at Humboldt, but they're a distant memory at this point.
I can't wait to start into that part! And I can't wait to feel these locks as a constant, easy to find ride, so that the cross pattern can lead into the lock seamlessly.. Too little time, and too much to learn!
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby bongosnotbombs » Tue Aug 10, 2010 2:17 am

I just got a copy as well a few days ago. Haven't really started on any of the exercises, I've been busy with other things, but I have read most of the text, all the intro and the notes, fascinating reading alone with a lot of insight right there. Looking forward to getting into all the different exercises soon.
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby vasikgreif » Tue Aug 10, 2010 6:58 am

Looking to buy it too (I already got Clave Matrix), but I'm be curious if there'll be an option for buying a download of it? I really liked that when I was buying 5 volumes of Beyond salsa Piano serie from Kevin Moore, as it's cheaper and I get what I'm buying immediately (no Amazon here in Czech republic)...
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby davidpenalosa » Wed Aug 11, 2010 12:45 am

windhorse wrote:One thing that is really fuzzy at this point is that I am still unsure of how to shift from the triple to the duple rides.. David?


Hi Dave,
The easiest place to begin with is simply tapping your foot and counting the subdivisions:

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

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

While the main beats written in each line above do not align, you of course, have to maintain the main beats at a consistent tempo while you divide them. If you have a metronome, or a drum machine, I'm sure you will be able to accomplish this exercise quite easily. Divide each of the four main beats by four, and then divide the next cycle of beats by three. Alternate each cycle of main beats this way.

Next, divide two beats by four (1 e + a 2 e + a ), followed by two beats divided by three (1 + a 2 + a). Finally, alternately divide each main beat by three and four subdivisions, while maintaining the tempo of the main beats. This last exercise is a bit challenging.

What follows is a more advanced exercise.

First, tap your foot while tapping the triple-pulses (triple subdivisions) on your knees. Your hands will alternately coincide with your foot. The hands coinciding with your foot are shown in bold below:

R L R L R L R L R L R L

Here is the count:

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

As anyone who has read The Clave Matrix knows ( :wink: ), every triple-pulse pattern has a duple-pulse correlative. Duple-pulse structure (4/4) has e pulses, but triple-pulse (12/8) does not. Play the main beats, and and ah pulses in 4/4 (no e pulses), while alternating your hands:

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

Your hands will alternately coincide with your foot. The hands coinciding with your foot are shown in bold below:

R . L R L . R L R . L R L . R L

This is perhaps a bit complicated to convey in a post. The point is, both exercises play the main beats, and and ah pulses. Your hands will alternately coincide with your foot in both exercises. This is an easy way to move from duple to triple-pulse and back. Let me know if this helps, or if you need more clarification concerning the exercise.
-David
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby davidpenalosa » Wed Aug 11, 2010 6:43 am

vasikgreif wrote: . . . I'm curious if there'll be an option for buying a download of it? I really liked that when I was buying 5 volumes of Beyond salsa Piano serie from Kevin Moore, as it's cheaper and I get what I'm buying immediately (no Amazon here in Czech republic)...


Hi Vasikgreif,
I should have explained a bit more about these books. I have only about a dozen copies left from the early printing I did for the Afro-Cuban workshop in July. Rumba Quinto will not be "officially" released for several more months. The book will have some small changes in the next printing; the few typos will be corrected and the cover will be slightly altered.

I am making these few early copies available to the congaboard community. I’ve lowered the price by $5 and am including, from one collector to another, two "unofficial" compilation CDs drawn from my personal collection of recorded music. If anyone reading this is interested, please contact me privately.

Rumba Quinto will continue to be available through Amazon.com. At some future point, I’ll announce the official release of the book and when the MP3 audio examples are available for downloading.

As to your question, I would like to eventually have my books available in digital form. That is definitely the future. In the meantime, I saw that Amazon Global ships to the Czech Republic. I'll contact you privately. I'm sure we can find a way to get the book to you quickly.
-David
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby windhorse » Sat Aug 14, 2010 1:57 pm

davidpenalosa wrote:
windhorse wrote:One thing that is really fuzzy at this point is that I am still unsure of how to shift from the triple to the duple rides.. David?

The easiest place to begin with is simply tapping your foot and counting the subdivisions:
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a
-snip-
The point is, both exercises play the main beats, and and ah pulses. Your hands will alternately coincide with your foot in both exercises.
-David


Thanks David. I knew all that. And the exercise you give here may help some, but I was referring specifically to the lock itself.
What I meant was that playing the different rides seamlessly back and forth hadn't yet "grocked" for me. I'm having small breakthroughs though. Last night I was able to get some friends together and work on stuff we learned at camp this year. We did Miguel's Guarapachangueo, and Columbia, then they played a Yambu while I worked on the 4X4 quinto lock. It really felt good! I worked in doubles in and pulled out notes, went off into cross patterns and came back to the lock a few times.. :P
I'm also starting to make the ghost notes completely silent. So the growth is nice.
But changing the 4 to the 6 and back again is a goal as yet unachieved.
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby davidpenalosa » Sat Aug 14, 2010 5:53 pm

windhorse wrote:. . . changing the 4 to the 6 and back again is a goal as yet unachieved.


Hi Dave,
Are there other parts or patterns that you feel comfortable moving from duple-pulse to triple-pulse and vice versa?
-David
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby windhorse » Sun Aug 15, 2010 2:22 am

davidpenalosa wrote:
windhorse wrote:. . . changing the 4 to the 6 and back again is a goal as yet unachieved.

Hi Dave,
Are there other parts or patterns that you feel comfortable moving from duple-pulse to triple-pulse and vice versa?
-David

Great question! I can do the count with "e-&-uh"s for the 4, and the "&-uh"s for the 6. Also the ability to shift tresillo into a big fat round 3 count.
Do you have a plan in mind, other than just spending some time practicing?

I didn't get a chance to play the lock today, but OMG What a rumba we had!
Joe, from Denver, came to play with us, and he was quite the addition! He showed us a few songs, had the sheet music for Willow, Rick, and I to use for the songs, played ripping conga and flute, and he even sang a bit on some guaguancos. Most of the guys who've missed the past few rumbas came out of the woodwork! Sun was out, the temperature brisk, the group fired on all cylinders! We had a crowd in front of us, watching, dancing, and smiling most of the day..
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby davidpenalosa » Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:25 am

windhorse wrote: [I have] the ability to shift tresillo into a big fat round 3 count. Do you have a plan in mind, . . . ?


Absolutely! You just have to shift the alternating patterns so that you begin your strokes on the pulse immediately after beat 1, instead of beginning on one. If you begin by just playing what I call the quinto root (the three essential strokes on the three-side), it's simply a matter of alternating between the displaced tresillo (1e, 2, 2a) and the displaced six-beat cycle (offbeat-six) (1+, 2, 2a). In other words, alternate between the displaced tresillo and the displaced "big fat round 3 count."

By just playing the root of the lock, you have the entire two-side of clave to adjust between your change in subdividing.

H O H T O H T O H . . . H . . . 4/4

H O H O H O H . . H . . 12/8

The examples above don't align in this message, but I think you get what I mean.

Once you get comfortable with this, you will be able to easily add the additional stroke on 3a.
-David
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby windhorse » Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:10 pm

davidpenalosa wrote:
windhorse wrote: [I have] the ability to shift tresillo into a big fat round 3 count. Do you have a plan in mind, . . . ?

Absolutely! You just have to shift the alternating patterns so that you begin your strokes on the pulse immediately after beat 1, instead of beginning on one.


Thanks David,,
I'm about to sit down right now for an hour practice.
I'll do just that with a metronome..
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby danno » Thu Aug 19, 2010 7:04 pm

Just got my copy. Holy Moses! What a comprehensive study! Straight up and lots of detail.
I've been listening to the fantastic cd's while reading the book.

thanks David!

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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby davidpenalosa » Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:23 pm

Hi Dan,
I'm so glad you like the book. I can say confidently that it is not like any other conga drum, or Cuban percussion instruction book. While some readers will mainly be interested in adding more locks to their repertoire, others may find the accompanying concepts of interest. I would love to talk about any of it in this forum. I always find the conceptual discussions very interesting.

I'll be announcing the official release date here when that time comes.
-David
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby niallgregory » Fri Aug 20, 2010 11:31 am

Hi David ,

I got mine in the post yesterday . It looks great i have to say .Havent had a chance to go through it all yet but it looks very comprehensive , and reaffirms alot of what i have heard and learnt about rumba quinto . Had lessons in cuba from some great quinto players but its great to have it documented in this way . Also great to have other view points on how things are done . All in all another great book to add to the library of afro cuban percussion .A great achievement .Well Done ..
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby davidpenalosa » Fri Aug 20, 2010 4:46 pm

niallgregory wrote:. . . it . . . looks very comprehensive , and reaffirms alot of what i have heard and learnt about rumba quinto. Had lessons in cuba from some great quinto players but its great to have it documented in this way.


Thanks Niall,
That's very gratifying to hear. It's also good to see our postal services working so well. I think I mailed the book less than a week ago!
-David
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Re: "Rumba Quinto" by David Peñalosa

Postby niallgregory » Sat Aug 21, 2010 12:34 am

davidpenalosa wrote:
niallgregory wrote:. . . it . . . looks very comprehensive , and reaffirms alot of what i have heard and learnt about rumba quinto. Had lessons in cuba from some great quinto players but its great to have it documented in this way.


Thanks Niall,
That's very gratifying to hear. It's also good to see our postal services working so well. I think I mailed the book less than a week ago!
-David


And i recieved it on wednesday :shock: :D
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