11.;;.;.;,;.;;:;;;;;;;.;,;;..
iilhihiiMi&ii,aMtt•lit.j.Q
The following are the three ride
patterns for the Son go. Do all of the
combinations in this section with all
three of the ride patterns. The first is
the basic half-note pulse. The second is
the one-beat, one-bar Campana phrase,
and the third is the same phrase but
made into a two bar phrase in clave-3-
2 clave in this case. Remember to play
all of the combinations starting on
either bar. Eventually you'll also need to be
ab/,e to start all the combinations not only on
J J
•=d=, lii·i«&
Following are the four main hihat/
left foot variations you'll play in this
style. They are beats 1 and 3, beats 2
and 4, all four quarter notes (this is
probably most useful in a more fusion
or nontraditional style) , and the rumba
clave, (this can be played on the hihat
or on a woodblock mounted on a bass
drum pedal). Play all of the combina-
tions in this section with all of these
patterns.
When you're first starting, pick one
simple pattern (i.e. the first or second
pattern) that is most comfortable to you
and get all of the basic playing down
with that. You don't have to start with
256
either bar but on any beat of any bar.
Even though these are primarily
cowbell patterns, you must practice
these on a wood sound (like the side of
the floor tom) , and on the cymbal bell.
You should also do them on the closed
hihat as well as doing patterns 2 and 3
on the hihat and opening the notes on
beat 1 and 3. All of these sounds are
played in the course of playing the
Songo style in an ensemble.
II
the clave in the left foot. Save that for
later. It makes no sense to have the feel
falling apart because you 're trying to
play the clave with your foot. If your feel
is great and you can't play clave in the
left foot no one really cares. If you can,
then it's icing on the cake. But if you're
playing clave in one foot and a bunch
of other syncopated stuff in your other
limbs and nothing is locked in, then
your playing is of no use to anyone. The
people you're playing with won't know
whether to follow your feet or your
hands. So be practical and get the basic
stuff feeling real good first and you '11 be
out there playing. Then you can add
everything else.
 I.
o¢ r( t r t Ir t r( t II

2.
18¢ t r t r( ,, r( t r II

3.
10¢ r( r( r( r(
r r Ir r II

4.

18¢ c
1
Dl(. Dit r( r( t II

These are the most common bass
drum variations. Again, do all of the
combinations in this section with all of
these patterns.
The bass drum, unlike the hihat
patterns, not only functions as an
ostinato part but also plays an improvi-
sational role. It can be part of a dia-
logue with the left hand and also plays
its usual role of playing big accented
parts. This means you have to address
not only the ostinato bass drum parts
but also do exercises that will free up
your right foot to be able to improvise
rhythmic lines along with your left
hand. For now get these combinations
down. Other technical exercises for
improvisation are presented later in
this section .

I.
-
•
II

2.
t 11

3.
t II

257
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~8¢,. r· , I,. r· r II ID¢ t· r· r I,. D., D,II
4. 12.

5.
1D¢,. r· , 1- r r II
13.
18¢,. r· , I,. D., W II
ID¢,. r· , I,. Dr , II ID¢ ,. r· r Ir· D., c:rll
14.
6.

¢,. r· , 18¢t· r· r I,. D., c:rll

15.
7.
1 D
Dr r I It·

8.
/0¢,. r· r Ir· r· , 11
16. ,
ID¢ ,. r· r Ir· Dr II

ID¢ ,. r· , I,. D., D, II ID¢ ,. D., D1 Ir· Dr , II

17.
9.

10.
1B¢ i. r i Ir· D' D t II

11.

lBcrt· r· r Ir· D' Dt II

rI
longer phrases by using one pattern as a
The combinations that you can
repeating groove and introducing some
come up with here are endless. Read
others every eight or sixteen bars as
down all of the previous combinations
variations.
at least four or eight times each then
move on to the next one without
Next we move on to a couple of
stopping. After you can go from any
specific approaches for developing
one to any other one without disrupting
grooves, variations and soloing.
the flow then put them together into

258
 ,,,.,.;,;.;;:;,,;;;;;.,.•
TUMBA6 & CLAVE LEFT HAND COMPING VARIATIONS
The va1iations below are those that
you will play around the drums while
your other (right hand) plays the bell
patterns. If you are left handed you will
probably reverse this. There is no rule
here. Do what is most comfortable. Some
right handed players ride with their left
hand or either hand depending on the
situation. Ideally you should be able to
play these patterns both ways as this will
afford you the most possibilities in any
musical situation you may encounter.
I'm presenting the way I do it but
your physical drum setup may be
different. It doesn't matter as long as
what you're playing sounds right.
You 'll sometimes need to rearrange
your setup or create a new setup to deal
2.
I.
18¢ t rr rr r 11
The following patterns are taken
from the key notes, usually the ac-
cented-slap-tones and the open-
melody-tones, of the conga parts.
These are usually played on the set as
rim clicks for the slap tones and tom
toms for the open tones, and that's how
they are presented here. You can of
course find other ways but get these
down first.
The first pattern is a rim click on
3.
18¢ 1 r '1 r r II
4.
5.
10¢, r1u lt
226
with a specific situation . This ca~
. moVI·ng a bell from one side of
mvove1
the set to the other or mounting another
percussion instrument to cover a part.
If you practice all of these_co~bina-
tions methodically, any new s1tuauon
should simply be a small time investment
in getting the mechanics of it together.
The first two patterns presented are
the Son and Rumba Clave. (Again,
remember this whole section is written
in 2-3 so practice everything in 3-2
also.) This means that every combina-
tion in this section will be played with
each of these clave rhythms as your left
hand pattern. You can play this on the
rim of your snare or on a mounted
woodblock.
/0¢ 1 rr
beat 2 and an open tone on the high
tom on beat 4. This is from a conga
tumba6 as well as from the left hand
tumba6 part of the timbalero.
The second pattern is probably the
most common variation used on drum
set in this style. It is basically the key
notes of the one bar conga tumba6.
The third pattern is taken from the
two bar conga tumba6.
10¢ t r t u It r t CJ 11
ur u11
 MAMBolTIMBALE BELL VARIATIONS

Following are a number of variations
for the timbale bell. Note the articula-
tion markings-the accents-and notes
that are played nearer to the neck
(marked with a staccato dot for a
to the mouth (marked with an "o" for a
more open or longer ringing note).
It is very important that you review
the Tim bales section from Part I to

••
1.
>-

18¢ J J
>- >-
shorter sound) and those played closer

JJ , JIJ n, .c;J II
>- >- >-
refresh your memory on this material.

· ID¢ JJJIS 1 rrS ci II 7 . . 7 .

o • o • o o o

18¢ J 1, m IJ II . ID¢ JJJI5 I,rr5JJJ

.. JI
o • o • o o o •

. ID¢
>- >- >-

7
>-

17
>->-

Pl~ JJ11
10

D¢
·1
>- >- >-

7
>-

17 mm >-

7
>-

II

.
>- >- >->-

7 m m 11>-

7
>- II

·1 D¢
>- >- >-

7
>-

17 Pl
>-

7
>- >-

II

. ID¢
>- >-

7
>->-

17 m m ·1>-

7
>-

II
12

¢
>- >- >- >-

~~~~ 17 Pl 7 Q 1
>- >- >-

hn 1,m,m11 n
6 >- >->- >- >- 13 >- >- >- >- >- >- >- >-

18¢, ·1a¢ 1 n1
7.

18¢ t
>-

,m 1,m,m11
>- >- >- 14. >- >- >-

n,~ 1~
>- >-

n~ n 1
>- >- >-

15

18¢ j j ' h Ij. .b' h II

225
 MAMBO~ TIMBALE BELL PATTERNS

Following are several of the most
common patterns from Son-derived
styles. Applications of these patterns
within each specific style are presented
and discussed in Part II. For now, try to
memorize them all and get them to
groove with all the correct inflections.
Listen to some recordings and play the
patterns along with them to help you
get the right feel. As mentioned on the
previous page, kee~ in mind the many
variations in intlectton that are played
within each pattern and the many
nuances that each particular player
adds. Listen to the recording and to the
masters for the true reference. All
examples are presented in both clave
positions.

3-2 Clave Position 2-3 Clave Position

Before playing all these patterns, practice and memorize the following skeleton rhythm.

Notice how this rhythm exists either in its entirety-through the accents-or in part in
each of the following patterns. You can use this pattern in the same way you'd play
any of the patterns presented here. It's just the most sparse and syncopated one. Study
it because it is the underlying fundamental rhythm and accent of all these patterns.

Examples Ia & Ib are here for review since they are the two most common patterns.
They were presented on the last page. Use these to start practicing and to get the
groove going. Three through fourteen are a few common variations.

3-2 Clave Position 2-3 Clave Position

70
 .,,.,.,.u.11,_
3-2 Clave Position 2-3 Clave Position

m mI m mI
Sa. Sb. _
> > > > > > > > > >- >- --

1D¢ 7 7 7 ~II 18 ¢ 7 1, 7

7a. 7b.
> > > > > > > :::>

,m11 ,m 1,m,m11
8a. 8b.

m, m1
>- >- >- > > > > > > >-

R11 R1,Pl,Pl11
.
ID¢ 7 m P, I~
>> > > > >

P,11 18 ¢
> >

P, I7
>

m ~II >->- >

m mI 1, m mII
IOa 10~
>- > > > > > > > > > > >

18¢ 7 7 7 II ID ¢ 7 7

71
 2.3 Clave Position
3-2 Clave Position
12a.

13a.

IB¢ p pI jJ ~I

nn
14a.

·1B¢ I J , JI

The Cha-Cha and Charanga bells are

Figure I shows the stroke toward the
the smallest and highest pitched bells center of the bell with the tip of the
and are almost exclusively used for stick (this stroke sweeps forward to-
these two styles and also the Guajira, wards the mouth stroke), and figure 2
Bolero and other slower, quarter note shows the stroke towards the mouth of
pulsed 4styles. (Most Charanga interpre- the bell with the shoulder of the stick.
tations are slightly faster and "in two.")
These bells are mostly played with the
shoulder of the stick on the mouth of
the bell. Sometimes the stroke is dead-
sticked, producing a muted tone and
sometimes not, allowing the bell to
ring. In rhythmic patterns that consist
of more than just quarter notes, the tip
of the stick is used to strike more
towards the center top of the bell.
Which strokes and patterns are played
is dependent on the style and/ or the figure I
section of a particular piece.

As shown in the timbale setup of the

previous page, the Cha-Cha bell is
usually faced directly away from the
player (with the mouth facing forward
and away from the player-towards the
audience) or facing left (opposite the
mambo bell) if the woodblock is not
used. The Charanga bell is usually clipped
to the rim of the timbales with the open-
ing of the mouth facing the player. figure 2

72