ae 12/8 BELL COORDINATION EXERCISES Gyre EXAMPLES 1-7 The bell part on the top line can be played with a stick on a bell while the lower part can be played with a stick on a drum or on a conga with your hand. f i | 2 ——— = h = = r r r rf 4610 EXAMPLES 8-15sialaaaeteiaeeeen a 48 EXAMPLE 16 LEARNING THE MIDDLE SUBDIVISION IN 12/8 Now lets go a step further. Almost all of us are comfortable with the following since this is just a shuffle or a triplet feel, EXAMPLE 17 > > > > = SSS SS ee However, Afro-centric musics frequently require us to feel: EXAMPLE 18 The middle note of the group of three is critically important. Learning to feel c mfortable with the middle subdivision is often difficult for musicians studying these traditions for the first time, since the accent pulls us off the beat (see ex. 2 above). The following examples Will help you feel more solid when you have to play with this syncopation, and Abacua, Brikamo, Arara, and many other Afro-Cuban 12/8 rhythms are based on accenting the middle subdivision of a triplet. One hand plays on the second subdivision and the other Fad plays other rhythms. Use the first bar as a “check pattem’, then add the other bar when you feel comfortable: EXAMPLE 19 h h A \ k ' k ‘ SS 4 " Open ot slap for either hand CTY TT 7 7 « 4M BRORRRRRRARRARE KABA e ee am ~ ~