Clave & Percussion in Latin Music
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For questions, contact Barb@DanceInTime.com
1. Overview of Rhythm
I have been interested in rhythm since I was young, and I have spent many years watching how people learn to hear timing, feel the beat, and translate that understanding into dancing, clapping, singing, or playing music. It is no accident that my dance company is named Danceintime.
Rhythm is at the heart of both music and dance. Whether you are learning Salsa, playing percussion, singing with a group, or simply trying to feel more comfortable moving to music, the ability to hear and follow a steady beat is a skill that grows with practice.
Some people seem to feel the beat automatically. Others need more time, repetition, and guidance. What is important is that if you have trouble finding the beat, you don’t give up. Attend a class, practice with others, listen carefully, and do your best. Skills improve over time.
If you are taking a dance class, try to watch the people around you and keep pace with the group as you move. This helps train your body to recognize the tempo and rhythm of the music. If you are a musician, playing with other musicians can serve the same purpose. Keeping pace with others helps you learn timing, even if you do not automatically feel the pulse of the music.
Experts Speak Out
Readers may want to check out the work of Jessica Silver, a researcher at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, who has done interesting work in this field. Also, “The Dancing Irishman,” has helpful suggestions for dancers working on timing, including how to find beat one. His information is useful, though readers should know that he sometimes uses colorful language.
When dancers practice regularly, their bodies become accustomed to the typical range of tempos used in the dances they are learning. In other words, they develop muscle memory for the speed and feel of that style of music. Salsa, for example, is often played at a fairly brisk tempo. Even when a dancer’s timing is not perfect at first, repeated practice helps the body gradually move closer to the beat. That’s why classes, guided practice, and group participation are so valuable. They help people internalize rhythm in a natural, physical way.
Another useful practice tool is the Rhythm & Timing Tracks produced by Barbara Bernstein and Michele Kearney. On these tracks, two dance instructors voice the “quick” and “slow” steps over music so students can practice with guidance.
2. The Clave & Percussion Instruments in Salsa Music
As any dancer knows, the rhythm of Salsa music is an essential ingredient in making the music “live.” Salsa music is commonly counted in phrases of eight beats, which in turn are made up of two musical measures of four beats each.
The All-Important Clave
A key rhythmic pattern in Salsa music is the clave. The word “clave” can refer both to the rhythm pattern and to the percussion instrument used to play it. The clave’s rhythm is central to the structure and feeling of Salsa music.
The instrument itself is simple: literally two wooden sticks that are struck together. The clave patterns below show the beats when the clave is struck.
3-2 Clave Rhythm
The clave is struck on: 1, the “and” of 2, 4, 6, and 7 (Note: The “and” of 2 means the second half of the second beat.)
You can count it this way: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and
(The bolded numbers are when the clave is struck.)
The 3-2 clave has three strikes in the first measure and two in the second measure.
2-3 Clave Rhythm
The clave is struck on: 2, 3, 5, the “and” of 6, and 8
You can count it this way: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and
(Again the bolded numbers are when the clave is struck.)
This pattern reverses the first and second measures of the 3-2 clave. In the 2-3 clave, there are two strikes in the first measure and three in the second.
The music determines which clave pattern is appropriate. Other instruments in Salsa music are coordinated with the clave. This coordination is essential because the clave is, literally, the “key” or foundation of the Salsa rhythm.
Experts Speak Out
I once had a conversation with Edie, the Salsa Freak, about rhythm, and she told me something that underscored the importance of the clave. She said she had gone to jam sessions where drums were playing, but there was no clave. When she joined in with her clave, “all of a sudden it sounded like a Latin jam session.” It changed the whole flavor of the sound.
I also spoke with Mike Bello and Charley Gerard, both authors of major works in this field. In those discussions, both men independently mentioned that the distinction between 3-2 clave and 2-3 clave is largely an American way of explaining the rhythm. I was told that Cuban musicians may not think of the clave as two separate categories in quite the same way. Instead, they may simply understand where the melody begins and which side of the clave fits the music. Because they grow up hearing these rhythms, they can identify naturally which measure of the clave to play in a given section of music.
The expressions “mixing songs on the clave” and “dancing on the clave” show how important the clave is. If a DJ mixes songs on the clave, that means the DJ moves from one song to another while maintaining the integrity of the clave rhythm. When dancers refer to dancing on the clave, they mean that the dancers’ steps are consistent with the rhythmic foundation of the music. It does not mean that the dancer steps every time the clave is struck. Dancers usually take six steps in eight beats, while the clave is struck five times.
The two sides of the clave have different feelings. The side with three strikes creates more rhythmic tension and syncopation. The side with two strikes feels more settled and resolved. This tension and release is one reason Salsa music feels so dynamic and exciting.
Considering the crucial role that the clave plays in Salsa music, it is a remarkably simple instrument. Traditionally, claves were two pieces of wood hit against each other. Today, claves may also be made of other materials, including plastic, and they can still produce a strong, clear sound.
Percussion and Drum Rhythms
Percussion gives Salsa music much of its energy, texture, and drive. A drummer or percussionist is not simply marking even beats. Different drums, strokes, accents, and tones create a rich rhythmic landscape.
Even a single drum can produce many sounds depending on where and how it is struck. A player may use open tones, muted tones, slaps, taps, or deeper bass sounds. These variations make the rhythm more expressive and more interesting than a simple count.
For dancers, this matters because the percussion helps create the feel of the music. The rhythm invites the body to move, and different accents in the music can influence how dancers interpret a song.
For people learning percussion, it is helpful to begin by listening carefully, clapping simple patterns, and gradually learning how different instruments fit together. Rhythm is learned not only intellectually, but physically. The hands, ears, and body all learn together.
Conga Rhythm: Tumbao
Drums such as congas or bongos often help mark the underlying structure of the music. However, not all beats are played or emphasized in the same way. Some sounds are stronger, some are softer, and some have a different tone or texture.
A simplified version of a common conga rhythm, called tumbao, might emphasize the beats below which are bolded:
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and
This is a simplified way of thinking about the rhythm. When played in a song, the conga pattern has much more texture, with different tones and strokes creating the familiar tumbao feel.
Bongo Rhythm: Martillo
The bongos also play an important role in Salsa music. A common bongo rhythm is called martillo, which means “hammer” in Spanish.
A simplified way to think about the martillo pattern is that it keeps a steady, driving texture through the music, while certain notes are given more emphasis or a different sound. When played in a song, there may be alternate tones or additional sounds on beats such as 4 and 8, giving the pattern more richness than a simple count can show.
The Cowbell
The cowbell can play a variety of rhythmic patterns in Salsa music. If a percussionist is using one cowbell, a pattern might include strikes on the counts that are bolded below:
For music in 3-2 clave: 1 2 and 3 4 and 5 6 7 8 and
For music in 2-3 clave: 1 2 3 4 and 5 6 and 7 8 and
Where and how the bell is struck affects the sound. Depending on the point of contact, the bell may produce a high or low tone, or a stronger or weaker sound. If the bell is held with the opening at the lower end, striking near the opening produces a lower tone. Striking closer to the top produces a higher sound because that part of the bell vibrates differently.
3. Rhythm for Dancers
Salsa and Mambo dancing is usually based on taking three steps during four beats of music. This is often described as:
quick, quick, slow — quick, quick, slow
The “quick” steps each take one beat. The “slow” step takes two beats.
Dancers commonly step on: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
or on: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
In an eight-beat phrase, dancers usually change direction twice when doing the basic step. This change of direction is called the break step.
If a dancer steps on 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7, and breaks on 1 and 5, this is called dancing on one.
If a dancer steps on 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8, and breaks on 2 and 6, this is one form of dancing on two.
Another very common form of dancing on two is often associated with Eddie Torres. In this approach, dancers begin on beat 1 but place the break step on beat 2. Many dancers find it easier to start moving on beat 1, while still enjoying the rhythmic feeling of breaking on 2.
The break step is important because it is where the dancer changes direction. This change of direction creates a natural “body accent.” When the break happens on 1 and 5, the dance has one feeling. When the break happens on 2 and 6, the dance has a different feeling, often described as more syncopated or more “inside” the music.
Some dancers say that dancing on one is dancing “to the music,” while dancing on two is dancing “in the music.” Mike Bello has described dancing on two as dancing “in the fabric of the music.”
Edie, the Salsa Freak, made an important point about this. She emphasized that the richest dancing comes from responding to the music itself — including its accents, breaks, and changes — rather than being rigidly attached to one timing pattern. A dancer may usually dance on one or on two, but still respond creatively and alter their usual pattern to particular musical moments.
The important point is that both ways of dancing are valid. Some dancers prefer on one. Some prefer on two. What matters most is keeping the tempo consistently and understanding the relationship between the steps and the music.
For Salsa dancers, the most fundamental rhythmic skill is learning to take three steps in four beats of music and to keep that timing steadily, whether dancing on one or on two.
Finding Beat One
A key skill for dancers is learning to find beat one, because dancers often begin on that beat.
Some instructors suggest listening for a particular instrument that often plays on beat one. This can be helpful, but it’s also tricky because instruments are not played the same way in every song. A more reliable long-term skill is learning to feel the pulse of the music and recognize which beat feels like the beginning of the phrase.
This takes time. It is partly intellectual, but it is also physical and intuitive. Listening, clapping, stepping, and practicing with others all help. Remember that the goal is not perfection at the beginning. The goal is gradual improvement. With repeated exposure, the body and ear become better at recognizing the structure of the music.
Rhythm Practice for Dancers
For people who want help practicing timing, the Rhythm & Timing Tracks produced by Barbara Bernstein and Michele Kearney is available on this website. The tracks include instructors voicing the quick and slow steps over music, giving dancers a guided way to practice timing.
For questions about rhythm, timing, percussion, dance instruction, or music-based programs, contact Barb@DanceInTime.com