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![]() Understanding salsa musicSalsa music is one of the most complex musical forms around - ask any musician... at it's heart is a perplexingly esoteric blend of various idiosynchratic percussion instruments - each adhering to a strict set of rules regarding the beats the instrument is allowed to play... subtract these instruments from the mix and the heart and soul of the music is lost. Here's some tracks you can play 'spot the percussion with - all great salsa dance tracks - and you can listen tot he complete tracks using SPotify - go to: www.spotify.com Guarija Flute - Tito Puente Hong Kong Mambo - Tito Pente Abre Que Voy - Miguel Enriquez Hijo De Los Rumberos - La Excelencia Deja De Criticar - La Excelencia
And so to the theory... · Salsa (music) came from a cross between jazz clubs and latin clubs in the 1930s depression in new york. Latinos came from puerto rico etc, and migrated up the US coast. Jazz musicians would pop over to the clubs during their breaks just to jam, as the atmosphere was still in party mode. · Salsa is a very hard style to play. Musicians find salsa hard. It needs attitude, energy, and an ability to play slightly off the beat (perfect timing doesn't really work for salsa) Music is fundamentally in bars of four beats. Salsa is considered 4/4, (four equal beats per bar), merengue a 2/4 beat. But, salsa the dance is over eight beats... so it is always in two bars. If you listen to salsa, each phrase is over two bars or eight beats (the conga pattern, the clave, one sentence of lyrics, the melodic rifts, the bassline, etc).· The timbalero normally controls the band (or at least the percussion section). He will swap around instruments, including using the cowbell, side of the timbales etc. The cowbell drives the song forward and can make the whole band play faster (show demo). · Congas, cowbell are the base percussion instruments. Bongos and timbales are important, but don't set the key. They just overlay really... they give the spice/flavour. · Other instruments: shakers, clave (only actually played about 10% of the time). Guero. · Different rythms: Tumbao, Rumba (guaguanco), Cumbia, Caballo, Son, Bolero. Salsa is a mix of all of these rythms. · Three main types of conga drums: quinto, conga, tumbao And a useful webpage that introduces the key elements of salsa rythymn... Promotion
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