A GUIDE TO THE:

LATIN JAZZ GUIDE, A PATH TO

AUTHENTIC PERCUSSION AND
ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
BY JAMES DREIER

THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXCERPTS OF THE

ORIGINAL AND IS FOR CLINIC USE ONLY –
PLEASE RETURN THIS CLINIC COPY AT THE
END OF THIS PRESENTATION

PLEASE GO TO WWW.LATINJAZZGUIDE.COM
FOR MORE INFORAMTION AND RESOURCES
 Dedicated to
Bill and Mary Ellen Dreier

Edited by Ronny Schiff and Maggie Schmidt

Production by Charylu Roberts & O.Ruby Productions
www.SelfPublishMusicBooks.com
Cover Art: Drew Morton
Rhythm Section Score Editor: Steve Shanley
Additional Contributions: Ed East
James Dreier Portrait: Molly Long Photography
Photos Courtesy of Latin Percussion

ISBN 978-1-4950-2897-7

Copyright © 2015 James Dreier

All Rights Reserved
Table of Contents
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
About the Percussion Solutions and Rhythms Section Practice, Play-along Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Section 1 t The World of Latin Jazz and the Three Spheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

A Brief History of Latin Jazz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Latin Rhythms/Style Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Road Map to Style Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cuban, Clave-based Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Brazilian-based Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Caribbean-based Sub-Sphere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
FAQ About Playing Latin Jazz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Section 2 t The Cuban, Clave-Based Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Family of Common Cuban Percussion Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Cuban Musical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
FAQ About Playing Cuban, Clave-based Jazz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mambo Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Mambo Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Mambo Performance Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cha cha chá Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Cha Cha Chá Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Cha Cha Chá (Boogaloo) Performance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Rumba Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Rumba Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Rumba Performance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Afro-Cuban 6/8 (Bembe) Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Afro-Cuban 6/8 Check List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Afro-Cuban 6/8 (Bembe) Performance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Songo Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Songo Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Songo Performance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Boléro Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Boléro Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Boléro Performance Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Section 3 t The Brazilian-Based Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Family of Brazilian-Based Percussion Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Brazilian Musical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
FAQ About Playing Brazilian-Based Jazz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Samba Basic Info Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Samba Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Samba Performance Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Bossa Nova Basic Info Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Bossa Nova Check List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Bossa Nova Performance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Baião Basic Info Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Baião Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
 Baião Performance Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Partido Alto (Samba Partido Alto) Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Partido Alto Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Partido Alto Performance Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Section 4 t Caribbean-Based Sub-Sphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Family of Common Caribbean-Based Percussion Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Caribbean Musical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
FAQ About Playing Caribbean-Based Jazz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Calypso/Soca Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Calypso/Soca Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Calypso/Soca Performance Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Merengue Basic Info Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Merengue Check List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Basic Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Merengue Performance Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Brief Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Section 5 t More Direction, Resources and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Where’s the Clave? Finding the Proper Clave Type and Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Set Up, Tuning and Maintenance of Latin Percussion Instruments (by Ed East) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Appendix A: Family of Cuban, Clave Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Appendix B: Partial List of Important Latin and Latin Jazz Musicians and Groups. . . . . . . . . 162
Appendix C: Glossary of Latin Jazz Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

See www.latinjazzguide.com
for additional resources, information
and exclusive customer content.
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Road Map to Style Interpretation

How do you find the proper Latin style when there is no specific style indication on the part or score? Here
are some steps to help you to identify style authenticity and consistency (where none may exist). For more
information about some of the terms and information given here, please refer to the corresponding “Charac-
teristics” chapter for each style that is referenced. The following examples are meant to show parts that might
appear in published scores and are not necessarily meant to be examples of authentic style parts.

NOTE: This sequence works best with medium to up-tempo tunes.

For slower tempo styles, refer to the individual “Basic Information Charts”
presented in each style-chapter.

4UFQ

r
Look at the Bass Part

Check out the section of the chart where the bass is playing consistent time and analyze the part as shown in
the example below.
Example 1–1: Bass Part Excerpts
A.
œ œ. œ œ.
? b 44 œ . J œ œ . œj œ . œ œ . J œ œ . œj œ . œ
F6

œ œ. J . j J œ œ. J . j J
? b 44 œ . J œ œ œ œ . J œ œ œ
F6

œ œ . œ œ .
œ . Ja Brazilian-based
. aboveJœ suggests . œj œapproach
J (bossa nova,
. œJ samba)œ . Jand is .discussed J
j furtherœin
? 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
F6

b 4 Musical Characteristics” chapter. . œ œ. J

Bass line A
the “Brazilian J J J
Cm6
œ œ œ Gœ7. Cm6
œ œ œ Gœ7.
? b b 22 Cm6
b œ . Jœ œ œ Gœ7 Jœ œ œ Cm6 œ . Jœ œ
B.
œœ œ
. œ œ . Jœ œ
G7
? b b 22 Cm6 J œ œ J
b œ. œ œ J œ Cm6 œ.
œ œ J œ
œ œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ
G7 G7
? b b 22 œ . J œ œ . J œ
b B above suggests a Cuban, clave-basedJ J
44 G6œ . Clave-based
?theb “Cuban, j
œ œCharacteristics” j
. œ œ œchapter.œ . œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ
Bass line
G6 F6 approach
F6 (cha cha chá, mambo)
G6and is discussed further
in
œ œ Musical
? b 44 œ . J œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . Jœ œ œ
F6
. j
F6
. j
G6
œ œ
C.

œ J œ j j J
? b 44 . œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ
G6 F6 F6 G6

J J
Bass line C above suggests a Caribbean-based approach (calypso, soca) and is discussed further in the
“Caribbean Sub-Sphere Musical Characteristics” chapter.

NOTE: Sometimes a chart will have mixed signals. For example, it might
show a Brazilian bass line, but Cuban-based percussion parts. In this circum-
stance, it is best to change the percussion parts to fit the rhythm section parts.

14
 If there is strong enough evidence to point to a specific style, then go to the appropriate “Sphere Home
Page” and follow the information shown to determine the exact style, instrument selection,
and other considerations.
If the bass line is not conclusive enough, then continue to the next step.

NOTE: Remember, any two-bar pattern

presented here can appear in the opposite
4UFQ

r
Look at the Drum-Set Part
direction — first bar second, second bar
Look for any evidence of a style-specific rhythm cell in first. Keep your eyes and ears open to
the drum parts, as given in the example below: the direction of the clave or any two-bar
rhythmic cell.
Example 1–2: Drum Set Excerpts from Three Different Styles

A.
A. > > > > > >
‰
ã 22
y y y y œ œy y yT y y œ œy
œ y œ Œ y Œ y œ Œ y

Drum set pattern A above has both a conga imitation — cross-stick and tom tom — as well as a cascara-
like hi-hat pattern, which suggests a Cuban, clave-based approach.
B.
B. > > > > >
2 œy œy œy œy œy œy œy œy œy œy œy
ã4 œ y œ œ y œ œ y œ œ y œ

Drum set pattern B above features the tell-tale Brazilian bass drum part found in bossa nova and
samba, which suggests a Brazilian-based approach.

C.

2 yy˙ yy yy œy œy yy yy œ y y œyœy
ãã 22 œœ ˙˙ ˙˙ œ ˙
˙ ˙

ã Û. Û Û Û Û. Û Û Û
J J
Big Three Rhythm

Drum set pattern C above outlines the “Big Three” rhythm (discussed in the “Caribbean Musical Character-
istics” chapter) and therefore would suggest the Caribbean-based approach.
If there is strong enough evidence to point to a specific style, then go to the appropriate “Sphere Home
Page” and follow the information given to determine the exact style, instrument selection and other consid-
erations.
If the drum-set part, along with the bass line, is not conclusive enough, then continue to the next step.

15
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

j G7j
4UFQ

r
Look
j j j j
at the Other RhythmG7Section Parts
j j j j
Cm6 Cm6
b œ. œ.
& b b 22 œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ
Piano

n œ n œ
Look at the piano and guitar comping patterns. They may suggest a Cuban Montuno Pattern, a Brazilian Two-bar
œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ. œ
Pattern or a Caribbean “Big Three” pattern as follows. These terms are all explained in detail in the “Characteris-
tics” pages of each style.

nœ j œ n œœ j n œœ jœœ n œœ j
Example I–3: Rhythm Section Excerpts
? bb 22 Cm6
œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œ jœ . œ j Cm6
œ œ œj œ œj œ jœ . œ
b Jœj Jœj Jœ œ . Jœj Jœ Jœ œ . j
G7 G7
bb b 2 œ
2 œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœœœ œ
Piano

& nœ nœ
œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ. œ

? #b 22 Ûœ. œÛ œÛ œ œÛ œ Û œ. œ Û œÛ œ . Û œ Û .œ Ûœ œÛ œ œÛ œ Û œÛ n ‰œœ Ûœ Ûœ . Ûœj

n œ j œ n œ j n œ j œ
G6 F6 Eb9sus4 D9

& b b22 J J J JJ J J J JJ
A:

#D 2 .
Piano part F6a montuno pattern, therefore
G6A above would suggest Eb9sus4it would be a Cuban,
D9 clave-based approach.

&2 2 Û Û Û Û C Û. Û Û Û Û. Û Û Û ÛEb Û ‰ Û Û Û
≈J Û Û Û . Û JÛ Û . Û J ≈ Û Û Û . ÛJ Û Û .
6 6 6 6
D9

ã4 Û Û Û
9 9 9

Cm6
j j
G7
j j j
Cm6
j j G7
j j j
B: b 2 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . œ
Piano

b
& Piano n œ
b 2or guitarœœcompingœœpatterns similar
œ toœ the one shown in B œ
œabove, œœ œa variationn œ
œ ofœ the
œ œ œ œC œ œ . œ D œ œ œ suggest œ œ . œ
Two-bar

ã 42 Û Û ≈ Û Û Û . n œÛ Û Û .
6
D
Û Û ≈ Û Û Û. Û Û Û.
6 6 6
9 9 9 Eb 9
Brazilian Rhythm and therefore a Brazilian-based approach.

? b b 22 NOTE: j œœ styles suchœ as samba. and bossa

n œœ Brazilian j novan œœare oftenjœœwritten in cutn œœtime . j
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ eighthJœ notesœ œœ œ
b (2/2 meter) in published J to Jmake them easierœ to readœusing
J charts œ J and J
quarter notes. Brazilian musicians usually prefer 2/4 or 4/4 meter.

C:

# 2 Û.
G6 F6 Eb9sus4 D9

& 2 Û Û Û Û. Û Û Û Û. Û Û Û Û Û ‰ Û Û Û
J J J J
Comping patterns in the rhythm section that outline the “Big Three” rhythm, as shown in C above,
suggests a Caribbean approach.

ã 42 Û
After
D 9 following these suggested
6
C 9 steps and using the information and reference material presented here,
Û Û. Û Û Û. Û Û. Û Û Û.
6 6 6
D9 Eb 9
Û ≈Û Û Û ≈Û
a specific Latin jazz style should be found. Go to the appropriate “Sphere Home Page” and follow the infor-
mation presented to determine the exact style, instrument selection and other considerations.
If the style is Cuban, clave-based, refer to the “Where’s the Clave” chapter and follow the steps to help
determine clave direction.

NOTE: When in doubt, go to calypso. Experience dictates that when a chart is written in a generic
“Latin” style, the bass line will often be closer to a Caribbean style, and therefore calypso will make an
otherwise divergent chart have some continuity and authenticity.

16
 Cuban, Clave-Based Sphere
Cuba, Puerto Rico*

$PNNPO
3IZUINT4UZMFT
'PVOE

JO
$VCBO
$MBWF#BTFE
+B[[
CUBAN:
.BNCP [MAHM-bo]
$IB
DIB
DIÃ
3VNCB [ROOM-bah]
4POHP
"GSP$VCBO
#FNCF

[bem-BEH]
#PMFSP [bo-LEH-(r)oh]

PUERTO RICAN:
*#PNCB [BOHM-bah]
*1MFOB [PLEH-nah]
.VTJDBM
3FGFSFODF
Musicians Playing !
Clave-Based Music Song Title (Style)

Ray Barretto “El Watusi” (boogaloo) $VCBO
$MBWF#BTFE

Maurio Bauzá “Mambo Inn” (mambo) 1FSDVTTJPO
*OTUSVNFOUT

Celia Cruz “Bemba Colora” (rumba- PRIMARY DRUMS:
cha cha chá) Congas or tumbadoras
Dizzy Gillespie “Manteca” (jazz mambo) Timbales [tim-BAL-hes]
Francisco “Machito” “Blen Blen Blen” (mambo) Bongo
Grillo Drum set
Eddie Palmieri “Vamonos Pa’L Monte” (guaracha-
mambo) HAND HELD:
Claves [CLA-veh]
Tito Puente “Oye Como Va” (cha cha chá)
“Ran Kan Kan” (mambo) Maracas
Cowbells or campanas
Poncho Sanchez “Morning” (bolero)
Shekere [CHE-ke-ray]
Arturo Sandoval “A Night in Tunisia” (rumba-jazz)
Güiro [WEE-rho]
Ramón “Mongo” “Afro Blue” (Afro 6/8)
Santamaría * = Presented in the companion website
Cal Tjader “Soul Sauce” (cha cha chá)

*Showing the most common styles found in Latin Jazz (see page 22)

17
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Brazilian Based Sphere

$PNNPO
3IZUINT4UZMFT
'PVOE

JO
#SB[JMJBO#BTFE
+B[[
4BNCB (multiple varieties)
#PTTB
/PWB
#BJÈP [by-YAWN]
1BSUJEP
"MUP
.BSBDBUV [ma-ra-ka-TU]
'SFWP [FRAY-vo]
$IPSP [SHO-ro]

!
#SB[JMJBO


1FSDVTTJPO
*OTUSVNFOUT

PRIMARY DRUMS:
4VSEP [SUR-du]: A family of
large, tubular, low sounding
drums strapped over one shoulder
(samba batucada). Played with
one mallet and hand
.VTJDBM
3FGFSFODF %SVN
TFU
Musicians Playing
HAND HELD:
Brazilian Music Song Title (Style)
"HPHÓ [ah-go-GO]: Two differently
Astrud Gilberto “Meditation” (bossa nova) pitched bells attached by a
João Gilberto “So Danço Samba” (jazz samba) curved metal grip
Gilberto Gil “How Insensitive” (bossa nova) 5SJBOHVMP Large triangle for baião
(BO[Ã [gung-zah]: Shakers that can
Stan Getz “The Girl from Ipanema” (bossa nova)
be cylinder or substituted with
Joe Henderson “Once I Loved” (bossa nova)
egg shakers (not maracas)
Antonio Carlos Jobim “Corcovado/ Quiet (bossa nova) 1BOEFJSP [pan-DAY-roh]: Similar
Nights of Quiet Stars” to single-head tambourine, but
Milton Nascimento “Os escravos De Jo” (contemporary with different cymbal types that
afoxé) face each other
Sergio Mendes “Magalenha” (samba Bahia) 5BNCPSJN [tam-bo-REEM]: Small
Airto Moreira “Tombo” (jazz samba one-sided drum played with a
in 7/4) multi-pronged beater
Hermeto Pascoal “Aquela Coisa” (jazz baião) "QJUP [AH-pea-toh]: Samba whistle
Horace Silver “Song for My Father” (jazz bossa nova)

*Showing the most common styles found in Latin Jazz (see page 89)

18
 Caribbean Based Sub-Sphere
Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Tobago, Virgin Islands*

$PNNPO
3IZUINT4UZMFT
'PVOE

JO
$BSJCCFBO#BTFE
+B[[
$BMZQTP and
4PDB [SOH-kah] (Trinidad,
Tobago, West Indies islands)
.FSFOHVF [meh-RHEN-gey]
(Dominican Republic)

!
$BSJCCFBO#BTFE


1FSDVTTJPO
*OTUSVNFOUT

$BMZQTP4PDB
PRIMARY DRUMS:
Pan/Steel drums: Family of drums
cut from steel barrels, mounted
.VTJDBM
3FGFSFODF
and played with small stick-
Musicians Playing mallets
Caribbean-Based Music Song Title (Style)
Brake drums: Old car brake
Harry Belafonte “The Banana Boat cylinders played with stick or
Song” (“Day-O”) (calypso) metal beaters (can substitute
Burning Flames “Island Girl” (calypso) cowbells).
Sonny Rollins “St. Thomas” (jazz calypso) Drum Set and Congas
Olga Tañón “Muchacho Malo” (merengue) HAND HELD:
Triangle
Wilfrido Vargas “El Africano” (merengue)
Shakers (not maracas)
Johnny Ventura “Morena” (merengue)
.FSFOHVF
PRIMARY DRUMS:
Musicians Playing
Caribbean-Influenced Jazz Tambora [tam-BO-rah]: (can use
conga as a substitute)
Caribbean Jazz Project “Sadie’s Dance” HAND HELD:
Yellowjackets “Rush Hour” Güira [WEE-rah]: Metal cylinder-
Andy Narell “Shadow Play” like instrument that is scraped
with a metal-pronged scraper
(like a metal güiro)
Cowbells (usually mounted)

*Showing the most common styles found in Latin Jazz (see page 130)

19
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

S
S E
2
E C T
T II O
ON

The Cuban, Clave-Based Sphere

N

Mambo
Cha cha chà
Rumba
Afro Cuban 6/8 (Bembe)
Songo
Bolero

22
 Family of Common Cuban
Percussion Instruments

Bongos

Timbales with mounted

wood block and cowbells

Maracas

Shékere

Claves

Guiro Congas

Photos provided courtesy of Latin Percussion ® 23

LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Cuban Musical Characteristics

Clave
Cuban music, at its very core, is built over a 2-bar rhythmic structure called clave. This pattern acts like a
rhythmic cantus firmus (fixed song) that supports and guides a variety of complex, syncopated and contra-
puntal musical structures built on top of it. The example below shows the two most common clave patterns.
Example 2–1: 3:2 Son and Rumba Clave

2
ã 2 Û. Û Û Û Œ Û Û Œ
J
Son Clave

2
ã 2 Û. Û Û. Û Œ Û Û Œ
J J
Rumba Clave

NOTE: The Afro-Cuban 6/8 (bembe) bell part is another important Cuban “clave” rhythm that is
associated with the folkloric and religious traditions, but also found in rumba Columbia and many
jazz applications. See the Afro-Cuban 6/8 chapter in this book, as well as the “Family of Cuban Clave
Patterns” in the Appendix section for more information on this important rhythmic cell.

Son [sõne] clave

r
0SJHJOT
Son clave is named for its connection to the son musical style, one of the historic pillars of
Cuban music. Originating in Cuba’s eastern countryside, but later a favorite in urban areas, son evolved
into a classic Cuban mix, with African-derived but uniquely Cuban percussion instruments (bongos,
claves and maracas) and rhythm sensibilities, Spanish/troubadour vocal tradition and European instru-
ments (trumpet, guitar, upright bass). The Cuban tres, a larger version of the American mandolin, was
also an important part of the mix. Son has exerted a strong influence on many later Cuban styles.
r
3IZUIN
The son clave pattern is slightly less syncopated than its rumba counterpart (as shown in the
example above) and is, therefore, considered easier to play and dance to. Traditionally, it is the clave
pattern found most often in standard jazz band literature and used in mambo, cha cha chá, and other
common “salsa” styles.

Rumba [ROOM-bah] clave

r
Origins: Rumba clave, along with the 6/8 bembe bell pattern, comes from the Cuban-folkloric tradition
and specifically from its namesake complex of rumba styles (see Rumba chapter in this book for more
information). Another pillar of Cuban music, rumba originated as a secular expression of the Afro-
Cuban population living in the urban areas and port cities. This heritage was reflected in the instrumen-
tation of the hand drums: congas and cajón (large boxes); along with the hand-held instruments: claves,
shékere and the guagua (hallowed out bamboo piece played with sticks), and the ever-important vocals.
r
3IZUIN
The rumba clave pattern, with its one extra note of syncopation—the last beat on 3-side, is
often considered more challenging to play and usually signals a unique musical vocabulary, which will be
discussed further in the “Rumba Performance Tips” section.

24
 Most scholars point to West African musical
traditions as the origins of clave. Cuba’s extensive slave
trade that lasted through the 1870s, along with its
unique geographical, social and political conditions,
created a musical heritage with strong West African
roots. The clave rhythm emerged from these roots and
would eventually spread far from Cuba’s shores.
NOTE: Remember, “clave” can refer to either
the Afro-Cuban instrument (two wood dowels
struck together) or the 2-bar rhythm cell that
they play. See both the Family of Common
Cuban Instruments and the Family of Cuban
Clave Patterns page in this book.

But only in Cuba did the idea of clave emerge as a codified, functional and structural tool for both
musicians and dancers.

NOTE: The son clave pattern is a common and familiar rhythmic cell in American R&B, funk hip-hop
and rock ’n’ roll music. It is the same as the “Bo Diddley” or “Iko Iko” beat found in New Orleans music
and continues to be a widely-used rhythmic device outside of Latin music.

Montuno
Many of the most well-known styles of Cuban music include a piano and/or guitar part, often referred to as
montuno. This is an arpeggiated pattern that outlines the harmonic motion of the tune. These patterns can
be simple or very complex. A typical montuno is presented below with its corresponding clave pattern .
Example 2–2: Basic Montuno Pattern With Corresponding 2:3 Son Clave

22 Œ Û Û Œ Û. Û Û Û Œ Û Û Œ Û. Û Û Û
ã J J
Cm6
j j j j
G7
j
Cm6
j j G7j j j
b œ œ œ œ n œœ œ œ . œ œ œ œ n œœ œ œ .
& b b 22 œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œ
Piano

œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ. œ

? b b 22 œ n œœ œ œj œœ œ œ n œœ œ œ . j
œ œ
n œœ jœœ œ œ n œœ œ œ .
œœ œ
j
b J J J J J J

The montuno pattern evolved from Cuban son and son

montuno styles of music. Arpeggio-based patterns called guajéos NOTE: Montuno is a term that
were played on a mandolin-type instrument with three sets of can also refer to a form-section of a
classic mambo arrangement.
double strings called a tres. These patterns were adapted to piano in
the charanga and conjunto bands in the early 20th century Cuban
dance halls. Today, montuno remains a signature sound of Cuban
music.

25
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Tumbao
Bass and congas play a pattern referred to as tumbao, which simply means the basic groove and/or pattern.
The bass tumbao follows a strong Cuban characteristic of landing on beat-four, anticipating the chord
change by one beat, as shown in the example below. To Western ears, beat-four becomes a substitute for
beat-one, and this can cause some confusion.
Example 2–3: Bass Tumbao Pattern

Cm6
œ œ œ œ.
G7 Cm6
œ œ œ G7
œ.
? b b 22 .. œ . J œœ œ œ. J œ œ œ ..
b J J

NOTE: Playing this bass tumbao part can be very difficult for the inexperienced bass player. See
Mambo Performance Tips chapter for a step-by-step learning method for this part.

The conga tumbao pattern, when played as a two-bar pattern, shows the movement to the low conga
drum on the 3-side of the clave, as shown in the example below.
Example 2–4: Two-bar Tumbao Pattern for the Congas with 2:3 Son Clave

44 Œ Û Û Œ Û. Û Û Û
J
Son Clave

>
S T T
>S T T T T
Congas ã 44 y y t y y y œ œ y y t œ œ y œ œ
S = slap T = open tone

A Note About Cuban Harmony

The piano montuno and the bass tumbao reflect a harmonic vocabulary that has strong roots in both
Spanish/Mediterranean formal music as well as West African oral-music traditions. These same musical
roots helped to inform a harmonic vocabulary with strong P4 or P5 root motion that was easily transmitted
and remembered, yet highly functional and adaptable. The example bellow shows a few typical progressions
found in cha cha chá, mambo and other son clave-related styles.
Example 2.6: Typical Cuban Chord Progressions Shown in Roman Numerals (Key of C)
I IV V IV — (C, F, G, F)
i7 V7 — (Cm7, G7)
i7 v7 — (Cm7, Gm7)
i7 iv7 — (Cm7, Fm7)
I bVII IV — (C, Bb7, F)
ii7 v7 — (Dm7, Gm7)
ii7 v7 i7 — (Dm7, Gm7, Cm7)
i7 iv7 V7 iv7 — (Cm7, Fm7, G7, Fm7)

26
Metal Calls Metal
In Cuban dance styles such as mambo and cha cha chá, the percussionist will “call” one another, usually
with the bongo bell (or a timbale fill), from a “dry” softer sound, to a stronger “metal” sound. This provides
dynamic contrast and momentum between form sections.
Example 2–5: Dry Percussion sounds to Metal Percussion Sounds

%SZ
4PVOE
NPWFT
UP


.FUBM
4PVOE

Softer dynamics and lighter feel Stronger, louder sections with
more energy
5JNCBMFESVN
TFU

Cascara pattern on timbale shell Bell pattern (many variations) on
or hi hat mambo-bell or bell of cymbal
#POHP


Martillo pattern Large bongo bell part
$POHBT


Basic tumbao pattern More active varied tumbao pattern

This scenario and all percussion patterns referenced above can be found in the “Percussion Solutions
Scores” for mambo and cha cha chá in this book, and in many Latin drumming publications. This metal-
calls-metal concept can also be easily heard in many of the listening examples given in the Background
sections.

5JNF
'FFM
BOE
5FNQP
One of the particularly strong characteristics of Cuban music is the complete command of tempo, rhythm
and time. Cuban musicians seem to combine the ability to build complex syncopations and counterpoint (in
clave) over a unified fundamental pulse, while maintaining an elastic time-feel. This keeps the music and the
time flexible and dynamic, but never sloppy.
The strong tendency to increase tempo throughout a tune—a purposeful accelerando—comes from the
rumba and folkloric traditions of Cuba. This gradual and controlled tempo change builds excitement and
energy in the music. A good example of this is the tune “Sandunguera” by the Cuban super-group, Los Van
Van. There are multiple recordings of the salsa classic, but each one features a gradual, organic and consistent
accelerando that creates a sense of musical climax and brings vitality to the music.

NOTE: It is a real challenge to replicate the natural and controlled tempo acceleration
found in some Cuban music, without sounding as if there is unintentional rushing. This is an
excellent opportunity for musicians to work on and consider issues regarding tempo, feel and
what qualifies as “good time.”

27
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Summary
The idea of a two-bar rhythmic cell is a West African musical characteristic that can be found in much of the
diaspora. But only in Cuba did it manifest itself into a musical building block. All other musical elements,
including melodic lines, percussion parts, tumbao and montuno patterns are all organized and directed by
clave.
It is important to remember that even though Brazilian music and other “Latin” styles do not share the
concept of clave as a systematic, structural-tool, similar two-bar rhythmic cells do appear in other Latin music
styles. For example, the “Two-Bar Brazilian Rhythm,” a common organizing cell discussed in the Brazilian
Musical Characteristics chapter, has strong rhythmic similarities to Cuban clave and will demand many of the
same performance practice considerations. But, Cuba is where clave both organizes the music and, as Bobby
Sanabria states, helps to “excite the human organism for its maximum potential on the dance floor.” (Latin
Music USA, PBS broadcast).
Remember:
$VCB

$MBWF

NOTE: To have a more complete understanding of Cuban music, try

learning some basic salsa dance steps; take some dance instruction or
watch videos of people dancing to Cuban music. These activities will provide
a more profound understanding of all the Cuban styles presented herein, and
how clave functions for both musicians and dancers.

28
 Cha Cha Chá

CHA CHA CHÁ (and Boogaloo)

BASIC INFO CHART
Sphere Cuban, clave-based
Country of Origin Cuba
Related Rhythmic Cell Son clave
Typical Meter/Tempo Range 4/4: quarter note = 100 – 126
Reference Song (Artist) “Oye Como Va” (Tito Puente)

Percussion (added in this suggested 1. Congas 2. Guiro 3. Timbales 4. Bongos

order, after drum set) See “Percussion Solutions” and “Rhythm Section Play
Along” scores in this section

The Cha Cha Chá Sound

In a very general sense, cha cha chá can be considered a slower version of mambo, with direct similarities
and important differences.
)PX
JT
DIB
DIB
DIÃ
TJNJMBS
UP
NBNCP

r
4USPOH
TPO
DMBWFSFGFSFODF
TIPXO
CFMPX

JO
BMM
QBSUT

Example 2–11: Forward (3:2) Son Clave

ã 22 Û . Û Û Û Œ Û Û Œ
J
Son Clave

r
"
QFSDVTTJPO
GPDVT
UIBU
JT
EZOBNJD
BOE
WJUBM


r
$POHB
UVNCBP
QBSUT
BOE
PDDBTJPOBM
QJBOP
NPOUVOP
QBSUT


r
5JHIU
BOE
VOJĐFE
TPVOE
JO
BMM
QFSDVTTJPO
SIZUIN
TFDUJPO
BOE
IPSO
QBSUT

r
4FDUJPOT
UIBU
GFBUVSF
MBZFSJOH
PG
NFMPEJD
MJOFT
PĔFO
HJWFO
UP
IPSO
TFDUJPOT

8IBU
JT
VOJRVF
UP
UIF
DIB
DIB
DIÃ
TPVOE

r
"
NPEFSBUF
TMPXFS
UFNQP

r
"
NPSF
ēFYJCMF
CBTT
MJOF
UIBU
DBO
JODMVEF
CPUI
MPOHFS
NFMPEJD
MJOFT
BOE
DMBTTJD
CBTT
UVNCBP
QBSUT


r
0DDBTJPOBM
VTF
PG
B
WFSZ
SIZUINJD
QJBOP
QBSU
UIBU
GFBUVSFT
Pć
CFBUT
JO
UIF
MFĔ
IBOE
MPXFS
SFHJTUFS
BOE


down beats in the right hand, higher register

r
"
RVBSUFS
OPUFCBTFE
CFMM
QBSU
ĂJT
iDIB
DIB
CFMM u
VTVBMMZ
B
TNBMMFS
CFMM
NPVOUFE
PO
UIF
UJNCBMFT



provides the rhythmic drive and a signature sound

r
"O
BTTFSUJWF
HVJSP
QBSU
UIBU
QSPWJEFT
NVDI
PG
UIF
PWFSBMM
GFFM
BOE
ESJWF

NOTE: Boogaloo will be discussed in the cha cha chá “Performance Tips” section.

41
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Cha Cha Chá Checklist

☐ This tune really is a cha cha chá or boogaloo from the Cuban, Clave-based Sphere, from score/part
indications, bass part, piano montuno parts, etc., (see p. 14).

☐ Original versions of this tune and/or similar reference tunes are available to all musicians in the
ensemble (see p. 50).

☐ The clave direction (3:2 or 2:3) has been checked to see if the music shifts from one side of the
clave to the other, within the arrangement (see p. 153).

☐ All musicians in the ensemble understand the clave pattern being used, can clap it and know how
it affects their own parts (see p. 46).

☐ Only Cuban instruments are being used in the percussion section (see p. 23).

☐ All tunable Latin percussion instruments are tuned and set up properly (see p. 158).

☐ The percussionists know the basics of playing authentic parts correctly and in clave
(see pp. 43–44).

☐ The bass player is able to play the part with correct rhythm and feel (see p. 47).

☐ Piano/guitar players can play cha cha chá and montuno patterns, when used, in the proper clave
“direction” and with the correct rhythm (see p. 47).

Notes x

42
 &)''$#
$!)($#'
$&
Cha cha chá: Basic Cha Cha Chá
)#
!*'
Basic Percussion Solutions Score
&'#(
&
#
 
'$#
!*
$IB
DIB
DIÃ
Cuban, Clave-based (presented here in 2:3 son clave)

.
)'(
&)"
'(
%&(
+(
#$
,(&
%&)''$#
>
"!!
$+!!
> > > > > > >
4 y yT y œy œ y yT y œy œ
$&
!!
$
-"

ã 4 œ Œ Ó œ. œ Ó
J
Drum Set

> > > > > >

.
)'(
%&('
+(
%&)''$#

#
$&&

4 yT Å yT Å y Å yT Å yT Å yT Å yT Å yT Å
(
Drum Set
ã 4 œ Œ
T
Ó œ. œ Ó
(dry sound)
J

∆¥ ∆O ∆¥ œ∆ ∆¥ ∆O ∆¥ œ∆
& 44

!!
$
-"

Drum Set
variation
œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ œ ¿ ¿
(metal sound)

Congas 4
ã 4 x x


F
3

x








x œ



Tœ x









x 3 x







x œ
Tœ




(one drum)














R








R R


















R


















R









R

Guiro ã 44 œ ~~~~~~ œ^ œ^ œ ~~~~~ œ^ œ^ œ ~~~~~~~ œ^ œ^ œ ~~~~~~ œ^ œ^

or
4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ R¿ 







¿ R¿ 








¿ R¿ 








¿ R¿ ¿









$(
'( '
$#
'!!

ã 4
R 








R 








R 








R 







R 







R 








Timbales

3 3

ã 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
$&(
'(($
'(&$ '

Maracas




















(

43
 Percussion Solutions Score
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE Cha cha chá: Advanced
Cuban, Clave-based
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score
$IB
DIB
DIÃ
Presented here in 2:3 son clave
Cuban, Clave-based (presented here in 2:3 son clave)

Suggested drum set part with no extra percussion

>
Small cowbell >
4 yT Å yT Å yT Å œy œ yT Å yT Å yT Å œy œ
or bell of cym

ã 4 œ œ. œ Ó
Œ Ó
Drum Set

J
(no extra perc.)

Suggested parts with percussion added (in order)

> > > > > >
4 yT Å yT Å Ty Å y Å yT Å yT Å yT Å y Å
Hi-hat

Drum Set ã 4 œ Œ Ó
T œ. œ Ó T
(dry sound)
J
∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ‰ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆
Bell of

4 œ
¿œ
cym
Drum Set
variation & 4 œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ œ œ¿
(metal sound)

4 xP___Fx
ã 4 3S xF __ xP___Fx œT œT xP___Fx 3 Tœ œT Fx œT œT
S
Congas
(two drum)
L L R L L L R R L L R R R L R R

4
Guiro ã 4 œ ~~~~~~~ œ^ œ^ œ ~~~~~ œ^ œ^ œ ~~~~~~~~ œ^ œ^ œ ~~~~~~œ^ œ^
or

44 Both¿ sticks
¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
ã
on shell (alt. stroke)

Timbales
3 3

4
Timbale
variation ã 4 ∆ Å∆ ∆ œ∆ ∆ Å∆ ∆ œ∆
4 œR œL Rœ œL etc…
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Maracas ã 4

44
 Rhythm Section Practice Play-Along Score

Cha cha chá

Cha Cha Chá

Rhythm Section Practice, Play-Along Score

Cuban Clave-Based
$IB
DIB
DIÃ
Cuban, Clave-based

# # 2 . Em7
(A9)
q = 112

‰ Û Û Û.
A9

Guitar & 2 .Û Û ‰ Û Û
J
Œ
J J
## 2 . Em7 A9

& 2 . œœœœ œœ
œœ
Œ œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ Œ œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
? # # 22 .. ‰ œœœœ ‰ œœœœ ‰ œœœœ ‰ œœœœ œ œ œ œ
‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ
Piano

? # # 2 .. œ .
Em7
œ œ œ œ
A9
œ œ œ œ
Bass 2 J œ
‰ J

22 .. Œ Û Û Œ Û. Û Û Û
2:3 Son Clave

ã
Rhythm
J
Cell
Reference

## ..
Û.
Em7 A9 (A9)

& Û Û ‰ Û Û Œ ‰ Û Û
J J J
Gtr.

##
Em7 A9

& œœœ œœœ Œ œœœ œœœ Œ œœœ œœœ ..

œ œ œ œ œ œ
? # # ‰ œœœœ œ
‰ œœœ
œ
‰ œœœ
œ
‰ œœœ
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ
Pno.

‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ..

? ## œ .
Em7
œ œ œ œ
A9
œ œ œ ..
J ‰
Bass
J
ã Œ Û Û Œ Û. Û Û Û ..
J
Clv.

NOTE:
s 4HISPIANOPARTISUSEDTYPICALLYASONEOFSEVERALCOMPINGPATTERNS0IANOCANALSOCOMPSIMILARTOTHE
rhythm in the guitar part above.
s !SALWAYSTHECLAVECANBEASSHOWNHERE OR
These score parts represent typical (but not exclusive) rhythm section parts for this style, and can be
played with the corresponding “Percussion Solutions Scores” for practice purposes.
See www.latinjazzguide.com for video play-along clips and more information.

45
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Cha Cha Chá Performance Tips

NOTE: Please review the “Cuban Musical Characteristics” chapter; as much of the infor-
mation provided there pertains directly to cha cha chá.

Cha cha chá = Son Clave

One of the similarities between mambo and cha cha chá is the use of son clave for both styles. Once
again, son clave is shown in the example below, and once again, a reminder that the melodic phrase can start
on either the “3” or “2” side.

Example 2–12: 3:2 Son Clave

ã 22 Û . Û Û Û Œ Û Û Œ
J
Son Clave

ĂF
.FEJVN4MPX
(SPPWF

Playing a successful cha cha chá is very similar to playing a medium-slow, Basie-style swing tune that seems
to stay just under the boiling point, but has occasional bursts of musical energy. Both require a heightened
sense of time, articulation, control and attention to detail. The musical results are the same, as well: creating
an exciting, cool, nuanced sound that lives deep in the rhythmic pocket.

1FSDVTTJPO
'PDVT
PO
UIF
2VBSUFS
/PUF
%SJWF
The prevailing rhythmic characteristic of cha cha chá is the quarter note drive coming from the percussion
section. More specifically from the timbales (or drum set), as well as the güiro. The primary sound that
carries the quarter note pulse is the smaller, higher pitched cowbell. A cross stick on the snare drum can have
the same effect if the bell sound is not available. The example below shows the drum set covering the quarter
note with a cross stick.

Example 2–13: Basic Drum Set Part for Cha Cha Chá Accenting the Quarter Note

> > > > > >

4 yT Å yT Å yT Å yT Å yT Å yT Å yT Å yT Å
ã4 œ Œ Ó œ. œ Ó
J
r
.FUBM
$BMMT
.FUBM
Similar to mambo, in specific sections of a typical cha cha chá, the percussion section will call one
another from a “dry” sound to a “metal” sound, as shown in the “Mambo Performance Tips” chapter.

3IZUIN
4FDUJPO
"QQSPBDI
r
ĂF
CBTT
QBSU
GPS
DIB
DIB
DIÃ
JT
VTVBMMZ
NPSF
NFMPEJD
UIBO
JUT
NBNCP
DPVOUFSQBSU
BOE
PĔFO
TIBQFE

in two-bar phrases, due to the slower tempo and the available rhythmic space.

46
 Cha Cha Chá

r
-JLFXJTF
UIF
QJBOP
BOE
HVJUBS
QBSUT
IBWF
NPSF
PQUJPOT
UIBO
UIF
DMBTTJD
montuno patterns that are

more common in mambo. Rhythm section players can either play a syncopated part as shown in the
piano part in the score below, or as strong clave-based rhythmic part similar to the familiar intro-
duction to the tune “Oye Como Va,” as shown in the guitar part below. If the tune requires more of a
standard jazz approach, the comping instruments may play a more jazz-based comping style suitable
for any mid-tempo jazz tune.
Below is a mini-score excerpt from the “Cha Cha Chá Rhythm Section Practice, Play-along Score” given
in this section of the book. It should be noted that the piano part shown is not typically played through an
entire cha cha chá, but only where the tune needs some extra drive.

Example 2–14: Cha Cha Chá Rhythm Section Parts

# # 2 . Em7
(A9)
‰ Û Û Û.
A9

Guitar & 2 .Û Û ‰ Û Û
J
Œ
J J

## 2 . Em7 A9

& 2 . œœœœ œœ
œœ
Œ œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ Œ œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
? # # 22 .. ‰ œœœœ ‰ œœœœ ‰ œœœœ ‰ œœœœ œ œ œ œ
‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ
Piano

? # # 22 .. œ .
Em7
œ œ œ œ
A9
œ œ œ œ
Bass J ‰ Jœ

# # Em7 ..
Û.
A9 (A9)
Guitar & Û Û ‰ Û Û
J
Œ ‰ Û
J
Û
J
##
Em7 A9

& œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ ..
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ
? ## ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ œœ ‰ ..
Piano
‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ

? ## œ .
Em7
œ œ œ A9
œ œ œ œ ..
J ‰
Bass
J

"
7PDBM
5SBEJUJPO
Like mambo, cha cha chá is often performed as a vocal-based style. Even though there are many examples
of an instrumental approach, performing a cha cha chá with vocal parts (usually in Spanish), including the
lead voice and coro response, can result in a more profound musical experience for both the musician and
audience.

47
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Boogaloo Performance Tips

$IB
$IB
$IÃ
XJUI
B
#BDLCFBU
The infectious beat and relatively simple parts to boogaloo make it an appealing style for both musicians and
listeners. Think of boogaloo as cha cha chá, but with a stronger backbeat from the drum set player and more
of a rock feel from the rhythm section. A basic, boogaloo drum set pattern is shown in the example below.
Example 2–15: Boogaloo Drum Set Part
> > > >
4 y Å œy Å y Å œy Åœ y Å œy Å y Å œy Å
ã4 œ œ œ œ

&OHMJTI
-ZSJDT
Boogaloo is a crossover style that incorporates English with some Spanish (usually very simple Spanish
parts). This is a great style for non-Spanish speakers who are looking to add vocals to a performance. What it
lacks in musical sophistication, it makes up for in energy and appeal.

4JNQMF
#VU
%SJWJOH

All Latin jazz styles have a strong groove element, but boogaloo is unique in its simplicity and reliance of
feel to generate musical interest and energy. It really is as much a rock style as it is a Latin one. This does not
mean abandoning principles of subtlety or musical nuance, but an approach that is focused on a danceable,
groove-oriented feel and less on sophisticated elements of harmony, melody or dense syncopation (as in jazz
rumba styles).

NOTE: Simple and basic parts do not negate the usual degree of “feel” difficulty in either
cha cha chá or boogaloo. Finding and playing this music with the proper “feel” can be
challenging, as it is for almost all of the styles listed in this book. Listening, then going back to
listen again is the most helpful tool in finding the proper feel. See the listening examples given
in the “Cha Cha Chá/Boogaloo Performance Tips” section of this chapter for suggestions.

48
 Cha Cha Chá

Cha Cha Chá Brief Background

Cha cha chá (or cha cha) is one of the more familiar rhythms to emerge from Cuba’s rich musical history.
Like many other popular styles, cha cha chá, evolved from earlier Cuban styles and eventually fueled a dance
craze in the 1950s and ’60s that spread to North America and beyond. The medium tempo and accessible
rhythms gives this style instant appeal for dancers, listeners and musicians.
The actual heritage of cha cha chá can be traced back to danzón, an early Cuban style with strong Euro-
pean influences. This all-instrumental style featured strings, woodwinds, and a percussion section that
included only the güiro and a small set of timpani, which eventually evolved into what is now known as
timbales. Cha cha chá developed as an ending section to danzón, which turned up the heat a bit and gave it a
more rhythmic—or African—push. Eventually, this section became a style of its own.

NOTE: As is the case with many of the styles presented here, there are common namesake
styles that exist in the books of the classic “dance band” repertoire. Although the names are
the same or similar (rumba or rhumba), they usually bear little resemblance to the Cuban
original. In the case of cha cha chá, however, the dance-band version at least retains the basic
tempo and a semblance of the original feel.

Boogaloo Brief Background

Boogaloo is an American hybrid of cha cha chá and early ’60s rock that came out of the Puerto Rican culture
in New York City. Boogaloo soon spread via the power of popular music: radio, TV and its corresponding
dance, and was an early Latin crossover sensation. With the same tempo as cha cha chá, but with a stronger
rock- and soul-inspired backbeat, boogaloo is considered an early crossover style in the formative years of
rock ’n’ roll. It became the vehicle for successful hits by artists such as Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto and
Joe Cuba. Reference the “Listening Examples” below for some examples of this unique style.

NOTE: Boogaloo had far-reaching influences. It inspired not only American artists but also
musicians from around the world, including The Beatles and their producer George Martin. The
sound of boogaloo is indelibly incorporated into the roots of rock ’n’ roll music.

49
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Cha Cha Chá and Boogaloo Listening Examples

40/(
5*5-& 3&$03%*/(
"35*45 "-#6.

-"#&-

%"5&

$)"
$)"
$)¦

“Oye Como Va” Tito Puente 20th Century Masters, The Best of Tito
Universal Music / 2005

“Slowvisor” Eddie Palmieri Palmas / Nonesuch Records /1994

“Algo Nuevo” Ray Barretto RicanStruction

Codigo Music, LLC / 1979

“Amor Verdandero” Afro Cuban All Stars A Toda Cuba Le Gusta

Nonesuch Records / 1997

“Soul Sauce” Cal Tjader Soul Sauce—Cal Tjader

(’60s style small group) Verve / 1964

“Comelon Hustle” Charlie Palmieri Impulsos

Musical Productions, Inc. / 1975

“Cha Cha Cha Para Mi Mark Levine & the Latin Serengeti
Alma” (contemporary Tinge Left Coast Clave Records / 2001
small group jazz)

“Copla No. 4” Bebo Valdés Bebo De Cuba

Calle 54 Records / 2005
#00("-00

“Bang Bang” Joe Cuba Joe Cuba: Greatest Hits

Codigo Music / 2010

“El Watusi” Ray Barretto The Essential Ray

Barretto / Codigo Music / 2010

“Micaela” Pete Rodriguez Fania Signature Vol. III – Boogaloo

Fania / 2007

“Boogaloo Blues” Johnny Colon Fania Signature Vol. III – Boogaloo

Fania / 2007

50
 S
S E
3
E C
C T II O
ONN

The Brazilian-Based Sphere

Samba
Bossa Nova
Baião
Partido Alto

89
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Family of Common Brazilian

Percussion Instruments

Tamborim Caixa

Apito (whistle)

Ganzá (shakers)
Surdos

Agogô bells

Pandeiro Repinique

90
Brazilian Musical Characteristics
Two Dominant Styles
Samba and its gentler and lighter companion style bossa nova are the two most common styles in Brazilian
(Brasilian) jazz and the ones most likely to appear on the jazz musician’s set list. It is important to point out
that there are many musical styles in Brazil (see the www.latinjazzguide.com for resources on these styles), yet
the lyrical beauty and Afro-Brazilian rhythms of samba and bossa nova have historically dominated Brazil’s
musical exports.

NOTE: Brazilian music is not structured over the clave-pattern, even though many Brazilian rhythms
can be analyzed as being “in” clave. The main difference is that even though the same Afro-centric
rhythmic roots influence both musical traditions, Brazilian music does not use clave as a structural
device. Also, the instrument clave, is not indigenous to Brazil, so it should not be included in any
standard Brazilian musical context. Remember: Clave = Cuba.

In “2” with a Sixteenth Note Focus

Like most music that lives under the “Latin” moniker, Brazilian music is almost always felt over two funda-
mental pulse-beats. But unlike most other Latin music, it is composed, transmitted and conceptualized by
Brazilians in sixteenth notes, usually in 2/4 or 4/4 meter. According to the many Brazilian musicians with
whom I have discussed this, perceiving and interpreting sixteenth notes helps to promote a more accurate,
authentic feel. Publishers may gravitate to cut time (2/2) using eight-notes, as it is considered easier to read.
However, Brazilians will even write slow tempo bossa novas using sixteenth notes.
In addition, the sixteenth notes are often articulated with an accent on the second “e-” or the fourth “a-”
sixteenth note as shown in the example below:
Example 3–1: Common Brazilian Sixteenth-Note Articulation

> > > >

1 e + a 2 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a

2
ã4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
> > > >
ã 42 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

NOTE: When played correctly, the above examples help to produce the lilt often found
in Brazilian sixteenth-note phrasing. It is helpful to think of playing a set of egg-shakers,
held straight out from the chest, and played in unison, in a rounded back and forth motion.
The natural movement of the arms, assuming correct technique, will help promote this
staggered sixteenth-note feel.

91
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Common Brazilian Rhythmic Cells

The “Brazilian Mother Cell”
A central rhythmic cell at the heart of Brazilian music is what composer and author Antonio Adolfo calls the
“Brazilian Mother Cell” (Brazilian Music Workshop, Advance Music Pub., 1993). This rhythm is often played
on the tamborim in Samba settings, and is interpreted somewhere between the written figure below and eight-
note triplets. The example below shows the phrase, along with the finger mute that is used when playing the
tamborim.

Example 3–2: Brazilian Mother Cell with Finger Mute Indicated

ã 42 œ œ> œ œ œ> œ
x x

Finger mute

NOTE: All musicians interested in playing this music should learn both the Brazilian Mother Cell and
the Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm on a tamborim.

This instrument is small, easy to use and sold in most music stores. Playing these rhythms on tamboirm,
or just clapping the rhythms while stepping in “2,” will facilitate a more meaningful understanding of
Brazilian musical phrasing.

Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm

Another common rhythm, used not only in percussion parts but also in rhythm section comping, is what
this author calls the “Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm”—for lack of a better term. It is derived from the partido alto
rhythm (discussed later in this chapter) and has strong clave-like characteristics.
The Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm follows the same up-beat/downbeat rule as well as the phrasing-
on-beat-ONE rule discussed in the “Where’s the Clave?” chapter in the Appendix of this book. One measure
functions like the “2 side” of the clave, with a downbeat played on beat-one; while the other measure func-
tions like the “3 side” of the clave, with an up-beat played on beat-one. Also like clave, this two-bar rhythm
figure can be phrased in either direction, as shown in the example below:
Example 3–3: The Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm Shown in Both Directions

“2 side” DOWN beat on beat ONE “3 side” UP beat on beat ONE

ã 42 Û Û ≈ Û Û ≈ Û.
J
Û Û

OR

“3 side” UP beat on beat ONE “2 side” DOWN beat on beat ONE

ã 42 ≈ ÛJ . Û Û Û Û ≈ Û Û

92
 The following example (modified to 2/4 meter for consistency) is a melodic excerpt of a well-known
bossa nova melody. Even though a Brazilian composer did not write this tune, it lines up nicely with the
Brazilian Two-bar Rhythm scenario and is often phrased this way.
Example 3–4: Standard Jazz Bossa Melody Lined Up with Brazilian Two-bar Rhythm

b j œ. œ œ œ œ œ. œ. œ ˙
1 2 3 4

& b b 42 œ œ
J œ

ã 42 ‰ Û Û ≈ Û Û ≈ Û. Û Û Û Û ≈ Û Û ≈ Û. Û Û

Note the downbeat on the measures 1 and 3, and the off-beat melody note on measures 2 and 4. Of
course, there are just as many examples of an off-beat melody starting on the other side of the two-bar phrase
and, in fact, many Brazilians would consider this as the more common setting. Whatever the organization of
the two-bar phrase, it is critical that all the musicians understand how it is lining up—much the same way as
when considering clave direction in Cuban music—and perform the music accordingly.

Melodic Prominence/Harmonic Riches

In Brazil, the song—the melody—remains the dominant focus of both the music and the performance. And
even though this is a broad generality that can be said for many musical styles, melodic focus must be recog-
nized here as a primary focus. Perhaps this is due to the rich Portuguese and European vocal traditions that
blended with the other peoples and cultures of colonial Brazil.
Below is an excerpt of a beautiful melody written by Brazilian pianist, composer and educator Rafael dos
Santos that exemplifies this trait:
Example 3–5: Excerpt of Melody for “Debora,” by Rafael dos Santos

DEBORA
b b2 ™ ‰ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Rafael dos Santos
œ œ
& b 4 ™
b
R
œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ

œ nœ œ œ œ œ nœ
b
& b bb ‰ ≈ nRœ nœ œ œ œ nœ bœ œ Œ

œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
b œ
& b bb ‰ ≈ R ‰ ≈ œ
R
≈ œ

bbb œ ™™
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰
& b
J
3 3
© Santos Music
93
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Accompanying the lyrical nature of Brazilian jazz music is a sophisticated and rich harmonic vocabu-
lary, heavily influenced by the “changes” found in American jazz. These chord changes often take surprising
turns that may defy the standard ii-7 to V7 progressions of more conventional jazz standards. Brazilian
chord changes, as shown in the example below, provide challenging harmonic fodder for improvisers and
composers alike:
Example 3–6: Excerpt of Chord Changes for “Debora” by Rafael dos Santos

& 42 ’
Fm7 Fm/Eb Dbmaj7 B7 E7 Am7

’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’

Am7/G Fmaj7 Bbm7 Eb7 Ab7 Bb/Ab Gm7

&’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’

C7b9 Fm7 Ebm7 Ab7 Dbm7 Gm7b5 C7

&’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’
© Santos Music

Summary
Brazilian jazz, dominated by but not relegated to samba and bossa nova, is unique in the Latin jazz family. A
lyrical focus, rich harmonic substance and Afro-Brazilian rhythms propel its tropical sound. The Mother Cell
and the Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm, though not clave per se, provide unique rhythmic structures and vocabu-
laries that help organize the music and identify it as Brazilian.

94
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

SAMBA
BASIC INFO CHART

Sphere Brazilian Sphere

Country of Origin Brazil

Related Rhythmic Cell Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm

Typical Meter/Tempo Range 2/2 in Published Chart: half note = 60 – 152

2/4 or 4/4 if Brazilian Origination: quarter note= 60 -152
Reference Song (Artist) “Samba de Orfeu” (Luiz Bonfá or Stan Getz)

Percussion (added in this 1. Ago-gó bells 2. Surdo (or stand-alone floor tom)
suggested order, after drum set) 3. Shakers 4. Tamborim. See “Percussion Solutions” and
“Rhythm Section Play Along” scores in this section

The Samba Sound

The samba sound is considered the signature sound of Brazilian popular music. This includes all the charac-
teristics listed in the “Brazilian Musical Characteristics” pages, plus an active rhythmic soundscape, special-
ized percussion instruments and:
r
'SFRVFOU
SFGFSFODFT
UP
UIF
5XPCBS
#SB[JMJBO
3IZUIN
BT
TIPXO
JO
UIF
FYBNQMF
CFMPX
BOE
EJTDVTTFE

in the “Brazilian Musical Characteristics” section.
Example 3–7: Two-Bar Brazilian Rhythm

ã 42 Û Û ≈ Û Û ≈ Û.
J
Û Û

42 Å Brazilian Rhythm.>œ
ã Two-bar Å œ
NOTE: Remember, like clave, musical phrases can begin on either side of the

>


ã 42 Û Û ≈ Û Û ≈ Û. Û Û
r
4USPOH
BDDFOU
PO
UIF
TFDPOE
CFBU
JO


CPUI
JO
UIF
MPX
ESVNT
BOE
CBTT
QBSUT
BOE
TIPXO
CFMPX
JO


J
the surdo part. Even jazz sambas will hint at this accent scheme.

Example 3–8: Basic Surdo Part for Samba, Emphasizing Beat 2

ã 42 Å œ
>
Å œ
>

96
 Samba

Samba Checklist
☐ This tune really is a samba and from the Brazilian-based Sphere, from score/part indications, bass
part, comping rhythms, etc., (see p. 14).

☐ Original versions of this tune and/or similar reference tunes have been made available to all mu-
sicians in the ensemble (see p. 105).

☐ The Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm direction has been determined and all the musicians understand
the importance of synchronizing with it (see p. 92).

☐ Only Brazilian instruments are being used in the percussion section (see p. 90).

☐ The percussionists know the basics of playing authentic parts correctly (see pp. 98–99)

☐ The bass player is able to play the bass part with correct rhythm and feel (see p. 102).

☐ Guitar/piano/vibes player can play the Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm patterns in the proper direc-
tion and with the correct rhythm, feel and sound (see p. 103).

Notes x

97
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE
Percussion Solutions Score
Samba: Basic
Basic Percussion Solutions Score o

4BNCB Bazilian-Based
Brazilian-based

+
%#$
"%
#$
!"$
'$

($"
!"%## 

> L >R L >R L R L

R R
>L R L >R L R L

2 Z eZ e œ e Z e Z 5 Z 5 e Z
R = rim

Drum Set ã 4 œ œ œ œœ e

+
%#$
!"$#
'$
!"%## 


""

> L R >L R> L R >L

R R
> L R L> R> L R L>
ã 42 Œ
Hi-hat
y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y
Drum Set œ Œ œ
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

2 œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ
Hi-hat
¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
&4 Œ œ Œ œ
Drum Set
variation

Agogô bells ã 42 5 . 5 5. 5 5. 5 5. 5

ã 42 Åmute w/left
R = mallet

œ Å œ
Surdo or

> >
stand-alone
floor tom
hand

Cylinder or
egg shakers
ã 42 >œ œ œ >œ >œ œ œ >œ >œ œ œ >œ >œ œ œ >œ

ã 42 œ œ+ œ° ≈ œ+ œ+ œ°
Pandeiro, +
Tamborim
or Tamborine

98
 Percussion Solutions Score Samba

Samba: Advanced
Advanced Percussion Solutions Score
4BNCB-Based
Bazilian
Brazilian-based

-
'%&
$'
%&
#$&
)&
!"
*&$
#$'%%"!

> > > > >

2 œy œy y œy œœy œœy œy œy œy œy œy
Ride cym.

Drum Set ã 4 œ œ
y œ œ y y œ œ y œ
> >

> > > > > > > > >

-
'%&
#$&%
)&
#$'%%"!

!
"$$

2 y e y e y y e y e y e y e y y e
Hi-hat

Drum Set ã 4 œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ
> >j
2 ¿¥ ¿¥ ≈ ¿¥ ¿¥ ≈ ¿¥ .. ¿¥ ¿¥
Drum Set
variation &4 œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ œ ¿ œ

2
Agogó bells ã 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

>R >R
R = mallet
R L R L L

ã 42 Å œ. Å Å. Å œ. Å
Surdo or
stand-alone
floor tom
mute w/left

ã 42 >œ œ œ >œ >œ œ œ >œ >œ œ œ >œ >œ œ œ >œ

hand
Cylinder or
egg shakers

2 >
œ >œ+ œ° œ° >œ+ ≈ >œ œ° ≈ œ° °œ
ã 4
* Pandeiro, + +
Tamborim
or Tamborine

* Pandeiro can also play a sixteenth note, thumb-finger-palm-finger pattern similar to the Cylinder/egg shaker part above.

99
 LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Samba
Rhythm Section Practice, Play-Along Score
4BNCB
Brazilian Based
Brazilian-based

j j
q = 112

œœ œœ
Cmaj9 Abm11 Db9(#11) Cmaj9 Db7(#9)

2 œ œ ≈ œœ bœ b œ
≈ b œœ ... œœ œœ ≈ œœ œœ œ
≈ œœ ... œœ œœ ..
& 4 .. œœœ œœœ œœ
b œœ b œœ
œ œœ
œ œœ œœ œœ b œœ bœ . œœ œœ
bœ bœ .
Guitar

2
Cmaj9 Abm11 Db9(#11)
j
Cmaj9 Db7(#9)
j
& 4 .. œœœ œœœ ≈ œœ b b œœ
œ bœ
œœ
œ n bb œœœ œœœ ‰ œœ ≈ œœœ b bb œœœ
œ œœœ ..
. b b œœ ..
b œ

? 42 .. œœ œœ œ bœ bœ œ œœ b œœ œ .. bœ
œ œ ‰ n œœ
Piano
œœ œ œ ..
≈ œb œ J
≈ J

. bœ
œ ≈ œ >œ b œ. ≈ œ b >œ œ œ. ≈ œ > œ >
Cmaj9 Abm11 Db9(#11) Cmaj9 Db7(#9)

Bass
? 42 .. œ bœ ..

2
ã 4 .. Û Û ≈Û Û ≈ Û. Û Û Û Û ≈ Û Û ≈ Û . Û Û ..
2 bar Brazilian Rhythm
Rhythm

J J
Cell
Reference

NOTE:
s 0IANOANDGUITARPARTSCANPLAYTOGETHERBUTVARIATIONSSHOULDBEUSEDTO
avoid unison comping.
NOTES:
s )FNOGUITARISAVAILABLEPIANOSHOULDCOMPUSINGTHEGUITARPARTRHYTHM
- Guitar is the primary comping instrument for Samba.
s !SALWAYSTHEh"RAZILIAN BARRHYTHMvCANBEPLAYEDASSHOWNHEREOR
- Piano and guitar parts can play tog
reversed, with the second bar first.
These score parts represent typical (but not exclusive) rhythm section parts for this
style, and can be played with the corresponding “Percussion Solutions Scores”
for practice purposes. See www.latinjazzguide.com for video play-along clips and
more information.

100
 Samba

Samba Performance Tips

Brazilian Rhythmic Cells
The Brazilian Two-bar Rhythm and the Mother Cell rhythm, discussed in “Brazilian Music Characteristics”
in this book, are both important aspects of the samba sound. Percussion and rhythm section players can use
these ideas for comping, and soloists can use them as rhythmic templates for phrasing. If the entire ensemble
applies these rhythm cells, musical potential is greatly increased.

NOTE: Since samba contains virtually all of the musical characteristics described in the
“Brazilian Musical Characteristics” section in this book, a review of that chapter is advised.

For reference, the Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm (identical to the partido alto rhythm) is shown again in the
example below. Like the Cuban clave to which it is related, it can appear in both directions.
Example 3–9: Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm Shown in Both Directions

ã 42 ≈ ÛJ . Û Û Û Û ≈ Û Û

ã 42 Û Û ≈ Û Û ≈ Û.
J
Û Û

It is very important to determine the direction of the Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm on any given Brazilian
tune. If the composition is authentic, the melody and/or the comping patterns in the chart or recording will
help determine the proper direction. Once the basic structure and direction is determined, make sure all
musicians in the ensemble are synchronized.

NOTE: The Two-bar Brazilian Rhythm can be played with many variations and is not rigidly
applied by Brazilian musicians. However, the basic rhythmic shape, with the off-beat starting
one measure and a down-beat the other, is fundamental Brazilian characteristic and can be
found in other Latin music.

Adding Percussion
Don’t assume that just the “Latin” or “samba” indication on the music means the more percussion the
merrier. It is a common musical trap to add too much and/or the wrong type of auxiliary percussion. Often,
a well-played shaker or triangle is all that is needed, especially if the samba is on the jazzier side or if it is a
smaller ensemble. Refer to the “Percussion Solutions Scores” for samba to see suggested percussion and the
order to add them.

NOTE: It bears repeating that percussion instruments are not “toys” in spite of that unfor-
tunate nickname, and they should be given out thoughtfully to musicians who can play the
parts well. Percussion never is static; it will either enhance or diminish the music, depending
on who is playing and what they are playing.

101
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Enhance the Accent on Beat-Two

There are various ways to enhance the second-beat accent in samba to achieve a more authentic feel.

"EKVTU
UIF
#BTT
1BSU
The samba bass part is often written similarly to a standard bossa nova part and is one of the most recogniz-
able musical characteristics of this style. Even though Brazilians prefer to think in terms of sixteenth notes in
2/4 or 4/4 meter, samba is typically published in 2/2 (“cut time”) or 4/4 meter as shown in the example below:
Example 3–10: Typical Samba Written Bass Part in 4/4

bœ. bœ œ.
Cmaj7 Abm9 Db9(#11)

? 44 œ . œ œ. bœ J œ
Bass J J J
This bass part can be changed to simulate the surdo sound, so that the second half note (beat 2 in 2/2
meter) falls to a lower pitch. The example below shows the revised bass part with a muted pickup note to help
articulate the lower pitch:
Example 3–11: Bass Simulating the Half Note Surdo Part Indicated by Arrows

œ. ¿ bœ. ¿
Cmaj7 Abm9 Db9(#11)
? 44 J ˙ bœ œ
Bass J
"EE
B
4VSEP
UP
UIF
.JY
Adding a surdo sound to the percussion of the ensemble is as simple as moving the floor tom away from
the drum set and adding a musician to play this part. This supports the strong beat-two feel and relieves the
drum set player from this duty. A simple surdo part is shown in the example below and also shown in the
“Percussion Solutions Scores” for samba in this section:
Example3–12: Simple Surdo Part That Can Be Played on a Stand-Alone Floor Tom

ã 42 Å œ
>
Å œ
>
4JNQMJGZJOH
UIF
%SVN
4FU
1BSU
Often, the written drum set part in samba jazz-band charts is too complicated and difficult to play. If the
drum set player can play a simpler pattern that retains the essence of the style, the group can still achieve
a solid samba sound. A basic samba drum set part is shown in the example below. When a surdo part and
additional percussion instruments are added, as shown in the “Percussion Solution Scores,” a very successful
samba sound can be realized.
Example 3–13: Simple Drum Set Part for Samba

> > > > > > > >

2 y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y
ã4 Œ œ Œ œ

102
 Samba

ĂF
(VJUBS
$PNQJOH
4UZMF
Almost universally, Brazilian guitarists use a unison finger-picking style of comping, where all notes are
played simultaneously and sometimes with a lower bass-note played in counterpoint. The rhythms used
for this style of comping are all derived from the Two-Bar Brazilian Rhythm. This style of playing can be
heard easily by listening to any samba or bossa nova recording by Luiz Bonfá, Gilberto Gil, Charlie Byrd and
others. Refer again to the “Listening Examples for Samba” given in the “Brief Background” section.
Below is a suggested guitar comping/voicing for samba that is assigned first to the guitar. The piano
player can also cover this part if the guitarist is busy soloing, or if there is no guitar. But the part was origi-
nated for guitar and it is the instrument where this comping pattern sounds most authentic.
Example 3–14: Suggested Guitar Comping Pattern for Samba

j j
Cmaj7 Abm9 Db9(#11) Cmaj9 Db7(#9)

b œœ b œ œœ œœ œœ ≈ œœ .. œœ œœ
& 42 œœ œœ ≈ œœœ bœ ≈ b œœ ... œ œœ œœ œœ ≈ œœ
œœ œœ œ bœ bœ . b œœ œ œœ œœ œœ b œœ b œœ .. œœ œœ

In addition to the picking style, Brazilian guitarists also use chord voicings that utilize a variety of
harmonic extensions. These voicings reflect the richness and sophistication of Brazilian harmonic approach
(“changes” in jazz terminology). Guitar occupies a special place in this music, and both the comping style
and the voicings are critical to establishing that unique Brazilian sound.

NOTE: For good examples and instruction on playing Brazilian guitar styles, see Nelson
Faria’s, The Brazilian Guitar Book (Sher Music Pub., 1995) and Inside the Brazilian Rhythm
Section (Sher Music Pub., 2005) with co-author Cliff Korman.

Carnival Parade in the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

103
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Brief Background
Samba is a broad style-indicator that includes hundreds of sub-styles. In American jazz terminology, samba
usually means a jazz samba, with roots in the carnival, parade music originating from the mostly black
neighborhoods (favelas) of Rio de Janeiro. This mix of Colonial Catholic traditions and Afrocentric musical
roots fuel carnival celebrations throughout Latin America as well as Mardi Gras in New Orleans. See photo
on previous page.
This carnival samba is called Batucadas de Samba and features a large contingent of percussion, cere-
monial costumed figures and spectacular floats that parade down the Sambadrome (Sambódormo), the
avenue-stadium built in Rio to accommodate the massive parades. In essence, batucadas de samba is a very
powerful, funky and syncopated march. Each year, long-established samba schools (escolas de samba) from
various Rio neighborhoods spend many hours practicing, preparing and organizing their groups to compete
for top prizes during carnival. This spectacle of drumming, color, dance, song and pageantry has helped
make samba a major commercial and social focal point for Brazilians and an attraction for tourists from
around the world.
Even though jazz samba is a distant and much more subtle cousin of the batucadas de samba, they have
some common characteristics. For this reason, it is a good idea to have a sense of the instruments, parts and
overall sound of batucadas de samba, or as it is commonly called, samba batucada. The example below shows
a simple score for a typical samba batucada. Be advised that there are as many variations of samba and samba
batucada as there are tropical birds in the Amazon forests.
Example 3–15: Simple Samba Batucada

Agogô
bells
ã 42 œ . œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ

Cuica ã 42 œ
œ ≈ œ œ ≈ Jœ . œ œ
> > > > > >
2
Pandeiro ã4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
> > > > > > > >
Snare Drum
(Caixa) ã 42 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Tamborim ã 42 œ œ œ. œ ≈ œ œ ≈ œ œ
> > > > > > > >
Shakers
(Chocalo) ã 42 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Bass Drum
(Surdo) ã 42 e >œ
e
>œ >œ
Samba can also be presented in a more popular style with typical rhythm section instrumentation (the
guitar being a prominent voice) and with the all-important song. Most historians point to the 1917 hit song,

104
 Samba

“Pelo Telefone” by singer Ernesto Santos as the first popular-music samba in Brazil. Each year a new samba
song is chosen as a Carnival theme song. The winner is chosen far ahead of Carnival so the escolas de sambas
and the entire country of Brazil, can learn it. Song, melody and lyrics are as important for samba as any other
consideration.
Various strains and varieties of samba have moved outward from Brazil for over one hundred years.
Today, samba can be played by anything from a large percussion group, to an electric fusion band, to a single
person singing and playing guitar. The jazz samba that often appears in commercially published jazz charts
for school jazz bands and played by small jazz groups in lounges and restaurants in Western countries can
be far removed from the samba batucada and the hundreds of other samba varieties that exist and thrive in
Brazil. But no matter what the approach, there is a universal appeal to the driving rhythms and the energetic
and joyful sound that is authentic samba.

Samba (Jazz) Listening Examples

40/(
5*5-& 3&$03%*/(
"35*45 "-#6.

-"#&-

%"5&

“Lamento no Morro” Vinicius de Moraes Vinicius de Moraes
Alex / 1970
“Beiral” Viva Brasil Festa / Orchard / 2004
“Samba de Orfeu” Stan Getz The Very Best of Latin Jazz
EML / 2007
“A Felicidade (Adieu Tristesse)” Stan Getz with João and Samba and Bossa Nova
(live, good mix of batucada with Astrud Gilberto and YOYO USA / remastered 2006
jazz samba) Antonio Carlos Jobim
“Sambadouro” Sérgio Mendes Brasileiro / Elektra / 1992
“Só Danço Samba” Stan Getz/João Gilberto Getz/Gilberto
Verve / 1963
“Timoneiro” Paulinho da Viola Bebadosamba / BMG / 1996
“Batuca No Chao” Martinho da Vila Brazil Classics 2: O Samba
Luaka Bop / 2000

“Maturi” Hermeto Pascoal Hermeto Pascoal: Ao Vivo –

Remasterizado
WEA International Inc./2001
“Spain” Chick Corea, Return to For- Light as a Feather
(fusion jazz samba) ever Verve / 1972

“Train Samba” J.J. Johnson Complete ’60s Big Band

(big band jazz samba) Recordings
Lone Hill Jazz / 2007
“Yatra Ta” Tania Maria Piquant Concord 25th
(electric ’70s fusion) Anniversary Collection
Piquant / Concord / 2006
“Bateria” Batuque Samba Squad
(samba batucada) Independent / 2006

105
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

S
S E
5
E C T
T II O

More Direction, Resources

ONN

and Tools

Where’s the Clave? Finding the

Proper Clave Type and Direction

Set Up, Tuning and Maintenance of

Latin Percussion Instruments

Appendix A: Family of Cuban Clave Patterns

Appendix B: Partial List of Important Latin Jazz Musicians

Appendix C: Glossary of Latin Jazz Terms

152
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Set Up, Tuning and Maintenance of Latin

Percussion Instruments t (By ED EAST)
A successful experience performing any style of music begins with the selection of a quality instrument. Visit
the companion website: www.latinjazzguide.com for recommended instruments and music retailers.

Conga Drums
When playing two or more conga drums, custom-
arily the high drum is centered in front of you and
the lowest drum is placed to your right. When
playing 2 drums, the lower sounding drum is always
placed to the right of the (right handed) drummer.
However, many different 3 drum set ups can be
used, depending on the performer and the context.

Mid High Low

Conga drums are the most commonly used instruments

in the performance of Latin Jazz.
X

Tuning
Conga drum tuning varies greatly from performer to performer and is dependent on the instrument itself.
Nonetheless, you can hardly go wrong by listening to recordings of outstanding “congueros” [cohn.guhr.ohs]
(conga players) and copying the way they tune their instruments. Alternatively, you can try tuning the drums
to their best resonant pitch. As a rule of thumb, tune them a perfect fourth apart. You don’t have to tune the
lugs in a diametrical pattern, as is the case with most contemporary drums.
Low Check for equal
Hightension on each
lug by placing a finger on the center of the drum and striking the perimeter of the drumhead. Listen for
pitch differences and tighten or loosen the corresponding lugs in order to achieve the same pitch all the way
around the drumhead. Remember, when playing a set of two or more drums makeXsure the lowest drum is to
your right and the high drum is centered.

Maintenance
The amount of maintenance your congas and bongos require will depend on the kind of weather to which
they will be exposed and on the kind of drumhead you choose. Synthetic drumheads don’t require much
attention. However, extreme heat can melt some brands of synthetic drumheads. Heat and dryness can, and
will, tighten calfskin (or any animal hide) drumheads to the point of breakage, depending on how taut they
already were. Cold temperatures and humidity will slacken the calfskin drumheads and detune them. When
performing under humid conditions, you will need to check the drums’ tuning often and continue tightening
the drumheads in order to keep them tuned. Make sure to loosen the rawhide drumheads after every perfor-
mance, particularly if your drums will be exposed to extreme temperature/humidity changes.
The lugs should be oiled at least once a year. Some manufacturers suggest that you oil them more frequently.
Certain manufacturers of wooden congas and bongos suggest that, before putting on a new drumhead, you
should sand the rim of the drum making sure that it is smooth and free of rough spots. This will allow for
smoother tuning and will prevent damaging the new drumhead.

158
With use, drumheads will become dirty and their sound will deaden. For synthetic heads, follow the manu-
facturer’s cleaning instructions. For animal hide heads, some manufacturers recommend using a mixture of
warm water and saddle soap to clean the head. Others suggest replacing the head.

Bongos

Tuning
As with the congas, listening to recordings of great bands and the way their bongos are tuned is the best
way to sharpen your ears. The most common tuning has the smaller drum (on the left) tuned very tightly
and sounding almost like the bottom of a small, empty tin can. Many performers will substitute animal hide
heads with x-ray film in order to achieve that sound. The larger drum (on the right) is tuned up to a point of
least-possible-resonance.

Maintenance
The amount of maintenance your bongos will require will depend on the kind of weather to which they are
exposed and on the kind of drumheads you choose. Synthetic drumheads don’t require much attention.
However, extreme heat can melt some brands of synthetic drumheads. Heat and dryness can, and will tighten
calfskin (or any animal hide) drumheads to the point of breakage, depending on how taut they already were.
Cold temperatures and humidity will slacken the calfskin drumheads and detune them. When performing
under humid conditions, you will need to check the drums’ tunings often and continue tightening the drum-
heads in order to keep them tuned. Make sure to loosen the calfskin drumheads after every performance,
particularly if your drums will be exposed to extreme temperature/humidity changes.
The lugs should be oiled at least once a year. Some manufacturers suggest that you oil them more frequently.
Some manufacturers of wooden bongos suggest that, before putting on a new drumhead, you should sand
the rim of the drums making sure that they smooth and free of rough spots. This will allow for smoother
tuning and will prevent damaging the new drumhead.
With use, drumheads will become dirty and their sound will deaden. For synthetic heads, follow the manu-
facturer’s instructions. For animal hide heads, some manufacturers recommend suggest using a mixture of
warm water and saddle soap to clean the head. Others suggest replacing the head.

159
LATIN JAZZ GUIDE

Cowbells, Ago-gó
Care
Rust and abuse are the main factors that affect these instruments negatively. Making sure that they are not
stored in humid environments and wiping them off after each use will take care of the rust. Storing them
with care and remembering that these are, indeed, musical instruments will help prevent abuse.

Güiros and Shékeres

Care
Unless they are made of strong synthetic materials, breakage and abuse are the main factors that affect these
delicate instruments negatively. Güiros can be easily repaired Mid High glue or withLow
with any all-purpose wood glue.

Timbales X

Customarily, the low drum is placed to your left

and the high drum to your right.

Low High

Tuning
In tuning the timbales, it’s suggested to use the same principle—perfect fourth as a starting point—as noted
for the congas earlier. Listen to recordings and try to duplicate the tuning that sounds best to you or that
which best applies to the music. The high drum should produce a crisp, higher pitch “crack” when playing a
rim shot. However as you listen, take care to note that some artists, notably the great, Tito Puente, made
recordings using a three- (or more) timbales setup. These setups deviate from the standard, two-timbales
setup. This may cause confusion as you listen to recordings looking for a satisfactory tuning for your
timbales. When tuning the timbales, use a diametric tuning system (low drum on the left, high drum on the
right).

Care
Rust and abuse are the main factors that affect the timbales negatively. Depending on the climate and the
playing conditions, make sure you lubricate the lugs once a year, at least. Always check for loose tuning nuts
before playing.

160
Appendix A:
Family of CubanFamily of Cu
Clave Patterns

ã 22 Û . Û* Û Û Œ Û Û Œ
J
Forward Son
Clave (3:2)

Reverse Son
ã 22 Œ Û Û Œ Û. Û Û
* Û
Clave (2:3)
J

ã 22 Û . Û Û. Û Œ Û Û Œ
Forward Rumba *
Clave (3:2)
J J

ã 22 Œ Û Û Œ Û. Û* Û . Û
J J
Reverse Rumba
Clave (2:3)

ã 22 Û . Û Û. Û Û Û Û Œ
Matanzas *
J J
Rumba Yambu
Clave (3:2)

Play accented notes only = 6/8 clave

Forward Afro 6/8

Bembe Bell (3:2) ã 68 Û ‰ *Û ‰ Û Û ‰ Û Û ‰ Û
> > > > >
6
Reverse Afro 6/8
Bembe Bell (2:3) ã8 ‰ Û Û ‰ Û
* Û ‰ Û ‰ Û Û
> > > > >

* = Bombo Note

161