Percussion Tutor Book

PercussionTutor

J r m e G o l d s c h m i d t - L a u r e n t Pe c k e l s - J o n a t h a n L e v i

Contents

I. Percussion Tutor 1

1. Introduction 2

1.1. PercussionTutor app, book and website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.2. A word of caution for western trained musicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2. How to use the app 4

3. Notation convention 7

4. Licence conditions concerning the transcription book 8

II. The Rhyhtms 9

5. Cuba 10

5.1. Songo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

5.2. Pilon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

5.3. Mozambique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

5.4. Afro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

5.5. Iyesa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

5.6. Guaguanco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

5.7. Afra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6. Cuba - Bat Drums 24

6.1. Lalubanche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

6.2. Ogun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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www.percussiontutor.com

6.3. Aguere - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

6.4. Aguere - Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

6.5. Imbaloke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

6.6. Kuru Kurubete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

6.7. Ewe Masiborou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6.8. Borotitilawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

6.9. Dada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

6.10. Yacota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

6.11. Iyamase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

6.12. Ibejis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

6.13. Akete Obba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

6.14. Odudua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

6.15. Echu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

6.16. Olokun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

6.17. ongo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

6.18. Chachalokafun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

6.19. Iyesa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

7. Brazil 86

7.1. Samba Batucada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

7.2. Baio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

7.3. Samba Pagode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

7.4. Samba Enredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

7.5. Samba Reggae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

8. Dominican Republic 96

8.1. Merengue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

8.2. Jaleo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

8.3. Pambiche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

9. Peru 103

9.1. Festejo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

9.2. Zamacueca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

ii


9.3. Vals Peruano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

9.4. Lando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

9.5. Afro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

10.West Africa 113

10.1. Fanga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

10.2. Saa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

10.3. Lamban . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

10.4. Sounou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

III. Final Thoughts 122

11.Team 123

12.Contributors 125

iii


Part I.

Percussion Tutor

1


1. Introduction

1.1. PercussionTutor app, book and website

PercussionTutor will allow you to approach South American, Caribbean and West African

music in a different way. The app, the free companion book and the website percussion-

tutor.com feature a unique library of world rhythms and instruments played by first-rate

percussionists and drummers from NYC and around the world.

We designed this project with the dedicated world percussion enthusiast in mind but we are

sure that every musician can immensely profit from the insight into these rich and complex

polyrhythms.

This app puts you in a live playing situation - just like you learned your mother language.

You will sound more natural and more alive and you will awaken to new rhythmic possibil-

ities.

Some recommendations:

give yourself some time to listen to the different patterns

internalize the different rhythms before you play them

dont start with the notation to learn the rhythms, only use it as a reference

be patient!

2


1.2. A word of caution for western trained musicians

The ethnomusicologist Simha Aron (African Polyphony and Polyrythm, Cambridge University

Press, 1991) writes that one of the essential features of most traditional African music is

the absence of regular accents . . . all terms implying a contrast between strong and weak

beats should thus be excluded from the vocabulary applied to such music. African cross-

rhythm relies on the tension created by complex interrelated patterns and has one reference

point, the pulsation. This pulsation will be your guide during performance.

All the rhythms including their variations and conversations are available in standard nota-

tion inside the app. You can also download them as a free pdf file on our website. Although

we are well aware of the intrinsic limitations of transcribing those rhythms by relying on

western notation, we still agree with John Amira and Steven Cornelius (The Music of San-

tera, Traditional Rhythms of the Bat Drums, White Cliffs Media, 1999) that staff notation,

while flawed, is the best method for presenting bat rhythms to a general audience. Use

the sheets only as a reference point and learn the rhythms by listening to the melodies of

those drums. Remember that there is actually no strong beat at the beginning of each bar

even if the sheets say so. Follow the pulsation and (try to) forget about 1,2,3,4.

3


2. How to use the app

We structured the content of the app by country, region and/or style. Some of the rhythms

have up to three different parts called basic, variation and conversation (conversation is

actually a unique feature of the Bat drumming tradition). In the basic section you can

learn the rudiments of the different rhythms. The variation section introduces several em-

bellishments. And finally, the conversation section is the most challenging part where the

dialogue between the different Bat drums can be practiced. We created a random generator

to imitate a real live playing situation.

The three sections of the app rely on the same user interface. There is also a horizontal view

available showing the music sheet, the different instruments and the play/stop controls.

The names of the instruments match the names of the icons from top to bottom and left to

right. Instruments can also be muted and activated in horizontal view.

Basic rhythms

Every rhythm in the basic segment plays as a loop and gives you unlimited time for practice.

By clicking the drum icons before or during playback you have the option to:

listen to all drums together to get a sense of how they sound together

mute one of the drums and play the missing drum yourself

listen to just one drum for study, feel and sound

listen to one drum, sing the part of another drum and play a third drum yourself

(challenging, isnt it ?)

use your instrument to play along the other drums and imitate them

All rhythms have been precisely transcribed into standard notation. The free companion

4


Figure 2.1.: App interface

5


book can be downloaded on percussiontutor.com as a pdf file. Notation is also available in

the app by clicking on the notation symbol.

We cannot stress enough the importance of familiarizing yourself with this new language

by ear. We believe however that the transcription book will serve as a handy reference guide

to the different rhythms.

Variation rhythms

In the main section, you will predominantly hear variations or embellishments. All the

rhythms are playing as seamless loops. In this section however you do not have the pos-

sibility to mute the different drums. We used a special icon with an E for ensemble play-

ing.

The purpose of this section is to listen and absorb the rhythm with its new variations until

you get a good understanding and feel for it. Once you are ready, click on the basic segment

and practice the variations you just learned.

Conversation rhythms (for Bat rhythms only)

We recorded conversations for 10 different rhythms. Each rhythm gives you the impression

that you are playing in a real live situation. The role of the okonkolo is to keep time

while the iy and itotele dialogue (converse) with one another. The iy player starts the

conversation at his or her own choice. The itotele player answers instantly. This back and

forth motion between the drums produces a beautiful language.

The amazing thing about this section is that the conversations appear randomly! Take a look

at the book for more on Bat Drumming.

6


3. Notation convention

Bat Rhythms

chacha: smaller and higher pitched drumhead of each bat drum

enu: larger drumhead of each drum

slap: produces a high crisp sound. Holding the enu while striking the chacha is im-

portant and produces a dry crisp sound

open tone (okonkolo): strike the enu with the fingers. The rim lies on second joint of

the fingers

open tone (itotele): strike the enu with the fingers. The rim lies where the fingers meet

the palm

open tone (iya): strike the enu with the whole hand (fingers/palm) between the rim

and the center of the drum

mued tone: closed or pressed sound (only used on the itotele and on the iya)

touch note - used for timing and feel (at the discretion of the player). Very soft and

most of the time not audible when the three drums play together

Figure 3.1.: Notation

7


4. Licence conditions concerning the

transcription book

This free transcription book can be downloaded at percussiontutor.com. We deliberately

chose to use a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence (creativecommons.org/

licenses/by-sa/3.0/) for the booklet. This means you are free:

to share: to copy, distribute and transmit the work

to remix: to adapt the work

and even to make commercial use of the work

under the following conditions:

attribution: You must attribute the work to us i.e. keep the linkwww.percussiontutor.com

(please respect the terms of the licence and dont imply in any way that we endorse

you or your use of our work).

share alike: If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the

resulting work only under the same or a similar license to this one.

with the understanding that:

Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get our permission.

8


Part II.

The Rhyhtms

9


5. Cuba

5.1. Songo

Songo - Jose Luis Quintana , better known as Changuito is one of Cubas most innovative

drummer/percussionists. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, he was a member of the Cuban

group Los Van Van. It was in this group that he developed a style of Cuban music called

songo.

The first drum set with Los Van Van had no cymbals or hi hat. the basic set consisted of

toms, snare drum, bass drum, and a large piece of bamboo called caa brava mounted on

a stand. The conga drum plays an open tone on the n of two and on four. Those are very

important notes in latin music. You find those two notes in many other conga rhythms. The

bass player plays around those two notes most of the time.

10


Clave

Guiro

Congas

Drums

C

C

C

C

/

Songo

/

/

P S T O P T O T

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j


5.2. Pilon

Pilon is a Cuban musical form which was very popular in the 1950s. The Pilon was created

by Enrique Bonne Castillo in the Oriente (eastern province of Cuba) in the late 1950s, con-

tinuing into the early 60s. Much of Bonnes music was performed by Pacho Alonso and his

group, Los Bocucos.

12


Clave

Guiro

Congas

Timbales

C

C

C

C

/

Piln

/

/

P T S T P T B O O S O O O O

/

> > >

>

> > >

>

j

j

j

j


5.3. Mozambique

Mozambique - In the early 1960s, Pedro Izquierdo, better known as Pello El Afrokan, cre-

ated a new rhythm which he called mozambique. Today, there are different versions of

mozambiques. In this New York style example of mozambique, you can hear the following

instruments: timbales, congas and 2 different cowbells.

14


Small Bell

Large Bell

Congas

Timbales

/

/

/

O O S S S S S S O S O O O O S S S S S S O S O

/

j

j

j

j

J

J

J

J

J

J

J

J

J

J

Mozambique


5.4. Afro

Afro is a rhythm that was very popular during the 1940s. In todays music scene, you rarely

hear this rhythm. However, when requested to play, one must pretty much play the same

pattern throughout the tune. It is sometimes used as an introduction or section of a tune.

The tempo is never fast.

Traditionaly, this rhythm is played on timbales. In this more modern version of Afro, we

are using the drum set instead. The conga drum plays a groovy pattern. For those familiar

with bata drums, the congas and bongo play a pattern that is similar to the fourth part of

the Osain rhythm.

16


Clave

Guiro

Bongo

Congas

Drums

/

/

/

/

B P T O S O O O S T T S

/

j

j

j

j

Afro


5.5. Iyesa

Iyesa is an Afro-Cuban folkloric rhythm. The omele (highest pitched drum) and itotele

(next to highest pitched drum) are both played with one stick. The lowest drum Baba is

the only instrument in this tradition played with the hands. The lead drum and soloist Iya

(next to lowest pitched drum) is played with a stick and a hand.

In the video section, you see an excerpt of a live performance. The iya drum (solo drum)

is on the right side. Greg Askew plays different variations on the iya drum. Standing on

the left side, you see Louis Bauzo play the maraca. The basic audio section does not have

a maraca. Once you add songs to the rhythm, the maraca can be added like you see in this

video example.

18


Guataca 1

Guataca 2

Omele

Itotele

Iya

Baba

C

C

C

C

C

C

/

Iyesa

/

/

O O O O

/

O

O O

O

/

Llame (call)

O M

M O M

/

O O

O M M M O O

j

j

j

j

j

j


5.6. Guaguanco

Guaguanco is a sub-genre of Afro-Cuban rumba combining percussion, singing and danc-

ing. There are three different types of rumba played today: Yambu, Guaguanco and Columbia.

In this example, you hear a havana style Guaguanco which is also the most popular of the

three rumbas.

In the video section, you see the quinto (solo drum) on the right, the salidor in the middle

and the tres golpe on your left. Paying close attention to the salidor player, you notice that

his basic right is a little bit different than the one you hear in the basic audio section. This

is because every salidor player has his own flavor and adds little touches here and there to

give the rhythm more spice. Also in this video example, you hear the salidor and tres golpe

players add variations to their basic pattern.

20


Clave

Maraca

Cascara

Salidor

Tres Golpe

Quinto

C

C

C

C

C

C

/

Guaguanco

/

/

/

OB B

B

O B B

O

/

S S B S S

O

S O S S

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

S

S

S

O

O O

/

/

/

/

/

/

S S

O

O O O O

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j


5.7. Afra

Afra is the name of an Arara rhythm. There are many different ethnic groups in Cuba and

one of those groups are the Arara people. You find Arara people mostly in the provinces of

Havana and Matanzas. Originally the Arara people come from Dahomey (now Benin).

22


Ogan

Tercero

Seguno

Bajo

Caja

6

8

6

8

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

/

R L

O O

R L

O O

/

r L R L R

o

O O

M M

/

R L R L

O O O

/

L R R L

B O O B

R L L L

O

M B

B

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

Afra


6. Cuba - Bat Drums

The bat drums are a set of three double-headed drums shaped like an hourglass with one

side larger than the other. These drums and their rhythms stem from an ancient oral tradi-

tion and have been mainly used within the traditional religion of the Yoruba people of West

Africa. As victims of the trans-atlantic slave trade, Yoruba people brought parts of their

culture to the new world. Those beliefs and traditions eventually became the basis for what

is known as Santeria, a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced

by Roman Catholic Christianity.

Over the centuries, the bat drums became part of the Cuban culture and were eventually

heard and played in secular events. Nowadays they are used in many different orchestras

and band situations. These drums have their own unique language. Their subtle and com-

plex polyrhythms will help you develop your sense of rhythm.

The traditional setup for the bat ensemble places the iy (largest drum) in the middle. The

okonkolo (smallest drum) sets up to the iys right while the itotele sits down to the iys

left. The lower pitched head on each drum is called enu. The higher pitched head on each

drum is called chacha. We took special care to pan the drums in a different way for the video

and the practice section.

Each drum has its own particular purpose in an ensemble. The okonkolo is the time keeper

and is mostly responsible for the groove and swing of the ensemble. The iy (mother of

the drums) is the leader of the ensemble. She starts every rhythm with an entrance call,

plays variations or embellishments during the rhythm and converses with the itotele. The

itotele replies to calls for conversations hence creating a language between the drums while

playing an upbeat with the left hand on the chacha.

Variation Section

24


We recorded variations for 9 different rhythms. All of those rhythms have a start section

called llame and a main section. In the main section, you will predominantly hear variations

or embellishments on the iy, to a lesser degree on the itotele and in two occasions on the

okonkolo. All the rhythms are playing as seamless loops. In this section however you do not

have the possibility to mute the different drums.

The purpose of this section is to listen and absorb the rhythm with its new variation until


and practice the variation you just learned.

The iy player also called cajero plays the variations or embellishments at his or her own

liking. The itotele player has the option to either answer the variation with a variation

or continue with the basic pattern. The more you get familiar with this music, the more

you will develop a sense of when to answer and not to answer the variations of the iya

drum.

Conversation Section

We recorded conversations for 10 different rhythms. Some of those rhythms have two dif-

ferent tempi. Each rhythm gives you the impression that you are playing in a real live

situation. The role of the okonkolo is to keep time while the iy and itotele dialogue (con-

verse) with one another. The iy player starts the conversation at his or her own choice. The

itotele player answers instantly. This back and forth motion between the drums produces

a beautiful language. The amazing thing about this section is that the conversations ap-

pear randomly! Here you have the option to mute the okonkolo and itotele, because the yia

always initiates the conversation.

Notation Conventions

chacha: smaller and higher pitched drumhead of each bat drum

enu: larger drumhead of each drum

open tone (okonkolo): strike the enu with the fingers. The rim lies on second joint of

the fingers

open tone (itotele): strike the enu with the fingers. The rim lies where the fingers meet

the palm

25


open tone (iya): strike the enu with the whole hand (fingers/palm) between the rim

and the center of the drum

mued tone: closed or pressed sound (only used on the itotele and on the iya)

touch note - used for timing and feel (at the discretion of the player). Very soft and

most of the time not audible when the three drums play together

slap: produces a high crisp sound. Holding the enu while striking the chacha is im-

portant and produces a dry crisp sound

6.1. Lalubanche

Basic - Lalubanche is a 6/8 medium to up tempo rhythm and pertains to the orisha (god)

Elegua. In the Yoruba pantheon, Elegua is a warrior and is always greeted or saluted first.

He is the orisha of the crossroads who opens the doors to all possibilities. Eleguas colors are

black and red.

Variation - In this section, you will learn two variations on the iy and one variation on

the itotele. The cajero plays the variation(s) at his or her discretion. The itotele player has

the choice to reply to the iys variation with a variation (see measures 34 & 1112) or to

continue with the basic pattern (see measures 1516). The purpose of this section is to listen

and absorb the rhythm with its new variations until you get a good understanding and feel

for it. Once you are ready, click on the basic segment and practice the variations you just

learned.

26


Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Lalubanche (Basic)

/

j

j

j

j

/

Call

/

/

j

j

j

j

/

j

j

j

j


Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

5

Oko

Ito

Iya

9

Oko

Ito

Iya

13

Oko

Ito

Iya

17

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Lalubanche (Variation)

/

j

j

j

j

/

Call

/

/

j

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

/

j

j

j

j

j


Oko

Ito

Iya

21

Oko

Ito

Iya

25

Oko

Ito

Iya

29

/

/

j

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

/

j


6.2. Ogun

Basic - The Ogun rhythm has a funky ambience to it and is played in a 4/4 medium to

up tempo feel. What differentiates this rhythm from most others is that the itotele and

okonkolo play the slaps on the chacha (small) head at the same time. In most other rhythms

the slaps are dispersed across different beats of the measure. Ogun is the second warrior

and god of war, metal and energy. Ogun stands for strength, hard work and rude force as

well. He is the owner of metal tools and chains. His colors are green & black.

Variation - In this section, you will learn two variations or embellishments on the iy. The

itotele does not respond to those variations and stays with the basic pattern. The iy vari-

ations are in measure 3 and in measures 6 & 7. The purpose of this section is to listen



learned.

Conversation - In this section, iy and itotele converse with one another while the okonkolo

plays time. To make this section even more attractive, the iy also plays variations or embel-

lishments learned in the variation section. The objective of the itotele player is to distinct

variations from conversations and to dialogue with the iy. The conversation appears ran-

domly and therefore creates an alive situation. Allow yourself to listen to this section fre-

quently in order to develop a good feel for the new conversation before you play it yourself.

You have the option to mute the itotele and okonkolo while playing alongside the iy.

30


Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Ogun (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

j j

j


Oko

Ito

Iya Oko

Ito

Iya

5

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Ogun (Variation)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

j

j j

j

j

j

j

j

j

r

j

r

j

j

j


Ogun (Conversation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

/

Conversation

/

Call

Basic Section

Conversation

j

j j

j

r

j


6.3. Aguere - Part 1

Basic - Aguere is a rhythm played for the orisha Ochosi. Whats interesting about this

rhythm is that the iy pattern is only one measure long while the itotele pattern lasts four

measures. Ochosi is the orisha that represents forces of nature and justice. He is a great

magician and seer as well as a warrior and hunter. His power symbols are the bow and

arrow. Ochosis colors are blue and orange.

34


Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Aguere - Part 1 (Basic)

/

/

Call

j


6.4. Aguere - Part 2

Basic - Aguere is a rhythm played for the orisha Ochosi. Whats interesting about this

rhythm is that the iy pattern is only one measure long while the itotele pattern lasts four

measures. Ochosi is the orisha that represents forces of nature and justice. He is a great

magician and seer as well as a warrior and hunter. His power symbols are the bow and

arrow. Ochosis colors are blue and orange.

36


Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Aguere - Part 2 (Basic)

/

/

Call


6.5. Imbaloke

Basic - Imbaloke is a 6/8 rhythm and is played in a medium to up tempo feel. Whats fun

and at the same time challenging is that the slap hits interconnect between all three drums

thus producing a running staccato. As tempo increases, the slap hits become more difficult

to maintain.

Variation - In this section, you will learn two variations on the iy and three variations on

the itotele. You hear the iys first variation in measures 3, 4, 9 & 12 and the second variation

in measures 7, 15 & 16. The itoteles first variation is in measures 3, 7 & 12; variation two

in measures 4 & 15; variation three in measures 9 & 16. This 18 measure rhythm is looped.

The purpose of this section is to listen and absorb the rhythm with its new variations until


and practice the variations you just learned.

38


Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

3

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Imbaloke (Basic)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j


Imbaloke (Variation)

Oko

Ito

Iya 1

Oko

Ito

Iya

5

Oko

Ito

Iya

9

Oko

Ito

Iya

13

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j


17

Oko

Ito

Iya

21

Oko

Ito

Iya

25

Oko

Ito

Iya

29

Oko

Ito

Iya

33 Oko

Ito

Iya

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j


6.6. Kuru Kurubete

Basic - Kuru Kurubete is a 6/8 rhythm and is played in a medium tempo. The whole rhythm

is composed of a four measure cycle where the slap strokes on the chacha of each drum

interlock and thus create a running staccato. The okonkolo has the most difficult job by

playing the slap strokes on a steady upbeat. Therefore it is very important for the okonkolo

player to concentrate on the open tones (large drumhead) in order to not loose the rhythm.

Kuru Kurubete pertains to the orisha Osain, lord of the forest and master herbalist.

42


Oko

Ito

Iya Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Kuru Kurubete (Basic)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

j

r

j


6.7. Ewe Masiborou

Basic - Ewe Masiborou is a groovy rhythm played in a medium to fast 4/4 tempo feel. It

is important for the okonkolo player to focus on the open tones (large drumhead). Focusing

on the slap strokes may cause the rhythm to unexpectedly appear displaced against the

other drums. Ewe Masiborou pertains to the orisha Osain, lord of the forest and master

herbalist.

Variation - In this section, you will learn three variations on the iy. You will hear all

three variations twice in this 14 measure loop rhythm. The itotele does not respond to

those variations and stays with the basic pattern. The okonkolo keeps time while focusing

on the open tones as explained in the basic section.The purpose of this section is to listen



learned.

44


Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Ewe Masiborou (Basic)

/

/

Call


Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

3

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

Oko

Ito

Iya

9

Oko

Ito

Iya

12

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Ewe Masiborou (Variation)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

j

j


6.8. Borotitilawa

Basic - Borotitilawa is a warm and cozy 4/4 rhythm played in a slow to medium tempo

feel. This pattern can be used in many different musical situations. It has a really nice

atmosphere to it. As Kuru Kurubete and Ewe Masiborou, Borotitilawa pertains to the

orisha Osain, lord of the forest and master herbalist.

Conversation - In this section, the iy and itotele converse with one another while the

okonkolo keeps time. The conversation appears randomly and therefore creates an alive

situation. Allow yourself to listen to this section frequently in order to develop a good feel

for the new conversation before you play it yourself. You have the option to mute the itotele

and okonkolo while playing alongside the iy.

47


Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Borotitilawa (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

r

j

j

r

j

j


6.9. Dada

Basic - Dada is a 6/8 rhythm played in a medium to fast tempo feel. The okonkolo part and

the slap strokes of the itotele create a nice running staccato. Dada is also the name of the

orisha and is the symbol of wealth and properity in the Santeria religion.

Variation - In this section, you will learn four variations on the iy. The itotele does not

respond to those variations and stays with the basic pattern. The okonkolo keeps time and

is responsible for the swing of the ensemble. The iy plays one variation in measures 3, 8

& 13; another variation in measures 4 & 10; a third variation in measures 6 & 11; a fourth

variation in measures 2 & 15. This 15 measure rhythm is looped. The purpose of this section

is to listen and absorb the rhythm with its new variations until you get a good understanding

and feel for it. Once you are ready, click on the basic segment and practice the variations

you just learned.

Conversation - In this section, the iy and itotele converse with one another while the

okonkolo keeps time. There are also variations on the iy to give the rhythm more flavor.

Remember that you can listen and study the variations in the variation section. The conver-

sation appears randomly and therefore creates an alive situation. Allow yourself to listen

to this section frequently in order to develop a good feel for the new conversation before

you play it yourself. You have the option to mute the itotele and okonkolo while playing

alongside the iy. You also have the alternative to practice this rhythm in two different

tempi.

49


Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Dada (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j


Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

5

Oko

Ito

Iya

9

Oko

Ito

Iya

13

Oko

Ito

Iya

17

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Dada (Variation)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j


Oko

Ito

Iya

21

Oko

Ito

Iya

25

Oko

Ito

Iya

28

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j


Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Dada (Conversation)

/

/

Call

Basic Section

/

/

Conversation

/

Conversation

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j


6.10. Yacota

Basic - Yacota is a 6/8 rhythm usually played in a slow to medium tempo feel. This rhythm

does not pertain to any particular orisha. When you listen to the itotele by itself, you hear

a soft note (also called ghost note) played on the enu (larger drumhead). This note is not in

the notation and is optional. Challenge yourself to play this rhythm both ways.


plays time. The iy calls the itotele in two very similar ways. The respond of the itotele

is always the same just adding a note in front of the open tone. The conversation appears

randomly and therefore creates an alive situation. Allow yourself to listen to this section fre-

quently in order to develop a good feel for the new conversation before you play it yourself.

You have the option to mute the itotele and okonkolo while playing alongside the iy.

54


Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Yacota (Basic)

/

/

Call

j


Yacota (Conversation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

/

Conversation

/

Call Basic Section

Conversation

/

/

Conversation

/

Conversation

j

j

r

j

r

j

r


6.11. Iyamase

Basic - Iyamase is a 6/8 rhythm and is played in a medium to fast tempo feel. When you

listen to the itotele by itself, you hear a ghost note (on the large drumhead) between the

dotted quarter note and the eight notes. This ghost note is not in the notation but can

be played for time keeping purposes. Allow yourself to practice this pattern both ways.

Iyamase pertains to the orisha Chango. He rules over lightning, thunder and fire and often

carries his double headed thunder ax. Chango is known for his virility. He is the owner of

the drums. His colors are red and white.

57

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Iyamase (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

6.12. Ibejis

Basic - Ibejis is a funky & hip 4/4 rhythm and is played in a medium to up tempo feel. This

rhythm has a 2 measure cycle with the okonkolo playing a funky sixteen-note-feel ornament

at the end of every cycle. The Ibejis are twin children and are believed to be the children as

well as the messengers of Chango.

Variation - In this section, you will learn three variations on the iy. The itotele does not

respond to those variations and stays with the basic pattern. The okonkolo is the time keeper

of the ensemble. The iy plays one variation in measure 5, another variation in measure 9

and a third variation in measures 13 & 14. This 14 measure rhythm is looped and allows

you to listen, absorb and internalize the rhythm with its new variations until you get a good

understanding and feel for it. Once you are ready, click on the basic segment and practice

the variations you just learned.

59

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Ibejis (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

j

j

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

3

Oko

Ito

Iya

7

Oko

Ito

Iya

11

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Ibejis (Variation)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

r

6.13. Akete Obba

Basic - Akete Obba is a 6/8 rhythm and is mostly played in a slow to medium tempo feel.

Akete Obba pertains to the orisha Obatala. He is the source of all that is pure, wise and

peaceful. His color is white.

Conversation - In this section, you will hear a conversation with two different parts. The iy

and itotele converse with one another while the okonkolo keeps time. The first part of the

conversatioin can be played as much as desired before moving to the next part. The second

part of the conversation is played once before going back to basic section. The conversation

with its two different parts appears randomly and therefore creates an alive situation. Allow

yourself to listen to this section frequently in order to develop a good feel for the new con-

versation before you play it yourself. You have the option to mute the itotele and okonkolo

while playing alongside the iy. You also have the alternative to practice this rhythm in two

different tempi.

62

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Akete Obba (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

Akete Obba (Conversation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

/

/

1st part of conversation -

the iya decides when to move to the next part

/

/

/

2nd part of conversation -

this section is played once before

moving to basic section

/

/

/

Basic section

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

6.14. Odudua

Basic - Odudua is a 6/8 rhythm and is played in a slow to medium tempo feel. When you

listen to the rhythm, you hear and notice flams in the okonkolo part. A flam consists of two

single strokes played by alternating hands. The temporary distance between the first and

second note depends on the style and context of the piece being played. In this case, allow

yourself to listen to the rhythm frequently in order to develop a good sense for this flam

before you play it yourself. Odudua is an orisha.

Conversation - In this section, you will hear a conversation between the iy and the itotele

while the okonkolo keeps time. The conversation can be played as much as desired before

going back to basic section.There is also a variation played by the iy. Listen carefully and

see if you recognize it (also check the notation). The conversation appears randomly and

therefore creates an alive situation. Allow yourself to listen to this section frequently in

order to develop a good feel for the new conversation before you play it yourself. You have

the option to mute the itotele and okonkolo while playing alongside the iy.

65

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

Odudua (Basic)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

Odudua (Conversation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

/

/

Call

/

/

/

Basic Section

/

/

Conversation

/

Conversation

/

/

/

Basic Section

/

/

/

Variation

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

6.15. Echu

Basic - Echu is a hip & groovy 4/4 rhythm and is played in a medium to fast tempo feel.

It is another fun rhythm which can be used in many different musical situations. Echu

also called Elegua is the messenger of all the orishas and the owner of all the roads and

doors.

Conversation - In this section, you will find two conversations between iy and itotele while

the okonkolo keeps time. Conversation 1 is mostly played once but can be played several

times in a row. Conversation 2 can be played as much as desired before continuing with

Conversation 1 or going back to basic. The conversations appear randomly and therefore

create an alive situation. Allow yourself to listen to this section frequently in order to de-

velop a good feel for the new conversations before you play it yourself. You have the option

to mute the itotele and okonkolo while playing alongside the iy. You also have the alterna-

tive to practice this rhythm in two different tempi.

68

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Echu (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

r

j

j

r

j

j

r

Echu (Conversation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

/

Conversation

/

Call

Basic Section

Conversation 1

/

/

Conversation 2 - can be played as

much as desired before going back to conv. 1 or basic

/

Basic Section

j

j

j

j

j

j

r

j

j

r

j

j

r

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

r

j

j

j

j

6.16. Olokun

Basic - Olokun is a groovy 4/4 rhythm and is played in a medium to fast tempo feel. When

you listen to the iy part, you hear ghost notes (large drumhead) on the recording. These

ghost notes are not written down in the notation section. These ghost notes are optional.

Adding ghost notes into a rhythm has two functions. It is a good time keeper and gives the

rhythm a certain swing. Olokun is an orisha and represents the deep part of the ocean.

71

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Olokun (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

j

j

j

j

j

6.17. ongo

Basic - ongo is a 6/8 rhythm played in a medium to up tempo feel. It has a funky, hip

and groovy feel and can be used in many playing situations. Drummers can apply it to

their drumset, congueros to their congas, as well as guitar and keyboard players to their

respective instruments. This rhythm does not pertain to any particular orisha.

Variation - In this section, you will learn one variation on the iy and two variations on

the itotele. The iy plays the same variation in measures 2 & 3 and 6 & 7 while the itotele

answers to those variations with two variations (measures 3 & 7) of its own. This 8 measure

rhythm is looped. The purpose of this section is to listen and absorb the rhythm with its

variations until you get a good understanding and feel for it. Once you are ready, click on

the basic segment and practice the variations you just learned.


is responsible for time. In addition to the conversation, there is also a variation between

iy and itotele to give the section more spice. Remember that you can listen and study the

variation in the variation section. The conversation appears randomly and therefore creates

an alive situation. Allow yourself to listen to this section frequently in order to develop a

good feel for the new conversation before you play it yourself. You have the option to mute

the itotele and okonkolo while playing alongside the iy.

73

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

ongo (Basic)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

5

Oko

Ito

Iya

9

Oko

Ito

Iya

13

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

ongo (Variation)

/

/

Call

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

ongo (Conversation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

6

8

6

8

6

8

/

/

/

Call

Basic Section

/

/

Conversation

/

Conversation

/

/

/

Play this call to go back to basic

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

6.18. Chachalokafun

Basic - Chachalokafun is a hip, hot and funky rhythm. It is played in a medium to up tempo

feel. Apart from that, this rhythm is fun to play and can be used in many different musical

situations. This rhythm does not pertain to any particular orisha.

Variation - In this section, you will learn three variations on the iy and one variation on

the okonkolo. You can hear the first variation on the iy in measures 2 & 4, variation two in

measures 5, 6 & 7, and variation three in measures 9, 10 & 11. The okonkolo variation is in

measures 9, 10, 11 & 12. This 12 measure rhythm is looped. The purpose of this section is

to listen and absorb the rhythm with its new variations until you get a good understanding

and feel for it. Once you are ready, click on the basic segment and practice the variations

you just learned.

Conversation - In this section, the iy and itotele converse with one another. There are also

variations on the iy and okonkolo to give the rhythm more flavor. Remember that you can

listen and study the variations in the variation section. The conversation appears randomly

and therefore creates an alive situation. Allow yourself to listen to this section frequently in

order to develop a good feel for the new conversation before you play it yourself. You have

the option to mute the itotele and okonkolo while playing alongside the iy.

77

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Chachalokafun (Basic)

/

3 3

/

Call 3

r

Chachalokafun (Conversation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

/

3 3

/

Call

Basic Section3

/

/

Conversation 3 3

/

Conversation

Back to basic

r

j

Chachalokafun (Variation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

Oko

Ito

Iya

7

Oko

Ito

Iya

10 Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

/

3 3

/

Call3

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

/

r

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j j

j

j

j

j

j

j j

j j

j j

j j

j j

j

j

j

6.19. Iyesa

Basic - Iyesa is a very groovy, funky 4/4 rhythm. This rhythm is mostly played in a medium

to up tempo feel. It is a fun rhythm to play and can be used in many different musical

situations. This rhythm does not pertain to any particular orisha.

Variation - This is a very challenging section with many new variations to learn. We left

out the call in the audio and on the sheets. You will learn four variations on the iy, one

variation on the itotele and two variations on the okonkolo. This 20 measure rhythm is

looped and allows you to listen, absorb and internalize the rhythm with its new variations

until you get a good understanding and feel for it. As soon as you feel ready, click on the

basic segment and practice the variations you just learned. You will hear the okonkolos first

variation in measures 7, 8, 9, 17, 18 & 19; okonkolos variation two in measures 10, 11, 12 &

13. The iy and itotele variations are marked in the notation section.

Conversation - In this section, you will find two conversations. In conversation 1, the iy,

itotele & okonkolo converses with one another. In conversation 2, iy & itotele converse

with one another and the okonkolo plays time. You find more explanations about the con-

versations in the notation section. There are also variations on the iy and okonkolo to give

the rhythm more spice. Remember that you can listen and study the variations in the vari-

ation section. The conversations appear randomly and therefore create an alive situation.

Allow yourself to listen to this section frequently in order to develop a good feel for the

new conversations before you play it yourself. You have the option to mute the itotele and

okonkolo while playing alongside the iy.

81

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Iyesa (Basic)

/

/

Call

j

r

j

r

r

j

j

Iyesa (Variation)

Oko

Ito

Iya

3

Oko

Ito

Iya

7

Oko

Ito

Iya

11

Oko

Ito

Iya

14

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

/

/

Call

/

/

Variation

/

Variation 1

Variation 4

/

/

/

Variation 2

/

/

Variation

/

Variation 1

Variation 1

Variation 3

/

/

Variation

/

Variation 2

j

r

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j j

j j

j j

j j

j j

j j

j j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j j

j

j j

j

j j

j

j

j

j j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

18

Oko

Ito

Iya

/

/

/

j

j j

j j

j j

j

j

j

j

j

j

j

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

Oko

Ito

Iya

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Iyesa (Conversation)

/

/

CallBasic Section

/

/

/

Conversation 1 between iya, itotele & okonkolo -

can be played as often as desired before going to

conversation 2 or back to basic like in this example

Always play the call to go back to basic

/

/

/

Basic Section

Conversation 2 - can be played as

much as desired before going back

to basic

/

/

/

Always play the call to go back to basic

Basic Section

j

r

j

r

r

j

j

r

r

j

j

r

r

r

r

j

r

r

j

j

r

r

j

j

j

j

j

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r

r

j

j

7. Brazil

7.1. Samba Batucada

Samba Batucada was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during the late 19th century, when

thousands of migrants from Brazils Northeast fled south in search of a better life. Among

those migrants were many free-slaves whose culture and music, especially rhythm, were

brought south and influenced the music that was being created.

During the course of the 20th century, the free-slaves settled in slums and poor working

class communities all around Rio de Janeiro, and as their communities grew, they started to

form musical groups to march in the citys lent celebration called Carnaval. Each one of

these groups had a percussion ensemble that consisted of surdo players, agogo, pandeiro,

tamborins, caixas and ganzas. All these instruments are featured in this recording, playing

a traditional samba de batucada feel.

Repinique Notation:

O = open tone (right hand with stick)

x = rim click (right hand with stick)

Left hand = no stick

Tamborim Notation:

Check out the video excerpt for tamborim technique.

86

Ago-go

Tamborim

Ganza

Caixa

Repinique

Surdo 1

Surdo 2

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

/

Samba Batucada

/

/

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

/

> > > > > > > >

/

R

O

R

O

R L R

O

R

O

R L

/

O O O O

/

O O O O

7.2. Baio

Baio is a Northeast Brazilian rhythm. In this example of Baio, you hear the following

instrumentation: pandeiro, triangle, ganza, wood-blocks & drums.

Pandeiro Notation:

Th = thumb

S = slap (middle of pandeiro)

Triangle: O = open

88

Pandeiro

Triangle

Ganza

Wood-Blocks

Drums

C

C

C

C

C

/

Th Th

S

Th Th

S

Th Th

S

Th Th

S

/

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

/

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

/

/

j

Baiao

7.3. Samba Pagode

Samba Pagode - Pagode is a Brazilian style of music with its origin in Salvador, Brazil. The

Pagode style quickly went down to Rio de Janeiro and So Paulo region as a sub-genre of

Samba. Original Pagode developed in the start of the 1980s with the arrival of the band

Fundo de Quintal.

Pandeiro Notation:

Th = thumb

T = tip of fingers

H = heel

S = slap (middle of pandeiro)

Tan-Tan Notation:

B = bass

O = open

x = side of drum

90

Reco-Reco

Ago-go

Pandeiro

Tan-Tan

Drums

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

/

Samba Pagode

/

/

Th T H S Th S Th S Th Th Th

/

B O O

BO

BO O

B O

/

> > > > > > > > > >

7.4. Samba Enredo

Samba Enredo is a sub-genre of samba in which songs are performed by a samba school for

the festivities of Carnaval.

Pandeiro Notation:

Th = thumb

T = tip of fingers

H = heel

92

Ganza

Ago-go

Tamborim 1

Tamborim 2

Pandeiro

Caixa

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

/

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

/

/

/

/

Th T H T Th T H T

/

> > > > > > > > > >

j

Samba Enredo

7.5. Samba Reggae

Samba Reggae is a music genre from Bahia, Brazil. As its name implies, Samba Reggae is a

combination between Brazilian samba and Jamaican reggae.

94

Ganza

Surdo 1

Surdo 2

Drums

2

4

2

4

2

4

2

4

/

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

/

O O O O

/

O O O O

/

> > > > > > > > > >

Samba Reggae

8. Dominican Republic

8.1. Merengue

Merengue is a type of music and dance that originated in the Dominican Republic. Fran-

cisco ico Lora was a Dominican folk musician considered one of the fathers of merengue.

Internationally known merengue singers and groups include Juan Luis Guerra, Los Toros

Band, Sergio Vargas, Johnny Ventura, Ramon Orlando, Bonny Cepeda, Cuco Valoy, Wilfrido

Vargas, Kinito Mendez and Los Hermanos Rosario just to name a few.

Three main types of merengue are played in the Dominican Republic today. Merengue

tipico is the oldest style commonly played. The two other types are merengue de orquesta

and merengue de guitarra. The main percussion instruments are the tambora and the guira.

The tambora is a double headed drum played on one side with a stick and on the other

side with the hand while the guira is a metal scraper. The traditional instruments of the

merengue are the accordion, tambora, guira and marimba (bass instrument). Later on,

bands added a sax and the marimba was replaced by a bass guitar. In the last 20 years a

few new innovations have been made and congas, timbales and keyboards have been added

to merengue bands.

Guira Notation:

U = upward movement

D = downward movement

Tambora Notation:

L.H. = left hand (no stick)

R.H. = right hand with stick

96

x = side of drum

S = slap

O = open tone

Conga Notation:

O = open tone

S = slap

B = bass tone (bass notes are played softly)

97

Guira

Congas

Tambora

C

C

C

/

U D U D U D D

UD U D U

D D

UD U D U

D D

UD U D U

Merengue

/

O OB

S B O B

S B

O O

/

R.H.

(Stick)

L.H.

S

O O

S S S S O O S S S S O O

j

j

j

8.2. Jaleo

Jaleo is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is used as a part in a

merengue song which consists of three sections: paseo, merengue & jaleo.

Guira Notation:

U = upward movement


Tambora Notation:

L.H. = left hand (no stick)

R.H. = right hand with stick

x = side of drum

S = slap

O = open tone

Congas Notation:

O = open tone

B = bass tone (bass notes are played softly)

99

Guira

Congas

Tambora

C

C

C

/

U D U D U D D

UD U D U

D D

UD U D U

D D

UD U D U

Jaleo

/

O

O O O B O O O O B O O O O B O O O

/

Left Hand

R.H.(Stick)

S O O

O

O S S S O O O O S S S O O O

j

j

j

j

8.3. Pambiche

Pambiche is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. Pambiche also called

merengue apambichao is commonly heart in the merengue.

Guira Notation:

U = upward movement


Tambora Notation:

O = open tone

S = slap

M = mue tone

T = tip of fingers (softer than a slap)

x = side of drum

Congas Notation:

O = open tone

S = slap

B = bass tone

101

Guira

Congas

Tambora

C

C

C

/

U

D

D U

D D U

D D

U

D D U

D D

U

D D U

D D

U

Pambiche

/

O

S B S O O O B S O S B S O

/

L.H.

R.H.

(Stick)

O O S T M S S T O O O S T M S S T O

j

J

J

9. Peru

9.1. Festejo

Festejo is likely the most popular form of Afro-Peruvian music. Peru Negro, an Afro-

Peruvian music ensemble founded in 1969, created some festejo types that became national

hits in Peru and around the world.

Writing out musical/rhythmic patterns of the Afro-Peruvian festejo can be a little challeng-

ing in the sense that they sometimes appear to be in binary form (2/4 or 4/4). However,

on further observation, they are actually played somewhere in between those two feels

(binary-ternary). It is for this reason that we are presenting the festejo in 4/4 meter as well

as 12/8. It will be up to the reader to decide which meter to use, watch the app demonstra-

tion and listen to the music to develop the proper feel of theses rhythms.

Quijda

F=hit with the fist of hand

U=upward scrape with the stick

D=downward scrape with the stick

Congas

O=open tone

S=slap

P=palm of hands

T=tips of fingers

103

Cowbell

Cajita

Quijada

3 Congas

Bongo

Cajon

4

4

12

8

4

4

12

8

4

4

12

8

4

4

12

8

4

4

12

8

4

4

12

8

12

8

12

8

12

8

12

8

12

8

12

8

/

Festejo 1A (binary & ternary)

/

/

F F F F F D U D U F D U D U F D U D U F F F F F

/

O O S O O O O S P T O

/

/

Quijda

F=hit with the fist of hand

U=upward scrape with the stick

D=downward scrape with the stick

Congas

O=open tone

S=slap

P=palm of hands

T=tips of fingers

R R L

R R

L R R

L R R LR

R

L

33 3 3

3

/

/

/

F F F F F D U D U F D U D U F D U D U F F F F F

/

O

O

S

O O O

O

S P T O

/

/

R R L

R

R

L R R

L R

R

L R R

L

j

R

j

j

J

J

J

j

j

J

9.2. Zamacueca

Zamacueca is an ancient colonial dance taking its roots from African, Spanish and Andean

rhythms. The Zamacueca gave birth to Perus national dance, the marinera and Chiles

cueca. The Zamacueca is played at a moderate tempo.

105

CongasCajon 128128/ O O O S O O O O P S T P O O/ Zamacueca

9.3. Vals Peruano

Vals Peruano also called Vals Criollo is an adaptation of the European Waltz brought to the

Americas during colonial times. Over time, the Waltz was slowly changed to the liking of

the creole people.

107

ClapsCajon 3434// Vals Peruano

9.4. Lando

Lando is a very popular musical style in Afro-Peruvian music. Compared to the festejo, it is

a much slower style.

109

Quijada

Congas

Cajon

12

8

12

8

12

8

/

Lando

/

O O O O O

LL L L

O O O

R R

L

T P P T

RL

R

L

T

R

O O

R

/

9.5. Afro

Afro is an Afro-Peruvian rhythm.

111

Clave

Guiro

Bongo

Congas

Drums

/

/

/

/

B P T O S O O O S T T S

/

j

j

j

j

Afro

10. West Africa

10.1. Fanga

Fanga is a Liberian welcome rhythm and dance taught by Asadata Dafora/Babatunde Olatunji.

Main rhythm is second drum part: Gun Go Go Do Gun Gun Go Do

Drum Language:

Slap = Pa /Ta

Tone = Go /Do

Bass = Gun

113

Djembe 1

Djembe 2

Djembe 3

Djun Djun

C

C

C

C

/

S SS S S S

S S

Fanga

/

B

O O O

B

B

O O

/

B

B B

B O O

B

B B B O O

/

Bell

j

j

j

J

J

10.2. Saa

Saa is a social dance that resembles the movements of a snake done by two girls who seem to

be like twins. Dance and rhythm introduced and taught by master drummer Ladji Camara.

The mastery and agility to play the first accompaniment djembe rhythm distinguishes one

as a true djembe drummer.

115

Lead Djembe

Djembe 1

Sangba

12

8

12

8

12

8

/

Call

o

O O O O

O O O

Basic Ride

T S TT S T

T

S TT O T T S

T T O T T O O O S

T

Saa

/

S O S

S O S S O S S O S

/

Bell

j

j

j

j

j

10.3. Lamban

Lamban is a rhythm for accompanying pre-circumcision ritual music and dancing. First in-

troduced in America (US) by master drummer Ladji Camara. First accompaniment djembe

part is one of the two most important rhythms to understanding and learning djembe drum-

ming.

117

Lead Djembe

Djembe 1

Djembe 2

Djembe 3

Sangba

Djun Djun

12

8

12

8

12

8

12

8

12

8

12

8

/

Call

S

S S

Lamban

/

/

/

/

/

/

O O

S

S O O

S

S

/

S

O O S

S S

O O S

S

/

O O S TO O S S

/

B T S S O O S S

/

/

j

j

j

j

j

j

/

O O S S S S S S S S S S

/

S

O

O

SS

/

O O S TO O S S

/

BT

S S O O S S

/

/

j

j

j

j

2

10.4. Sounou

Songo - Jose Luis Quintana , better known as Changuito is one of Cubas most innovative

drummer/percussionists. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, he was a member of the Cuban

group Los Van Van. It was in this group that he developed a style of Cuban music called

songo.

The first drum set with Los Van Van had no cymbals or hi hat. the basic set consisted of

toms, snare drum, bass drum, and a large piece of bamboo called caa brava mounted on

a stand. The conga drum plays an open tone on the n of two and on four. Those are very

important notes in latin music. You find those two notes in many other conga rhythms. The

bass player plays around those two notes most of the time.

120

Lead Djembe

Djembe 1

Djun Djun

4

4

4

4

4

4

/

Call

S S S S

SS

S S O O

Basic Ride

O S T O SB O S O

Sounou

/

O S S S O O S S B S O

/

Bell

r

r

J

J

J

J

Part III.

Final Thoughts

122

11. Team

Jrme Goldschmidt: Jrme has been a professional musician and teacher for over 25

years. He lives in NYC and played with numerous artists such as Tito Puente, Mongo San-

tamaria & Chico OFarrill. jeromegoldschmidt.com

Laurent Peckels: after having spent 10 years in Paris working in the IT field and founding

his own company Laurent finally chose The Bass as his career path. He is a member of the

Luxembourg Jazz Orchestra Big Band, he teaches and he has kept his soft-spot for mixing

geeky tech stuff with music. peckels.com

Jonathan Levi: Jonathan, (born 1996!) is a drummer, loves Jazz & Latin music, good food

and new technologies. Follow him on twitter.com/drummerjolev

Georgi Gochev: developer - geonwk.com

123

Figure 11.1.: The Team

124

12. Contributors

Siddhartha Naithani: Musician, sound designer, and audio editor based in NYC. Follow

him on Twitter: twitter.com/noeticsound

Greg Askew - Bronx, New York Greg Askew, a product of Harbor Performing Arts Center,

studied with Reggie Tyler, Louis Bauzo & Alex Giglio among others. He recorded with

Orchestra Yambu and played on Danilo Perez Motherland album. He performed with

Tito Puente, Roberto Borrell y su Kubata and Felipe Garcia; he is currently performing with

Caribbean dance troupes Patakin and Carambu.

Louis Bauzo Brooklyn, New York Born in Puerto Rico, Louis Bauzo attended Julliard

School of Music and studied in Africa, Puerto Rico and Cuba. He has been a professional

musician for over thirty years. A member of the Tito Puente Orchestra for seven years

during the 1970s, he has performed and/or recorded with Dizzy GIllespie, Machito, Mario

Bauza, Eddie Palmieri, Mongo Santamaria, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Celia Cruz, Cachao,

Paul Simon, Manhattan Transfer, Joe Jackson, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Babatunde

Olatunji, Ladji Camara, Katherine Dunham and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, among

others.

Luiz Ebert Queens, New York Luiz Ebert, drummer and percussionist, is a native of

Braslia, Brazil, He has developed a vocabulary blend of drumming with percussive sen-

sitivity all his own. Combining the innovative concepts of jazz music with traditional el-

ements of Brazilian music creates a unique sonic palette that propels music in different

directions. Luiz Ebert currently resides in New York City, where he works with some of

the most talented upcoming jazz artists, as well as some established Brazilian artist such as

pianist Cidinho Teixeira and bassist Leco Reis.

Marcos Napa Clifton, New Jersey Marcos Augusto Napa Ormeo, was born in Lima, Peru.

125

He dedicated his life to Afro-Peruvian music and dance and made his debut as a profes-

sional percussionist in Ballet Per Negro. After a brilliant career with Ballet Peru Negro, he

performed with great Peruvian artists such as Eva Ayllon, Juan Castro Nally, Cecilia Braca-

monte, Lucila Campos, Mariela Valencia and Maria del Carmen Dongo. Currently, Marcos

teaches Afro Peruvian Dance at Pachamama Peruvian Arts in Queens, NY and directs his

Afro Peruvian Music and Dance Group: Caracumbe. www.marcosnapa.com

MarioMonaco Queens, New York Born in Montreal (Canada), Mario started playing Drum

Set on his 8th birthday and became a full time player at the age of fourteen playing mostly

North American Music. In his 20s, he moved to Brazil and spent 8 years in So Paulo ab-

sorbing the Music. Besides being an incredible drummer, Mario plays also percussion. He is

most recognized for his dedication and musical abilities in the variety of Brazilian rhythms.

He has performed with Al Di Meola, Paul Winter and Sambeamba, and has recorded with

Claude Dubois, Querubim Samba, and Mamadou Baye, to name a few. Mario is currently

living in New York City.

Oswald Simmonds Irvington, New Jersey Mr. Simmonds began his musical career in

Spanish Harlem New York City at the Boriqua Workshop, under the tutelage of John Mason

and the Quionez brothers. He later furthered his studies with Chief James Hawthorne Bey

in Queens New York, at the Bernice Johnson dance School. Following this experience, he

joined the International African American Ballet, where he studied the music, dance & songs

of the Old Mali Empire West Africa, with Olukose Wiles, John Blandford, Rhonda Morman

and Hazel Starks-Bryant. He became Co-founder and Associate Director for both the Body

Forms Dance and Fitness Studio in Jersey City, New Jersey and the African Performing Arts

and Culture Center, of Newark New Jersey. He has performed and recorded with many

musical groups and dance companies. Mr. Simmonds is a former consultant for the New

Jersey Performing Arts Center, Artist in Residence Program, and Adjunct faculty member

of the New Jersey City University.

Reynaldo Alcantara - Cliffside Park, New Jersey Born and raised on the Caribbean island

of the Dominican Republic, Reynaldo Alcantara considers himself a great lover of all that is

folkloric music from many countries but especially from the islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico,

and his native home of Dominican Republic. He studied folkloric music with Master Teach-

ers Louis Bauzo and Alfredo Coyude. In addition, Reynaldo has professionally played Salsa

126

for over forty years and has had the privilege of playing and professionally recording music

with various bands like El Conjunto Saoco, Yambu, Nino Segarra, Paquito Guzman, David

Forestier, Loas Hermanos Colon, Cano Estremeda, Tricoche, Billy Carrion, Luisito Carrion

to name just a few.

Richard Byrd - Bloomfield, New Jersey Richard Byrd, native of New Jersey, has traveled

around the world perfecting his craft as a Drummer and Akponni. He has had the dis-

tinction of performing consistently with Babatunde Olatunji, Ladji Camara, Chuck Davis,

Charles Moore Dance Co. and Chief Bey. He was also the founder and director of Dundu

Dole, a West African Dance troupe. His constant study has afforded him the distinction of

being one of the better Djembe Drummers and all around percussionist. His wide range

of talents allows him to be proficient on many types of drums, including the Bata, Congas,

Sangba, Djundjun, Sabar, Ashiko, as well as a wide variety of percussion instruments, such

as Shekere, and Agogo bells. Richards dedication has led him to become one of the lead-

ing Akponnis in the Yoruba tradition. Richard has also worked with Jimmy McGriff, Tito

Puente, Sun Ra Arkestra, Cecil McBee, and Charles Earland.

Rudy Walker Orange, New Jersey Tasty, powerful, dynamic, steady. . . these are only a

few of the adjectives that have been used to describe the technique and performance of

drummer, Rudy Walker. Since the age of seven, Rudys natural attraction to percussion has

been in evidence. Starting on the snare drum was the beginning of mastering the entire

drum set, and watching a performance by Billy Brooks set a burning desire in motion. With

a career that spans thirty years of performance, recording and teaching, Mr. Walker takes

tremendous pride in his contributions to making music with such notables as Sir Roland

Hanna, Walter Davis, Jr., Randy Weston, Pharaoh Saunders, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Fortune,

Bobby Watson, Andy Bey, Gloria Lynn, Amiri Baraka and Jimmy Scott. Throughout the

United States, Europe, Canada, Africa and Japan, Mr. Walker has made music with many

of the best musicians in the world, whether high profiled or local legends, music that spans

the spectrum of style and craft. www.rudywalker.com

Victor Rendn Queens, New York Originally from the Corpus Christi, Texas area, drum-

mer/percussionist Victor Rendn has had a 30 year plus career as a performer and educator

in New York City. He studied classical percussion intensively for many years with his first

teacher, Jimmy Ramirez, and Latin percussion in NYC with renown percussionists: Louie

127

Bauzo, John Almendra, Little Ray Romero, Frankie Malabe, Mike Collazo Sr., Changuito,

Roberto Borrell, John Amira, as well as drumset artists; Paul Guerrero, Charli Persip, and

Dom Famularo. Formerly co-leader of the Rodrguez/Rendn Latin Jazz Orchestra, he now

leads the Latin-jazz group Blue Mambo and the percussion group: Co-Tim-B. His lat-

est project is the Bronx Conexin Latin-Jazz Big Band with its home base at Lehman Col-

lege. He has worked as a side man with Mongo Santamaria, Chico OFarrill, Carlos Patato

Valds, Ray Santos Orchestra, Grupo Caribe, Latin Jazz Coalition, The New Xavier Cugat

Orchestra, Grupo Latin Vibe, Los Mas Valientes, Rudy Calzado, Corpus Christi Sympony,

Bronx Symphony, and many others. www.victorrendon.com

We would like to thank: Roger Fixy, Louie Bauzo, Johnny Almendra, Victor Rendon (thank

you for revising the wording), Alberto Villareal, Mario Aspirina Juregui, Greg Askew,

Ernesto Gatel, Maximino Duquesne, Amado Dedeu, Cristobal Larrinaga, Carlos Aldama,

Olivier Congar, Ray Alcantara, Richard Byrd, Thomas Beato, Luisito Quintero, Daniela Gi-

acone, Max Sauber, Paul Mootz, Alain Ginter, Rainer Kind, Romain Heck, Gregor Hueb-

ner, Sven Prokaska, Mario Monaco, Bruno Marrazza, Jacques Tellitocci, Catarina Almeida,

Kameliya Gocheva, Luc Kinsch, Anne-Catherine, Ada, Maud, Isabelle, Patrick, Ministre de

la Culture du Grand-Duch de Luxembourg. Our thoughts go to our families which we

love dearly.

128

Percussion TutorIntroductionPercussionTutor app, book and websiteA word of caution for western trained musicians

How to use the appNotation conventionLicence conditions concerning the transcription book

The RhyhtmsCubaSongoPilonMozambiqueAfroIyesaGuaguancoAfra

Cuba - Bat DrumsLalubancheOgunAguere - Part 1Aguere - Part 2ImbalokeKuru KurubeteEwe MasiborouBorotitilawaDadaYacotaIyamaseIbejisAkete ObbaOduduaEchuOlokunongoChachalokafunIyesa

BrazilSamba BatucadaBaioSamba PagodeSamba EnredoSamba Reggae

Dominican RepublicMerengueJaleoPambiche

PeruFestejoZamacuecaVals PeruanoLandoAfro

West AfricaFangaSaaLambanSounou

Final ThoughtsTeamContributors

Documents

Percussion Tutor Book