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This isnât a slow clap, this is an iconic rhythm youâve definitely heard before.
Today weâre going to talk about the Son Clave rhythm and what makes it so cool.
Itâs a lopsided 5-beat rhythm but still feels completely natural and danceable in regular 4/4 â and its uniquely winding and hypnotic pulse has helped it conquer the world of contemporary music far beyond its Afro-Cuban roots.
The last 70 years of modern music has so ingrained the Son Clave beat into the sound on radio waves around the world, that itâs unlikely that many musicians who use it today would even realise its origin or wonder why they might have been drawn to using it. It has permeated everything from old school RockânâRoll like Bo Diddley, or Dr. John, to present day Hip Hop Snoop Dog, to RânâB BeyoncĂ©, Drake and so much more.
A Son Clave back beat is incredibly versatile in lots of different musical styles yet always gives a track a groove that stands out. If you feel you just canât seem to break out of defaulting to four to the floor beats when youâre making music, then this odd numbered hypnotic 5-beat rhythm will freshen up the feel of your 4/4 beats.
As pop music becomes increasingly global and rhythm focussed, they appear in a hugely diverse range of songs.
Theyâre famous for being danceable and very syncopated. They also often feature asymmetrical patterns. Perhaps the most commonly used and universally popular is a pattern known as the âSon Claveâ.
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If you divide up two bars of 4/4 into its beats (â1 and 2 and 3 and 4 andâŠâ and repeat this twice), only five of these notes are ever played or emphasized in a Son Clave beat â 3 long beats in the first bar, and 2 fast beats in the second bar.
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and | 1 and 2 and 3 and 4
Try count it, and clap the Son Clave over the top. (PRO-TIP:It can help to think of it as three slow, two fast beats: âslowwwww, slowwwww, slowwwww, fast-fastâ)
Get started on learning this rhythm with Melodicsâ lesson âKalaâ (available for Pads or Drums) which uses the Son Clave as a perfect introduction to basic syncopation.
To see how versatile the Son Clave can be in modern musical contexts, listen to the kick drum, bass and piano rhythm in the iconic hit âRosannaâ by Toto. Frequently referenced as a prime example of a halftime or âpurdieâ shuffle itâs surprising to hear a Son Clave in there too!
NEW LESSON DROP!
NEW LESSON DROP!
Doo Wop (That Thing)
As made famous by Lauryn Hill
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