Son Clave & 12 Bell
Lesson Notes

Product Description

Through the legacy of the transAtlantic slave trade, the African clave feeling spread throughout the New World, mixed with several European languages, and can be heard in the music of Cuba, Haiti, Domincan Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Jamaica, Brazil and the United States, among others.

Cuba, formerly a colony of Spain, has a rich blend African and Spanish music and culture. In Cuban music and dance, clave is especially prominent, and could be considered a philosophy or approach. Afro-Cuban musicians spread the clave feeling, sound and terminology to America and other parts of the world through their music, mostly the Son (rhymes with bone) and Rumba (pronounced Rroom Bah.)

Cuban music has had a great influence on music of the world and the Western Hemisphere in particular. This is due to many factors, starting with the intensity and liveliness of the music itself and the close proximity of Cuba to the U.S. Other reasons include the early use of European instruments by Cuban musicians, and the fact that Cuban music was some of the first recorded by Thomas Edison on his primitive phonograph. The percussive nature of Cuban music, and the claves in particular, lent itself to leaving clear impression on those early wax cylinders. Radio, which was spreading through out the world at this time as well, helped to further spread the sound of Cuban music and helped to create the "Rumba" craze in America of the 1930's. (This "Rumba" music was actually Son, recently made popular in mainstream America thought the CD and movie Buena Vista Social Club.) Cuba was a favorite holiday spot for many Americans up until the Cuban Revolution in1959. Our ongoing cultural exchange has led to the fact that the sound of claves and the clave rhythm have become part of American culture.

The influence and popularity of Cuban music in America has led to the use of the term "clave" by non-Cuban percussionists, dancers and rhythm affectionados.

Web note 2:

The fact that the strokes in one half of the pattern are not played in the other is basic to the feeling of the clave. Each half of the rhythm has it own momentum. The placement of the three strokes in the first half is in great contrast to the placement of the two strokes in the second half. The first half is a suspened, off beat feeling and the second half is a resolved, on beat feeling.

Web note 3:

Son Clave is one name musicians use for a very common pattern that you have probably heard. It is so named because it forms the basis of the Cuban Son music and dance. Son is the sound of clave, maracas, bongo, bass, tres guitar, guitar, chorus, and lead singer. Other instruments are also used. It is basically an acoustic sound and was recently made poplar in the United States by the movie and CD Buena Vista Social Club. The Son is the grandfather of what is known as Salsa.

This same pattern could have different names in other parts of the world. In Brazil it might be called "Maculele agogo", in West Africa it might be called "Highlife bell" and in America it might be called "Bo Diddly's rhythm" or the "carpenters knock".

Web note 4

The balance of strokes and spaces in the pattern completely reverses. It changes from a pattern of 5 strokes and 7 spaces to a pattern of 7 strokes and 5 spaces. This change of density is the primary reason why the two patterns feel so different.

Web note 5

Two cycles of the pattern looks like this when written out:

R|B-RLRRLR-B- R|B-RLRRLR-B-

Remember, this view is starting on the pick up, before one.

R is Right, B is Both and L is Left. The | means that the next stroke ( B in this case) is the beginning or unity point of the pattern.

Web note 6

There are other important twelve bell patterns, but this one is the most common, widespread and important one to learn. Another important twelve bell pattern is used in Haitain music. It is very similar to the pattern we leaned here in Clave Consiousness Vol. 1. To learn this pattern, please check out Vol. 4 of my Speaking of Rhythm lessons: Yan Valu

Web note General

When you come to the clave and twelve bell groove sections, If you don't want to hear the counting, you can set the balance to one side and only hear the clave and shaker.