Clave (rhythm)

The Clave, Spanish "key" is a rhythmic element in the African-influenced Latin American music, which is played on the claves, two round wooden rods with one to three inches in diameter and about 20 cm in length.

• 2.1 Apparent " turning" the Clave

Types of Clave

All variations of the Clave are always repetitive two-measure rhythm patterns, which can be played in the expression of 3-2 or 2-3. This means 3-2, in the first three clock beats to be played and in the second bar two, at 2-3, it is the other way around.

Basically, one can distinguish the types of Clave by

• The underlying time signature, 4/4 or 6 / 8th
• According to whether the three falling in the first beats of each other at the same distance, or if the third strike is in contrast shifted eighth backwards ( and can be heard as well as an acceleration of one of the second measure ).

A distinction is made, inter alia, the Son clave, rumba clave and the bossa nova clave (the terminology is not uniform and is not unique, the " rumba clave ", as used below, there are for example only in the most common form of Afro-Cuban Rumba, the Guaguancó ).

6/8-Clave

The 6/8-Clave is considered the original clave, which was brought by slaves from Africa to Latin America, especially those from Congo to Cuba. It is still used today in the music of various peoples of Africa as a bell figure and also as a concept. In the Afro-Cuban folklore it is played in the ritual music of Santería and the Rumba variant Columbia. The bottom line is a common variant that is often heard as 6/8-Glocke (parallel to the games played in the Cuban Columbia on sound wood clave ). What is striking is the similarity to the rumba clave. It is assumed that the rumba clave originally developed from the 6/8-Clave.

4/4-Claven: Son and Rumba

The rumba clave and the Son clave are played in 4/4-time. On them, that is, usually, but not always on the Son Clave, based a large part of Cuban and from it developed Latin American popular music (eg Son, Bolero, Salsa, Timba ).

In the area of the rumba, the terminology is somewhat verwirrendend; Here three different clave types are used:

• The Columbia is based on a 6/8-Rhythmus and accordingly uses the 6/8-Clave.
• The Yambú can write in 4/4-time and uses the Son Clave.
• Only the Guaguancó ( 4/4) used here the so-called rumba clave.

This usage may be explained by the fact that the Guaguancó is the most popular variant of rumba.

Another usage refers to any Clave - whether 4/4 or 6 /8, the third blow falls on the last eighth before the second cycle and so can also be heard as an acceleration of one of the second measure - as a rumba or Afro - clave, ie both the 6/8-Clave and the rumba clave here called 4/4-Clave.

As the 6/8-Clave also has the 4/4-Clave five beats, which can spread over two bars. If you play the first three beats in the first measure, it is called 3-2 clave; by interchanging the two bars one obtains the so-called 2-3 clave. Here first the Son Clave:

The rumba clave is different from the Son clave only that is placed in a 3 clock the strike of 4 to 4 .

Transition from 6/8- to 4/4-Claven

In the 6/8-Clave the time interval between the 3rd and 4th stroke is as long as the time interval between the 4th and 5th beat. That is fundamentally different from the 4/4-Claven. Nevertheless, one feels the 6/8-Clave and 4/4-Claven as " equal " when the time signature changes directly from 4/4 to 6 /8 ( and / or vice versa) in pieces of music. This is a kind of " acoustic deception ".

Clave for odd meters

The clave was further developed in the 90s. Above all, representatives of the New York Latin Jazz scene expanded the Clave for odd meters. Thus, the Clave originated in 7/4- or 10/4-Takt. The most prominent representatives of this trend were Danilo Pérez ( CD " Central Avenue " ), David Sánchez ( CD " Melaza " ), Sebastian Schunke ( CD " Symbiosis " ), Antonio Sanchez and bassist John Benitez.

Clave in Brazil

The traditional Afro-Brazilian musical styles such as the music of Candomblé are also structured by a clave, which is usually played on a Gã or Gonguê mentioned cowbell. In modern popular Brazilian music, which also includes the Samba or Samba Reggae count, however, there is no real Clave. Samba Instead, a linha rítmica (Guideline ) as the Partido Alto or the so-called playing " Bossa Clave " of the Agogos or accentuated by the caixas or Repiques. The main difference with a clave is that the linha rítmica is draped richly varied.

Clave in pop music

Especially the 3-2 clave is continued throughout a large part of Western pop music. She often appears as an accompaniment patterns - if only implied or clearly played out, as in the notes played on the guitar Bo Diddley beat (something like the signature rhythm of rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley ). Examples of the latter are well-rehearsed by the Rolling Stones Bo Diddley Mona composition or George Michael's Faith piece.

Importance

According to the literal translation of the clave may well be regarded as the key to Latin American music. She is not only a rhythmic structure, but is a complex and fundamental concept, especially in the African-influenced music of Latin America dar. factor here is the Zweitaktigkeit the clave patterns. The 3 - side of the clave based on voltage is reduced to the 2- side. This tension determines the arrangement of the entire piece. All intros, outros and Breaks ( Cierres ) are oriented as well as melodies and accompaniment patterns and the musicians themselves at the " direction" of the clave. The clave usually runs through the whole piece through and does not change. The interesting thing is that the actual clave pattern often does not need to be played. It pulsates with the music, is from the percussion rhythms to hear as well as from the montunos played by the piano. Trained musicians intuitively know which side of the clave, they are playing (for 2- or 3- page ), so that they never lose their rhythmic variations in orientation or improvisation. Plays a musician in the wrong or twisted Clave, then you say, he plays " cruzado " (Spanish for " cross "). Thus, an effect is described that each musician can feel yourself and check if it against each other playing the clave figure with both hands. The secret is in the 2nd shot of the 3 figure and the first beat of the 2. The second impact of the 3 - figure is a syncope, the first beat of the 2 figure is on the beat. On these two points intersect the beats and trigger a braking effect which disturbs the rhythm ( beat immediately followed by syncope or vice versa).

Apparent " turning" the Clave

Although the Clave ( and the whole rhythmic orientation, so with her) goes through unchanged in one piece, as a rule, nevertheless often gives the impression that they would suddenly change within the piece, ie from 2-3 to 3-2, or vice versa. This occurs when the individual parts of the piece have odd numbers of cycles and thus shifts when changing to the next part of the perceived " beginning " of a musical unit against the Clave.

The "classic" case of this " spin" of the clave is in the Son in the transition from the " narrative " section for the call - and-response patterns between solo singer and choral singing held part (also called the montuno section) instead. Most " missing " in the last passage of the 4 (8, 16 ) - " clock " pattern a clock. The clave is however unchanged, with the effect that the rhythmic emphasis shifts to the " 2 " part. The rhythm appears driving through this shift. This effect is supported

• By switching to the already mentioned, repetitive call-and -response pattern,
• By the " acceleration" "missing" by the clock, often in turn reinforced by an accentuation of the last two Clave Beats by the whole band or a kick by a instrumental soloists (usually trumpet),
• By changing the bongo player on the bell (but usually only after the first call-and -response passage),
• Possibly by changing the timbales player (if available; Timbales not belong to the classic Son instrumentation; relevant this is more in the salsa ) from the Cáscara to the louder, more aggressive sounding timbales bell
• Often by a gradual increase in pace

The transition takes place only once in this traditional building.

In the Salsa, the traditional structure is partially detached from the inherited from the pop verse-chorus pattern, in this case, the change can take place several times in the piece between verse and chorus. A piece may begin, for example, in 3-2 and reconciled after 4 bars intro in the first verse, which is thus also played in 3-2. Does this verse but then 5 cycles, ie an odd number, the following chorus starts on the 2er side of the clave, and the listener the feeling that the Clave would have turned himself created.