How to find the clave in salsa songs?
I’m taking classes in LA slot style on “1″ advanced beginner salsa. In class, I’m okay dancing to 1 in class (With help from the instructor) But when I’m in the club or listen to salsa music, it’s hard to or can’t hear the clave and find the 2,3, 5,6,7. And I know that my dancing is off. Anyone know of any way I can learn to recognize the clave in salsa songs so I can dance by them?
I don’t know how they are teaching you when to start dancing in your LA class. One of the easiest ways to find the 1 in salsa is to listen for the large cowbell. The loud hits on the open end of the cowbell are on 1 and 3, 5 and 7 so you can easily find the downbeat that way. Some people talk about listening for the conga slap on the 2 but it is often very hard to hear this when all the instruments are playing. The cowbell is great for on1 dancers.
In reference to what John said, the vast majority of clave used in non-Cuban salsa is son clave. The Cubans use much more rumba clave than any other salsa music style. Rumba clave comes from afro-cuban rumba and has a slight delay by one 8th note in the position of the third hit of the three side of the clave. In 3:2 son clave the hit is on the 4 but in rumba clave it’s on the 4&, i.e. one eighth-note later.
If you really want to hear the clave clearly I would recommend that you start by listening to some son recordings where you can very clearly hear the clave among all the other instruments. In much salsa today no one is actually playing the claves (the clave sticks themselves), rather it is “implied” by the other instruments, or perhaps the drummer at times plays the clave rhythm on the jam block.
I also recommend buying some CDs and listening non-stop to the music. I mean at home, in the car, on the bus, when you take a walk, when you are getting dressed in the morning. Any moment where you can listen to music, make sure it’s salsa. This way you will get comfortable with the beat much faster than if you just listen at class and in clubs.
I *don’t* recommend the music that has the guy counting 1,2,3, 5,6,7 because he will not be standing next to you counting in your ear at the club. It’s better to not develop a dependency on this IMO.
Here is a son where you can actually hear the clave. Not so many instruments in son so it’s easier to pick out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jztbJd5Nl2A
Here’s an example of a Cuban salsa song where you can hear the clave at times played on the jam block but it is also very clearly emphasised in the bass and piano patterns which stress the 3:2 son clave pattern. ba, ba..ba….ba, ba So you can sometimes hear the clave rhythm in other instruments, not just the sticks themselves.
Here is a song that begins with afro-cuban rumba and the rumba clave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8db5lBtkF3s
And just to make things more confusing than you probably want them to be here is a little description of where the hits of the clave fall in the various claves that you hear in salsa. When you count the beats in the measure instead of just counting quarter notes like you do when you dance 1,2,3,4 / 5,6,7,8 you count eighth-notes 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & / 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 &
The clave has “two sides” one with three hits and one with 2 hits. Depending on which side feels like it comes first (according to the pattern of the music) it can be either 3:2 or 2:3.
2:3 son clave the hits are on
2, 3 / 5, 6&, 8
Audio of 2:3 son clave http://64.251.10.200/artists/charangahabanera/mp3/ClDeb/cd_audio_01.m3u
3:2 son clave the hits are on
1,2&,4 / 6,7
Audio of 3:2 son clave http://64.251.10.200/artists/charangahabanera/mp3/ClDeb/cd_audio_03.m3u
2:3 Rumba clave
2, 3 / 5, 6&, 8&
Audio of 2:3 rumba clave http://64.251.10.200/artists/charangahabanera/mp3/ClDeb/cd_audio_02.m3u
3:2 Rumba clave
1,2&,4& / 6,7
Audio of 3:2 rumba clave
http://64.251.10.200/artists/charangahabanera/mp3/ClDeb/cd_audio_04.m3u
But if what you are most concerned about is just finding the right beat for dancing On1, the cowbell is my best tip.
Salsa Dancing : Short Stride Salsa Latin Dance Move
