Afro-Cuban · salsa · 4/4 son-clave

Tumbao (anticipated changes)

200 bpm Loop: all
16ths
Clave
Piano
Bass

Mixer

Keyboard

Tumbao over changes — Scivales's Ex. 6 (i iv V i, moved from D minor to G minor). When the chord changes every bar, the tumbao's beat-4 note anticipates the next bar's chord: the G on beat 4 of the Gm bar is already the root of the Cm that follows, the D on beat 4 of the Cm bar belongs to the D7, and so on. Levine makes the same point in fig. 20-27.

Here the bass also plays beat 2 before the and-of-2, so each bar is "2, and-of-2, 4" — a common salsa dura shape. The piano plays a single-line montuno whose own anticipations (the note on the and-of-4) change to the new chord at the same moment as the bass.

Listen for how early the harmony moves: the ear hears Cm on beat 4 of bar 1, not on the downbeat of bar 2. In salsa the whole rhythm section changes chords there.

Practice: bass line alone with the clave until the beat-4 anticipation feels like the new bar; then add the right hand. Felt in 2.

Sources

  • Scivales, Play Latin Piano Like a Pro, ch. 24 Ex-118-1 (Ex. 6, 2-3 clave) — transposed Dm→Gm
  • Levine, The Jazz Piano Book, fig. 20-27 (bass note on 4 anticipates the next chord)

Keyboard

Space
Play / pause
← →
Loop the previous / next bar
1–6
Mute layer 1–6
[ ]
Tempo −5 / +5
?
This sheet