do whatever you need to do to maintain CORRECT habits. In this case, if you are going to count, use the correct count.
1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a
Notice that you have four beats in your sequence of twelve pulses. There should also be four beats in your sequence of sixteen pulses:
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a
As I’m sure you are aware, if you tap your foot to the four beats, it’s easy to move from the triple-pulse to duple-pulse structure, which is required in some rhythms.
There is a growing movement to notate, and thus COUNT, the music correctly.
Here are some books that write four beats (one cycle of clave) in one measure…
"The Tomas Cruz Conga Method Vols. 1,2,3", written by Kevin Moore. I’m credited with "conceptual guidance" in these books, so naturally, I agree with its notation and counting system.
My teacher had no idea...
Joseph wrote:Counting as you stated David,
1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a
just cleared up a whole lot of disorientation for me.
You’ve just convinced me!
Joseph wrote:Yes there is irony there....we have to slice it & dice it in order to comprehend it.My teacher had no idea...
He probably didn't have to... he was most probably born into the tradition.
Unfortunately (fortunately) most of us didn't have the luxury (burden) of being born into that tradition.
Cheers
Garvin wrote:I remember some really funny exchanges between one of my teachers and a drummer before when he asked where the "one" was. My teacher had no idea... He kept counting one everywhere and we all laughed about it.
Theres nothing wrong with it.
I understand why we have to do it, and conversely why folks who are born into it do not.
Those concepts are probably alien to them and their attempt to answer you could very easily confuse you even further.
...that pesky gulf in perception...if you must get a metrical reference, ask them to play the accompanying clave or bell pattern, or demonstrate the dance steps
Joseph wrote:Do you think that those born into (an African non-counting) tradition (like the teacher you quoted), understand why we have to count?
Or is it as incomprehensible to them, as non-counting is to us?
1 . . 2 . . . 1 . . 2 . 3 . . .
what we N. Americans call 3-2 rumba clave
"Uno, Dos! ... Uno, Dos, Tres!"
taikonoatama wrote:davidpenalosa wrote:RULE#2 Never ask your African or Cuban folklorist teacher if it's "3-2, or 2-3?"
Yeah, no kidding. Things can get confusing on several levels, one of which I never imagined until I experienced it first hand when I was taking lessons with Carlos Aldama. He counts standard rumba clave ...
x . . x . . . x . . x . x . . .
... out loud, for the class as:
1 . . 2 . . . 1 . . 2 . 3 . . .
It would appear we have strayed from the topic of the djembe book.
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