by Conuno » Tue Sep 09, 2003 8:12 am
Hi people,
Unfortunately I’m not the man for vallenato, I know the style, because I have grown up listening this music, but I haven’t research too much about it. I know there are 5 styles of vallenato: Paseo vallenato, Son vallenato, Puya vallenata, Merengue vallenato, Canción Vallenata. Basically the difference is on Tempo. As I mentioned before, the solo or accompaniment is thought on tempo and depending on lyrics and style, with few syncopation in comparison to afrocuban music. Because the head is a film and sounds quite loud, they used to play strokes with the fingers (as indian tabla) and the bass tones are always present. Few triplets ! and lot of strokes on tempo alterning bass and high tones. Check out the groups I mentioned before, It’s not so difficult to get the feeling !
In colombia you can find more than 200 rhythms. Actually I’m interested in such rhythms, that few people know, but slowly are appearing in the new musical works from my country. (Carlos Vives, Juanes, El bloque, Toto, Bahia, Saboreo, Joe Arroyo etc). I will mention SOME OF THEM.
From Caribe: Cumbia, Cumbión, Gaita, Bullerengue, Mapalé,.Puya,.Porro tapao,.Porro palitiao, Fandango, Chandé, Garabato, Pilón, Son Negro, Son Palenque, Lumbalú, Chalupa, Merecumbé.
From Pacific: El currulao, El berejú, El aguabajo, El Makerule, El andarele o amanecer, El calipso chocoano, La juga, El bunde o chigualo, Alabao, Jotas.
About Cumbia, typically the instruments are Alegre(kind of Conga) llamador(kind of conga), Tambora (kind of Bombo), Guache (Big shaker of metal), Maracon (big Maraca) and Gaitas macho y hembra (Special Indigenous flute).
I woul like to published the rhythm here, but I don’t know how. Then I will make the correction of the already Cumbia written in the conga book.
The left hand is wrong written. The left hand has not silences, It is playing always with the beat and alterning slaps(very light) and open (accented). Then remove the silences and write all together (open tone correspond to second and fourth beat).
The rigth hand is partially okey, but you must take the first bar and repeat it on the third bar. The second and fourth bar doesn’t have a fix patern, then you must fill out them with right hand improvising.
Left hand for conga , rigth hand for tumba. They should be tuned in a third ! The fill out includes lot of triplets !
What you get is an adaption of tambora, llamador and alegre for two congas.
I hope you can understand this explanation !
Jorge may be you can give me some tips for Plena. (Plena and cumbia are similar in some way, but the improvisation is with the opposite hand )
Regards Conuno
Edited By Conuno on Sep. 09 2003 at 10:13