How to Find the Beat in Salsa Music (part 1)

http://addicted2salsa.com/videos

I am very happy to have found out that interest in learning to dance on2 (NY/PR) timing has started becoming very popular on addicted2salsa.com. To help everyone become more familiar with the clave and the VERY important conga slap, I have edited the original salsa clave track I created in Garageband for Episode 25 : Finding the Salsa Beat and modified it for an easier learning experience. This should help everyone make it part of their daily schedule to play the track at least 3 times a day while they do some other task. Doing this will allow your brain to sink-in that conga beat and rhythm subconsciously - so that it starts becoming easily recognizable by your ears.

At first, I recommend forget about the clave when listening to the soundtrack. Focus on the tu-ku (small pause) PA! (conga) sound first. That PA sound are your 2s and 6s when dancing on2.

• Category

  Education

[watching656]

The best way to understand this is by saying, "Tucu 1, 2, 3, tucu, 5, 6, 7, tucu, 1..."

[Ciarán Hegarty]

You upload a lot of really helpful and informative clips.  Thanks for the effort, much appreciated.

[Gerhard te Velde]

Actually in some songs it's hard to distinguish the conga, if it's played at all. You got any hints on those songs? Have been dancing for almost 5 years so I can distinguish the 1 without any trouble... This means I can also get the 2... But i prefer to learn dancing really to the instruments in stead of counting all the time.

[Motaz Al-Hasan]

is this on 2-3 son clave or 3-2 son clave????

[Alana Rivera]

Si voy a poner my pregunta es espa-nol pq

[David Sander]

The clave is a high pitched wood knocker used in a sharp 3/2 pattern to help define the dance beat. Its not always present or obvious in modern Salsa music.

[conde19745]

Thank you for your comment, it is the single best tip I have ever known for finding the salsa beat...Gracias

[rogierius]

Jeez, just had my first lesson. I'm so used to pop music beat, that I can't feel the rhythm in salsa music. And it's so fast.

Should I listen to the tucu beat as the pause?

[Music4Dancers]

This is very cool. A great exercise.

[liuxiahuai]

Conga part:

O open

h heel

t toe

S slap

htSthtOO|htSthtOO

2-3 son clave:

__X_X___|X__X__X_

The more prominet sounds are Open and Slap

[itorres008]

I would say you should change "teacher". If he can't help you showing you any of the many ways you could understand the rhythm he's no good. And if he says you should give up that's even a better reason to dump him.

[PianoDudexD]

Clave is the "tuck tuck" (not the drums or the bongo or conga.)