IMITATING TIMBALES
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In this lesson we will look at how you can
imitate timbales using your snare drum. Every time we play a Latin
American "drumkit beat", we are usually always imitating or
emulating the individual parts of either a Brazilian or Cuban
percussion section. We imitate the Surdo drum part of a samba rhythm
by playing the Samba foot ostinato pattern, we use rimtaps to
imitate the claves, the open/close hihat pattern to imitate the
guiro etc. We can also imitate Timbales.
The Timbales have a
high pitched, wide open sound. About the closest thing on the
drumkit is playing the snare drum (with no muffling/dampening)
towards the edge, with the snare strainer turned off.
Playing the snare in this fashion is particularly useful, if you are
playing with a band in a Latin context, and you need to do fills or
solos that are accurate to the style. But this is only half the
battle, so far you have the sound. The next thing is to play actual
Latin American sounding figures and ideas.
This is an entire
topic of its own, but as a starting point listen to as much Latin
American music as possible. Check out music from artists such as
Tito Puente, The Afro Cuban All Stars, Oscar D' Leon, Hector Lavoe,
Machito and his Afro-Cuban Orchestra. For more of a Latin Jazz style
listen to Michel Camilo (Dave Weckl - drums), Return To Forever (led
by Chick Corea, Airto Moreira on drums). Latin Jazz uses more of the
improvisational elements of jazz, but still in a very much Latin
American context or vein.
Notice how much of the rhythmic
phrasing DOESN'T land on the beat. Quite often the notes land on the
in between 8th notes and 16th notes (depending on if the music is
written in Common time or double time).