Salsa Percussion FUNdamentals Dr. Nate Lee Michael Mixtacki Dr. Jesse Willis

VERSE 1 - "Level 1a" - Vocal phrases with horn interjections j Clave C Œ œ œ Œ œ ‰ œ Œ œ Shown for reference, not always played ã + + + + Begin with basic martillo (+ = closed stroke), add Bongó œ 1 œ 1 œ 1 œ 1 œ 1 œ 1 œ 1 œ 1 ã C R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L golpes and setups between vocal lines and horn hits

Congas œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ Basic tumbao with no variations ã C H T S T H T O O H T S T H T O T L L R L L L R R L L R L L L R L > > > > > > x x x x x x x x xj x Right hand cascara, Left hand fingers on hembra Timbales Å e Å e ã C ‰ ( x = mute), use fills to set up horn hits - . . - . . - . . - . . Maracas œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Basic pattern, with no variation, often played by ã C R R L R R L R R L R R L a singer

VERSE 2 - "Level 1b" - Variation on verse 1, increased intensity

Clave œ œ œ œj œ ã Œ Œ ‰ Œ + + ^ ^ œ 1 œ 1 œ 1 > x œ 1 œ 1 œ x > 1 Bongó œ œ More active golpes and variations ã R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

Congas œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ Basic tumbao with no variations ã H T S T H T O O H T S T H T O T L L R L L L R R L L R L L L R L > > > > > > x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Timbales Variations on 2-hand cascara are common ã R L R L R R L R R L R R L R L R - . . - . . - . . - . . Maracas œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Embellishments are common ã R R L R R L R R L R R L

Example Bongó Golpes ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ > 1 > 1 œ 1 > x œ 1 œ 1 œ x > 1 1 > > 1 œ 1 > x œ 1 œ 1 œ x > 1 > xj> x > 1 1 1 x > > œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ã R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L L R R L R L R L R L R L R L R L ‰ R L R L R L R R L R L R R Example Cascara Variations > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x ã R L L R L R R L R R L L R R L R L R R L R L R R L R L R L R R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R l R l R L CORO/FLECHA - "Level 2" - Beginning of call and response, coro alternates with short horn solos j Clave Œ œ œ Œ œ ‰ œ Œ œ ãSolo interjections Bongó Tasteful interactions with singer and horn soloist, ã ’ ’ ’ ’ much like quinto improvisation in rumba guaguancó Congas œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ Two open tones on both sides of clave ã H T S T H T O O H T S T H T O O L L R L L L R R L L R L L L R R Mambo Bell > > > > 1 1 1 1 1 1 1j 1 1 1 1 1 Abanico cues this section, left hand comp with stick Timbales ‰ ã Œ z Œ œ Œ z Œ œ on head ad lib (x = mute) ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ Güiro œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Güiro enters with mambo bell ã z . . z . . z . . z . . Example of Bongo Soloing (Back to golpes/martillo) ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ > > ^ ^ ^ 1 x 1 1 > 1 1 x 1 1 1 x > 1 > 1 1 x > 1 > 1 1 x 1 x > x œ 1 œ 1 œ 1 > x œ 1 œ 1 œ x > 1 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ã R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L ‰ R ‰ L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L Example Abanico into Flecha > > > > > > > > > > > j > x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x ^ > 1 1 1 1 1 ‰ 1 1 1 1 1 1 œ œ x œ@. x z œ z œ ã R L R L R R L R R L R R L R L R R L R L R R L R L L R ‰ LLRRLL R Œ Œ Œ

CORO/PREGÓN - "Level 3" - Call and response, coro alternates with lead singer

Clave œ œ œ œj œ ã Œ Œ ‰ Œ Play on mouth (low) and shoulder (high) of the bell, Bongó Bell œ œ >œ œ >œ œ >œ ã œ œ œ œ provides rhythmic drive with half note feel. 2-drum> Tumbao > > > œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ œ œ x œ œ œ Congas œ œ 2-drum pattern begins ã H T S T H T O O H T S O O T O O L L R L L L R R L L R R R L R R Mambo Bell > >1 >1 1 1 1 1 1j 1 1 >1 1 1 Timbales z z z z z‰ z z œ Abanico also cues this section, part remains the same . . with minimal variation around vocals ã J J ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ Güiro œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Drive the band with lots of energy ã z . . z . . z . . z . . Mambo Bell Variations >1 >1 1 1 >1 1 1 >1 1 1 >1 >1 1 1 1 >1 1 1 >1 1 1 >1 >1 1 1 >1 1 1 1 >1 1 1 ã ‰ J ‰ J Œ ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J MOÑA - "Level 4" - Repetitive rhythmic horn figures and improvisation Clave œ œ œ œj œ ãBellŒ Variations Œ ‰ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Bongó Bell œ œj œj ‰ œ ‰ Increased variations with elevated ensemble energy ã2-drum Variations J J

Congas œ œ x œ œ œ x œ œ x x œ œ x œ œ Active 2-drum variations and improvisations that ã H T S T H T S O H S S O O S O O react with the energy of the ensemble R L R L L L R R L R L R R L R R Cymbal > > > j > > >j j x x x x x x x x x x Cascara pattern (and variations) on cymbal, Timbales œ z‰ œ ‰ z‰ ã Œ ‰ Œ Œ ‰ Œ ad lib with horn figures Machete J J ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ Güiro œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Optional Machete pattern ã . . z . . z . . z . . 2-Drum Conga Variations

œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ œ x x œ œ x œ œ œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ œ x x œ œ œ œ œ œ œ x œ œ œ œ œ œ x x œ œ x œ œ ã H T S T H O T O H S S O O S O O H T S T H T O O H S S O H T O O H T S T H O O O Tc S S O O S O O R L R L L L R R L R L R R L R R R L R L L L R R L R L R L L R R R L R L L R R L R L R R R L R R Bongo Bell Variations œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j œ j œ j œ j ã œ œ ‰ J œ œ ‰ J ‰ J œ œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ ‰ J ‰ J ‰ œ œ ‰ J ‰ œ ‰ J ‰ œ ‰ J ‰ œ PERFORMANCE "Maestro de Rumbero," written and recorded by the Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Form: Intro Extended verse Flecha Coro/Pregón Mambo Conga Solo Moña Coro/Pregón Ending

Educational Resources Recommended Artists

A Master's Approach to Timbales, Jose Luis Quintana Ray Barretto ("Changuito") Celia Cruz The Art of Playing Timbales, Victor Rendon Johnny Pacheco Language of the Masters, Michael Spiro Spanish Harlem Orchestra Hector Lavoe Introduction to the Conga Drum , Michael Spiro Fania Record Label The Conga Drummers Guidebook, Michael Spiro Tito Allen The Ultimate Conguero, Giovanni Hidalgo Willie Colón Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Ensemble, Rebeca Mauleon Eddie Palmieri www.Congamasterclass.com Dr. Nate Lee currently serves as Instructor of Percussion at Reinhardt University in Waleska, GA. He earned his doctorate from the University of Georgia under Professor Timothy Adams, Jr. and also holds degrees from UGA (MM Percussion Performance, 2012) and Indiana University (BM Percussion Performance and BA Economics, 2010). Before coming to Reinhardt, he served as Percussion Coord- inator at Mill Creek High School (Hoschton, GA), coordinating all aspects of percussion for the state's largest high school. He performs frequently with the Charleston (SC) Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, and other regional orchestras, leads the Classic City Pan quartet, and maintains a private studio of talented middle- and high-school percussionists. Nate is currently serving as President of the Georgia Chapter of PAS.

Michael Mixtacki teaches percussion at the University of Texas at San Antonio, co-directs the UTSA Percussion Ensemble and is the director of the UTSA Percussion Camp. He is also an active performer, and has played with the Mid-Texas Symphony, the UTSA Faculty Jazz Quintet, the South Texas Jazz Quartet, and the Katchie Cartwright Brazilian Jazz Trio to name a few. He had the honor of participating on two Grammy nominated recordings with Wayne Wallace and Michael Spiro, and recorded on drum set, lead vocals and percussion on two albums with Ritmos Unidos. Michael has been a guest artist at many colleges, high schools and summer workshops across the country, and has performed at PASIC, JEN, NCPP and the TMEA convention. Michael is an official clinician for the Latin Percussion Department of Education and is a Yamaha Performing artist. He also endorses Sabian cymbals, Remo drumheads, and Innovative Percussionsticks and mallets.

Dr. Jesse Willis is currently an Associate Professor of Music at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Texas Tech University, a Master of Music degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Texas Tech University. He has been invited to perform or present at several professional music conferences including PASIC, The National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, SCMEA, TMEA, CMEA, LMEA, The OAKE National Conference, The National Orff Conference and a number of state PAS events. Dr. Willis is the President of the South Carolina Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist and an educational endorser for Vic Firth and Remo.

We would like to thank the following sponsors of our clinic:

Special thanks to our band: Jacob Abarbanell - guiro/maraca Nate Johnson - tenor sax Jeremy Allen - bass Justin Napier - trombone Zach Finnegan - trumpet Pavel Polanco-Safadit - piano