MODERN DRUMMER DIGITAL ARCHIVE ARCHIVE
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Once youвЂ™re comfortable playing the songo ostinato, combine theВ suggested bass drum phrases written below. The following patterns are bass drum variations that can beВ played with the three songo ostinatos in the previous examples.

To accomplish the correct feel, playthe ghost notes on the snare drum as softly as possible. The ostinatos are written in 3/2 rumba clave, butВ they can also be played in 2/3 by starting on the second bar.ДЄlthough the clave rhythm is not played in this particular drumsetВ example, itвЂ™s important to always be aware of the clave whileВ playing the songo style.Д«egin by practicing one of the ostinatos written below untilВ youвЂ™re comfortable playing it. The ostinatos will help youВ coordinate the suggested songo grooves against the two-bar bassВ drum phrases. The songo ostinatos in this article are popular grooves oftenВ played in the Latin-jazz style of music. In many ways, songo is the jazz of Cuban drumming. Songo is a blend ofДЇolkloric and contemporary Cuban styles with elements of funkВ and jazz. ItвЂ™s important to realize that the songo style of drumming ismore of a concept than one particular beat. Changuito gave that groove the nickname bota,В which means boot. The rhythm that most drummers play today started out as a variationВ of the songo rhythm that was only played during a particularВ section of a song. Drummer Jose Luis Quintana, betterВ known by the nickname вЂњChanguito,вЂќ joined the band and beganВ to develop the songo rhythm using this basic drumkit.Дuring the twenty-five years that Changuito played with LosВ Van Van, the songo rhythm went through many transformations. Instead the kit had a large piece of bambooВ (cana brava) mounted on a stand. When Blas departed from the group in 1970, theВ equipment he left behind included a basic five-piece drumset, butВ no cymbals or hi-hat. The founding drummer of Los VanВ Van, Blas Egues, played with the group forВ only a few months. FormellВ was the first to conceptualize the songo rhythmicВ style. The story of the songo rhythm began withВ Juan Formell, bass player and leader of theВ popular Cuban group Los Van Van.

This article originally appeared in the September 2002 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine.

MODERN DRUMMER DIGITAL ARCHIVE ARCHIVE

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MODERN DRUMMER DIGITAL ARCHIVE FULL

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