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My first post here. I am trying to figure out what would be the proper way to count. I am trying to learn Herencia Latina from Paco Pena. Beat is 2/4. Should I count to two, four or eight? I tried with eight as, at the beginning there are eight notes in a beat. Then it becomes more confusing when there is less than eight. Playing without metronome is easier, but not correct and I want to learn it right way.
Post is a bit unclear tbh. But if it's rumba, it should have a 4/4 feel and you should just count it in 4. And do you mean 8 beats per measure ? 8 notes per beat at rumba tempo is lightning fast and I highly doubt it he was actually playing that.
My first post here. I am trying to figure out what would be the proper way to count. I am trying to learn Herencia Latina from Paco Pena. Beat is 2/4. Should I count to two, four or eight? I tried with eight as, at the beginning there are eight notes in a beat. Then it becomes more confusing when there is less than eight. Playing without metronome is easier, but not correct and I want to learn it right way.
Thanks, Milosh
Normally I recommend learning compás strumming patterns for any palo first, as that orients your inner clock to the meter and general feel of the underlying rhythm. Any melody or falseta would need to map on top of that feeling, and preferably you can play with a metronome clicking on some slow pulse. For this rumba, I recommend working first on the pattern that repeats from bar 9 to 12. The metronome would be two clicks per measure (quarter notes), and the bass line is tracing the accent pattern (3+3+2 subdivision is a universal pattern globally, either in 4/4 as eighth notes or in 2/4 as 16ths). It can be a point of argument whether to express this rhythm in 4 counts or 2 counts at half tempo (double time vs half time feeling).
As a general rule with notation, whatever my foot is tapping on I consider a quarter note. (that means for people that prefer to see this rumba in 4/4, their foot would be tapping half notes). So you can work on that arpegio pattern with metronome and foot on the quarter note, and as devilhand counted it (1e&ah, 2e&ah). The bass line is important to lock the feeling (1--ah--&-). You should eventually be able to express only the bass notes (without the arpegio fill-in notes) with the metronome and keep it grooving. Once you can do that, then go ahead and look at the rest of the piece...that basic feeling stays constant throughout.
I did not show any rumba in the Formative works Mel bay book that came out last summer, and many flamenco students and aficionados consider rumba inferior...but I am including one in Vol. 3 that I composed, because I feel all flamenco guitarists need to be well versed in this style as it becomes necessary for baile accompaniments of Tientos/tangos/Farruca/Garrotin/Colombianas and Taranto.
Ricardo, thanks for explanations. I do 4 clicks per beat and between bars I have two beats, meaning that every 16th note has a click. It helps me to keep it in time every note. Your suggestion of 3,3,2 works as well, but I easily get lost when there are less than 8 notes in a bar, like in a bar 22 with 7 notes. With 8 clicks per bar I know first three notes last four clicks and that last four have to start at fifth click. I don't now if this is correct way or not, but it works for me. Foot taping doesn't work - my ears, brain and foot are connected and it is not easy to separate them as I would tap the bass only. I would e very bad drummer. :).
meaning that every 16th note has a click. It helps me to keep it in time every note.
This is ok at the begining stages to get used to evenness. However, look at it as training wheels that eventually MUST come off. So use it and gradually increase tempo. Once your metronome is clicking 16ths at 200 bpm or so, cut it in half and keep playing at the same speed. That means the metronome is now clicking 8th notes. From there increase to about 120 bpm only. After you can do that cut the metronome again and try to keep your tempo (quarter note is now 60 bpm), and when you can do THAT, then you basically have the feeling right. I know it might take a lot of work but it is worth it in the long run.
I love the irony of Korg choosing a guy to advertise their product by using it at the lowest setting, demonstrating how to eventually get rid of the thing. He could have been like "if only I had one that could go at 39bpm".
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