Time signature and tempo cumbia
| Region | Colombian Caribbean, especially the Mompox Depression and the banks of the lower Magdalena River |
|---|---|
| Time signature | 2/2 (cut time) or 2/4 |
| Reference tempo | For example, half note = 100 in the reference recording from the “Pitos y tambores” booklet |
| Instruments | Caña de millo or gaitas, tambor alegre, llamador, tambora, maracas and guache |
| Recommended listening | “La pollera colorá” (Juan Madera Castro and Wilson Choperena, 1960) |
Where each instrument plays
- Llamador: plays steadily on the offbeat. It's the metronome's soft click.
- Maracas and guache: split each beat into four and keep the motion going.
- Tambora: provides the low end and marks what is known as the cumbia clave, an accent on the seventh of the eight subdivisions in every two measures.
- Tambor alegre: improvises and converses with the melody and the dancers.
- Caña de millo or gaitas: carry the melody.
Why cut time
In the pitos y tambores (fife-and-drum) music of the Caribbean, two-beat measures are almost universal. Writing cumbia in 2/2 rather than 4/4 reflects that it's felt in two, like a dance step that goes forward and back, not in four beats. If you'd rather count it in 2/4, choose that time signature on the metronome: the beat is the same; only the note value changes.
How to practice cumbia with the metronome
- Count “1 and 2 and” at a moderate tempo and mark 1 and 2 with your feet, like a dance step.
- Clap on every “and,” along with the soft click: that's the llamador.
- Switch the subdivision to eighth notes and add a shaker, or tap your fingers on the table: those are the maracas.
- When it all feels natural, raise the tempo toward the reference recording's 100 half notes per minute.
How to read the tempos on this page
BPM count the beat of the time signature, which isn't always a quarter note: in 6/8 each beat is a dotted quarter note (three eighth notes), in 2/2 it's a half note (four eighth notes) and in 3/4, a quarter note (two eighth notes). That's why it also helps to think in eighth notes per minute:
- In 2/2: 90 BPM to the blanca, that is, 360 eighth notes per minute.
How to set up the metronome
- Time signature: in 6/8 the metronome counts dotted quarter notes (two beats per measure); in 2/2 it counts half notes; in 3/4, quarter notes.
- Subdivision: adds soft clicks between beats. With eighth notes you hear the detail of the rhythm; with no subdivision, just the beat.
- Accents: tap each dot to make that beat strong, soft or unaccented, and build the pattern you're practicing.
- A recording's tempo: play the song and tap Tap tempo along with the beat; the metronome calculates the BPM.
- Raising the tempo: by 2 to 5 BPM once the passage comes out clean three times in a row. If it falls apart, drop 8 and work back up.
Common mistakes when practicing with a metronome
- Speeding up at the ends of phrases: it's the most common mistake. Record a few measures on your phone and listen for whether you're ahead of the click.
- Playing without listening to the click: when you're exactly in time, your hit and the click blend together and you almost stop hearing it; if you hear it before or after your note, adjust.
- Raising the tempo too soon: a clean, slow rhythm sounds better than a fast, messy one, and you'll learn it faster.
- Counting the meter the wrong way: at fast tempos, 6/8 is felt in two beats and 2/2 in two half notes; counting every eighth note out loud holds you back.
Frequently asked questions
What time signature is cumbia written in?
In cut time (2/2) or 2/4: two beats per measure.
What does the llamador do in cumbia?
It keeps a steady offbeat and holds the group together. On this metronome, it's the soft click between beats.
Can I practice cumbia on the drum kit?
Yes: you can spread the roles of the tambora, llamador and maracas across the kit. Read drum kit or Latin percussion to decide where to start.