Time signature and tempo currulao
| Region | Colombia's southern Pacific coast, from Buenaventura to Tumaco |
|---|---|
| Time signature | 6/8 |
| Reference tempo | Dotted quarter note between 84 at the start and 105 (“¡Qué te pasa vo!” booklet, Ministry of Culture) |
| Instruments | Marimba de chonta, bombos, cununos, guasás and voices |
| Recommended listening | “Mi Buenaventura” by Petronio Álvarez |
What each instrument does
Among musicians of the Pacific coast, “currulao” refers to the 6/8 music of marimba, bombos, cununos and guasás. The bombo arrullador holds a steady base; the golpeador, in all its patterns, plays a strong, open stroke on the fifth eighth note of the measure. The cununos are split between one that keeps the base (apagador) and one that ornaments (repicador), and the guasás complete the ensemble.
Fast or lilting, depending on the place
The same booklet notes that in Tumaco, Salahonda and Francisco Pizarro currulao tends to be faster, while in Guapi and Timbiquí it's more lilting and slow. That's why it's worth listening to several recordings and adjusting the tempo with Tap tempo.
How to practice currulao with the metronome
- Count the six eighth notes, “1-2-3-4-5-6,” and tap 1 and 4 with your foot.
- Give a strong clap on 5: that's the open stroke of the bombo golpeador.
- With a shaker or your fingers on the table, play every eighth note without rushing.
- Go up 3 BPM at a time until you reach 105, the top tempo the booklet mentions.
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 6/8: 84 BPM to the dotted quarter note, that is, 252 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 currulao in?
In 6/8: two dotted-quarter-note beats per measure, each with three eighth notes.
What tempo is currulao played at?
According to the Ministry of Culture's “¡Qué te pasa vo!” booklet, between 84 and 105 dotted quarter notes per minute, faster in Tumaco and more lilting in Guapi and Timbiquí.
What instruments are used in currulao?
Marimba de chonta, bombos (arrullador and golpeador), cununos (apagador and repicador), guasás and voices.