Time signature and tempo vallenato paseo
| Region | Colombian Caribbean |
|---|---|
| Vallenato styles | Son, paseo, merengue and puya |
| Paseo time signature | Duple: usually 2/2; also 2/4 or 4/4, depending on the author |
| Tempo | No set tempo: from about 70 to 126 or more, according to the Special Safeguarding Plan for vallenato music |
| Instruments | Accordion, caja vallenata and guacharaca |
| Recommended listening | “El jardín de Fundación” by Luis Enrique Martínez |
The four vallenato styles
| Style | Character | Time signature |
|---|---|---|
| Son | Slow; the accordion bass repeats a figure on the strong beats | Duple |
| Paseo | Moderate; the most common in songs | Duple (2/2, 2/4 or 4/4) |
| Merengue | Lively and bouncy | Ternary; usually written in 6/8 |
| Puya | Very fast and virtuosic | Duple |
This page is designed for the paseo. For vallenato merengue, choose 6/8 on the metronome.
How to use the metronome for vallenato
Since every paseo has its own tempo, the first step is finding it: play the song and tap Tap tempo along with the caja. A Universidad de Antioquia thesis that used the half note as the unit classified the paseos in its sample as slow (under 80), normal (85 to 95) and fast (115 or more). The guacharaca subdivides the offbeat: with eighth-note subdivision you can practice its scrape over the click.
How to practice paseo vallenato with the metronome
- Put on the song you want to play and find its tempo with Tap tempo.
- Tap the two beats of the measure with your foot and sing the melody over them.
- Switch the subdivision to eighth notes and practice the guacharaca scrape over the click.
- If the accompaniment speeds up in the choruses, drop 8 BPM and work back up 4 at a time.
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:
- Paseo 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 paseo vallenato in?
It's in duple meter. It's usually written in 2/2, although some authors use 2/4 or 4/4.
What's the tempo of vallenato?
It has no set tempo: it ranges from about 70 to 126 or more. Each song has its own; find it with Tap tempo.
Does it work for vallenato merengue?
Merengue is ternary and is usually written in 6/8. Use the metronome in 6/8 with eighth-note subdivision.