How to Add Authenticity to Latin Big Band Arrangements

If you enjoy latin music, there comes a time where you will inevitably run into clave whether you are aware of it or not. I had heard the rhythm in multiple school settings but never really understood how it impacted the music I was playing. All I knew was that supposedly somebody would get annoyed with me if I ever played something cross-clave, however to my benefit I don’t think anyone at my school actually knew what that sounded like. That all changed the day I started trying to write latin music.

I had taken a beginner class on Afro-Cuban styles and rhythms at university and thought I knew how to incorporate that knowledge into my arrangements. After bringing in my first chart to the latin jazz lab band, I realized I knew nothing. I don’t remember the specific comments but there was definitely something mentioned about clave direction and changing certain rhythms. I was still as confused as ever and it wouldn’t be for another 5 years before I actually started understanding how to navigate clave.

During the 2020 lockdowns I read up on Cuban music and learnt all I could about every style that came from the country. As a result I started to understand what rhythms were commonly played with clave, more specifically, understanding which ones informed clave direction and which ones were clave neutral. Some rhythms were associated with certain styles, while others were used more broadly across different styles. It was all very confusing to begin with but now I feel more confident about the topic, at least enough to help others navigate the common issues. 

So you might be thinking that’s a lovely story but how will this knowledge help you add authenticity into a big band arrangement? Well if you understand how rhythms work alongside clave, you will be able to create more interesting parts which are stylistically accurate. A great example of this would be in rhythm section parts, knowing what is a tried and true method, and where you can have creativity by combining certain rhythmic cells. For time’s sake, this newsletter entry is only going to cover a couple of options that I’ve tested in my own writing.

For those that may be unaware of what clave is specifically, it is a two bar rhythm that operates somewhat like a metronome for many Latin American styles. Sometimes it is played alongside the music and other times it is simply implied (similar to how you may not always have a four beat metronome going and still know that the music is in 4/4). As it is a two bar rhythm, there are two orientations: 2-3 and 3-2, with the name coming from the amount of notes located in each bar. Alongside that there are two common variations of clave: Rumba and Son. I’d need a few pages to explain where they came from and the differences in the styles they are associated with, but for now we will be limiting ourselves to Son clave. Just know that for the rhythms that I discuss that it doesn’t really matter what variation of clave you use, the main factor to focus on is the orientation.

To keep things simple let’s begin with clave neutral rhythms. These are one bar rhythms that can be put on either side of clave. The four most common are the habanera/conga/tango, tresillo, cinquillo, and to a lesser extent amphibrach (this is a variation of the habanera). 

These four cells can be put in any combination or repeated and will sound great without you having to worry about clave direction. You can write simple montunos from them, bass parts, or really any sort of melody and comping part you’d like from them. They are super versatile and since realizing that I could use them on either bar of clave, I have incorporated them into all of my latin charts since. You can also adapt the four rhythmic cells to reinforce clave direction by adding another bar. Each of the cells naturally accents the same rhythm as the 3 side, so by combining it with a bar of crotchets/quarter notes you create a two bar cell that works on the 2 side. 

If you are feeling adventurous here are a few other rhythms and how they align with clave direction. Some of these rhythms are more common than others and can also be linked to certain instruments. For example, the cascara rhythm is often played on a cymbal on the drums or by the timbales. 

As these rhythms are used across so many different latin styles, they will feel pretty natural when you start incorporating them into your own charts. Once I learnt about them, I immediately began hearing them in recordings, they really are everywhere. Some of them also helped influence early jazz and ragtime, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this newsletter and I hope these rhythms help add a little bit of authenticity into your latin charts. Coming up next week I’m going to move to the topic of voicings, something a lot of people seem to be interested in. 

Thanks,

Toshi