RyanHerr - Posted - 04/02/2007:  18:12:22

---

3-2 clave
|-M----------M---------M-----|--------M------M------------|
|-I----------I---------I-----|--------I------I------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-T------T------T------T-----|-T------T------T------T-----|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
  |___|  |___|  |___|  |___|   |___|  |___|  |___|  |___| 

3-2 clave (alternate)
|-M----------M---------M-----|--------M----------M--------|
|-I----------I---------I-----|--------I----------I--------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-T------T------T------T-----|-T------T------T------T-----|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
  |___|  |___|  |___|  |___|   |___|  |___|  |___|  |___| 

2-3 clave 
|--------M------M------------|-M----------M---------M-----|
|--------I------I------------|-I----------I---------I-----|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-T------T------T------T-----|-T------T------T------T-----|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
  |___|  |___|  |___|  |___|   |___|  |___|  |___|  |___| 

2-3 clave (alternate)
|--------M----------M--------|-M----------M---------M-----|
|--------I----------I--------|-I----------I---------I-----|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-T------T------T------T-----|-T------T------T------T-----|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
  |___|  |___|  |___|  |___|   |___|  |___|  |___|  |___| 

You likely recognize the regular 3-2 clave from all sorts of popular and world music. Another name for it is the Bo Diddley rhythm. The clave rhythms are actually just the part played by the index + middle finger pinches, while the thumb thumps steadily on the bass, making it all sound really cool and complete and much more fancy than it actually is.

If you don't have the sound of the regular 3-2 clave internalized, then that's probably the first step. The other 3 can be thought of as just some possible variations. My personal favorite is probably the last one.

I played the claves (wooden sticks) in jazz band in high school, including at the 2001 Montreux Jazz Festival! ... but we were just playing on a free stage.

You can also do alternating thumb between the third and fourth strings, or spread the bass notes out by alternating the thumb notes between: 4th, 5th, 3rd, 5th (or 3rd, 5th, 4th, 5th.) But that can get a bit tricky and I don't have that down pat yet.

These were inspired by an article from Acoustic Guitar on bossa nova fingerpicking, which Tom Hanway linked to a few months ago. It seems like Acoustic Guitar has changed their website and don't offer nearly as many free lessons without a subscription. Anyways, the basic rhythm was this:

Bossa
|-X------X----------X------X-|-----X------X---------X-----|
|-X------X----------X------X-|-----X------X---------X-----|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-X-------------X------------|-X-------------X------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
  |___|  |___|  |___|  |___|   |___|  |___|  |___|  |___| 

I'm pretty sure they notated it in sixteenth notes as a one-bar pattern, but I'm not positive, and anyways, it's alot easier to think in eighth notes than sixteenth notes, at least for me. (Which is probably why banjo tab is almost always notated as eighth notes despite being played as sixteenth notes.)

I like to play a chord-melody version of the South African song Siyahamba (aka We Are Marching in the Light of God) using the clave rhythm patterns. Hopefully I can record this in the next few days on the new camcorder and make my first YouTube post.

-Ryan.

---

Edited by - RyanHerr on 04/02/2007 18:24:39

banjovy - Posted - 04/03/2007:  00:51:11

---

I feel stupid. I've been playing these on guitar but never thought to transfer the rhythms to banjo. Thanks Ryan!

RyanHerr - Posted - 05/10/2007:  14:18:00

---

More Clave & More


Start with this pattern of just a steady beat with the thumb -
what could be easier?

|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-T--------------------T-----|--------T------T------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|--------T------T------------|-T--------------------T-----|
  |___|  |___|  |___|  |___|   |___|  |___|  |___|  |___| 


Now, just add your index finger once as shown:

|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-T----------I---------T-----|--------T------T------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|--------T------T------------|-T--------------------T-----|
  |___|  |___|  |___|  |___|   |___|  |___|  |___|  |___| 


Then, fill in on the first string:

|-----M-------------M------M-|-----M------M------M------M-|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|-T----------I---------T-----|--------T------T------------|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|
|--------T------T------------|-T--------------------T-----|
  |___|  |___|  |___|  |___|   |___|  |___|  |___|  |___| 

Make sure to emphasize those notes on the third string.

This is called a 3-2 clave because the first measure has 3 accents
and the second measure has 2 accents.

To play a 2-3 clave, just flip the order of measures.

For variations, the last accent of the first measure and/or
the second measure can be delayed by one beat.


I've divided up the fingers so that the middle only plays drone notes
on the first string, and the index only plays those offbeat accents,
but you may prefer using just 2 fingers total (thumb and index or
thumb and middle would work.)


This basic right hand approach isn't just limited to clave rhythms,
it can play any sort of funky (or non-funky) rhythms. You are
constantly alternating your thumb on the downbeats with your fingers
on the upbeats. Basically drone on the fifth and first and then
drop in your thumb or index on strings 2-4 whenever you want an accent.

-Ryan.

---

Edited by - RyanHerr on 05/10/2007 16:07:14

Zawinul - Posted - 05/10/2007:  16:20:32

---

And in case you have no idea what a clave is (like me) you may listen to this one: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...on_Clave.mid

Phil

John D - Posted - 05/10/2007:  19:08:21

---

Hey Ryan,

Did you post this stuff on youtube yet? I would love to see and hear it!

John D