Merengues are fast arrangements with a 2/4 beat, originating from the Dominican Republic. The traditional instrumentation includes a "güira" (guiro), which is a percussion instrument that sounds like a scrapper. The Merengue güira is a cylinder…

CROSS-OVER POLYRHYTHMS This is actually a type of enharmonic polymeter, where 2 rhythms with **different meters** (i.e., a different numbers of beats/measure) are played at the **same tempo**: the measures do not line up each time. These rhythms…

CROSS-OVER POLYRHYTHMS This is actually a type of enharmonic polymeter, where 2 rhythms with **different meters** (i.e., a different numbers of beats/measure) are played at the **same tempo**: the measures do not line up each time. These rhythms…

While I'm certain there are those who may be growing weary of scratching, I couldn't resist posting this great mix by Alister Flint, who is truly a master mixologist extraordinaire - he didn't even have individual tracks to work with! Al was too…

If you have the fever and the only cure is more tambourine, here it is. MORE TAMBOURINE SOLOS!! (But you should probably wait until you have the house to yourself...)

This is a 3/16 Bembe on tuned congas, played with mallets. I've arranged it (at the very kind suggestion of Vaisvil & ReefWalker) in a verse/chorus/bridge/capo fashion to get away from a straight pattern - I think this sort of arrangement…

Rumba Columbia is a traditional Cuban pattern in 6: the "go-to" pattern for 12/8 - if you have only heard one Afro-Cuban rhythm in 12/8, this is probably it. As an energetic Afro-Cuban dance, Rumba was often suppressed and restricted because it…

So, what's "Fly"? This. Bass Cajon; tambourine; congas; cymbals. 4/4 180bpm.

Caveat emptor: I did absolutely none of the drumming in this piece. WORLD PREMIER! FIRST RECORDING OF THIS PATTERN - EVER! My friend Kokou "Alex" Yemey called me a few days ago with some urgency in his voice: "I must record this before…