Bongo

Notes for Learning the Bongo

The above four steps are for me to follow. Of course, I would like you to follow them as well. That’s why I have made these notes public.

Pattern Name	Counting Pattern	Description
Basic Martillo	1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &	Fundamental Latin rhythm
Son Clave 1	1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &	Accents on the “and” of 2 and 4
Son Clave 2	1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &	Includes a roll starting on the 4th note
Son Clave 3	1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &	Adds tension with a small change
Son Clave 4	1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &	Accentuates every part of the son clave
Rumba Clave 1	1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a	Lines up with the rumba clave
Rumba Clave 2	1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a	Challenging rhythm with foot-tapping beats
Rumba Clave 3	1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a	Easygoing with sharp intentional accents
Rumba Clave 4	1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a	Adds tension with halts
Rumba Clave 5	1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a	Packed with energy, great for transitions
4/4 Basic	1 2 3 4	Suits non-busy songs
4/4 Twist	1 2 3 4	Adds anticipation and tension
4/4 Driving	1 2 3 4	Reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”
4/4 Tricky	1 2 3 4	Includes downbeats for easier play
4/4 Simple	1 2 3 4	Easier version of the tricky rhythm
4/4 Paradiddle	1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a	Uses paradiddle practice
4/4 Ghost Notes	1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a	Includes ghost 32nd notes
6/8 Basic	1 2 3 4 5 6	Fits 6/8 rock songs
6/8 Halt	1 2 3 4 5 6	Adds tension with a slight halt
6/8 Attention Grabber	1 2 3 4 5 6	Great for grabbing attention in 6/8 songs