TRANSCRIPTIONS AND ETUDES

OF 10 GREAT
LATIN PERCUSSION ARTISTS

by
Michael Spiro
and
Michael Coletti

INCLUDES
INCLUDES
DOWNLOADABLE
DOWNLOADABLE
AUDIO EXAMPLES
AUDIO EXAMPLES

SHER MUSIC CO.

 THE
LANGUAGE
OF THE
MASTERS
TRANSCRIPTIONS AND ETUDES
OF 10 GREAT LATIN PERCUSSION ARTISTS

by

Michael Spiro
and
Michael Coletti

DOWNLOAD audio files that go with the book, from:

http://www.shermusic.com/mediafiles/1883217881.zip

Publisher and Editor - Chuck Sher

Graphic Design - Attila Nagy

©2016 Sher Music Co., P.O. Box 445, Petaluma, CA 94953 - www.shermusic.com
All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Made in the U.S.A.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the publisher.
ISBN 1-883217-88-1

1
 CREDITS
CREDITS
Audio recorded by:
Dave Webber: Airtime Studios, Bloomington, Indiana
Jake Belser: Primary Sound Studios, Bloomington, Indiana
Jeff Cressman: Cressman Sound, San Francisco, California

Mixed by Jake Belser at Primary Sound Studios

Personnel:
Michael Spiro: all conga drum solos, conga drum basic tracks, timbale basic tracks,
guiro, maracas, clave,
Michael Coletti: all timbale solos, hand bell
Joe Galvin: all bongo solos
Kristin Olson: guiro
Jeremy Allen: bass
Jamaal Baptiste: piano

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to the following individuals/organizations for their contributions to this book:

Chuck Sher for his faith and belief in this project.

Joe Galvin, Kristin Olson, Jamaal Baptiste, and Jeremy Allen for their great playing on the
recording.

Martin Cohen for sharing his wonderful photos.

LP Percussion, Remo Drum Heads, Sabian Cymbals and Vic Firth Sticks, whose instruments
Michael Spiro proudly endorses.

“By definition this book is a tribute to the great artists whose solos are transcribed here. It
is not an overstatement to say that a large part of my artistic life has centered on the study
of their music, their style and their creativity. I hope this book gives you some insight into
these iconic musicians, and brings you the same joy I have felt over these many decades as
I’ve tried to “get inside” their musical genius.”
- Michael Spiro

“I would like to thank my parents, Bob and Wendy, for their undying love and support for
me throughout my life. They have encouraged me to carry on in even the darkest of times
and I am eternally grateful!

Without question I need to thank my mentor, my teacher, my friend, and my big brother:
Michael Spiro. Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to work together on this
project; it has truly been an honor. But more importantly, I need to thank you for not only
making me a better musician, but a better human being. I have learned far more from you
outside the classroom than in it, and I will forever be thankful for the time we have spent
together over the years!”
- Michael Coletti
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Importance of Afro-Cuban Folkloric Music . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Notational Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The Language of Improvisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Soloist’s Conundrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Polyphony in Latin Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Notation Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Timbales

Guillermo Barreto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Transcriptions
“Descarga Cubana” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
“El Fantasma del Combo” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
“La Luz” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Etude no. 1, Audio Tracks 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Manny Oquendo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Transcriptions
“Bailala Pronto” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
“Corta el Bonche” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
“Goza la Vida” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Etude no. 2, Audio Tracks 3 & 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Tito Puente . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Transcriptions
“Corta el Bonche” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
“Mon-Ti” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
“Timbalero” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Etude no. 3, Audio Tracks 5 & 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Orestes Vilató . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Transcriptions
“La Rumba del Presidente . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
“Pupi Legarretta” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
“Watergate” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Etude no. 4, Audio Tracks 7 & 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Congas

Tata Guïnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Transcriptions
“Descarga Cubana” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

“El Fantasma del Combo” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

“Gandinga, Mondongo, Sandunga” . . . . . . . . 70
Etude no. 5, Audio Tracks 9 & 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Mongo Santamaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Transcriptions
“Este Mambo” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
“Que Marvilloso” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
“Serpentina” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Etude no. 6, Audio Tracks 11 & 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Ray Barretto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Transcriptions
“El Hijo de Obatalá” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
“No Me Paren la Salsa” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
“Oye la Notícia” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Etude no. 7, Audio Tracks 13 & 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Bongo

Rogélio “Yeyo” Iglesias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Transcriptions
“Guaguancó” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
“La Luz” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
“Pamparana” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Etude no. 8, Audio Tracks 15 & 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Armando Peraza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Transcriptions
“Mamblues” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
“Ritmo Caliente” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
“Songo Changüí” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Etude no. 9, Audio Tracks 17 & 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Transcriptions
“Billie” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
“Cuddles” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
“Guaguancó de los Violentos” . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Etude no. 10, Audio Tracks 19 & 20 . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Bonus Transcription

Giovanni Hidalgo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

“Soneros de Bailadores” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
 INTRODUCTION

W e all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. It is undeniable
that you can’t master a musical style unless you understand its lineage; Latin
percussion is no exception. Modern Latin percussion playing has become a very
sophisticated and technically advanced art form. Players such as Giovanni Hidalgo,
Pedrito Martinez, Paoli Mejias, Richie Flores, Jesus Diaz, Adel Gonzalez, Yaroldy
Abreu, Jose Febres, Eliel Lazo etc. (to name but a few of the current generation of
brilliant conga players) have taken their instrument to an entirely new virtuosic
level. Yet it was the work of their predecessors that provided the foundation for
this development. In order to help understand the 21st century approach to Latin

sound and style of the 20th century conga drum, bongo, and timbale.

We began this process by selecting several masters of each instrument who are
universally recognized as “trailblazers” of their generation:

Congas:
Tata Guïnes
Mongo Santamaria
Ray Barretto
Bongo:
Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias
Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez
Armando Peraza
Timbales:
Guillermo Barreto
Tito Puente
Manny Oquendo
Orestes Vilató

In addition to their mastery, each of these artists has an extensive body of publically

styles. They are transcribed as accurately as possible, with the understanding that
notation is not an exact science and is always open to interpretation.

From these transcriptions we then composed several etudes, each of which

transcribe and play along with recordings, it is also useful to play transcription-
like compositions without the aural support of the original artist. This develops a

alone. We strongly encourage you to learn these etudes, and use the accompanying
“minus-one” play along in order to help facilitate this growth. The effort can be
intensive, but the results will be very gratifying.

4
 INTRODUCTION

We should add that there is a second motive for writing this book that goes beyond
helping to develop soloing skills in Latin music. It has been apparent for some
time that although there are wonderful materials published for both orchestral
percussionists and drum set players looking to take auditions for ensembles
and/or college programs, there is almost nothing available in that vein for Latin
percussionists. Our experience inside the university setting has made it clear that
there is a need for resources to not only improve understanding and skills, but to
use in audition contexts. The etudes we have written will hopefully be of value to
future college students as they prepare to enter the academy as percussion majors,
as well as to general percussionists within the Latin genre.

5
 IMPORTANCE OF AFRO-CUBAN FOLKLORIC MUSIC

I n order to gain a deeper understanding of the solos we have transcribed in this

book, it is important to recognize the folkloric underpinnings of Latin popular
music. This music is entirely rooted in the traditional forms of Afro-Cuban culture.
As far back as the “son” bands of the 1920s one can hear the bongoceros playing
ideas taken from the bonkó enchemiyá (lead drum) of the abakuá drum battery and
from the quinto
that the more you study Afro-Cuban folkloric music the more you will understand
these solos.

Here are some specific examples of this relationship:

a) An awareness of the middle-cajón part in yambú from the province of

Matanzas, Cuba will enable you to play one of the most standard solo phras-
es with the appropriate feel and style.

See the following passages in the transcriptions for applied use of these
rhythms:

• Tata Guïnes, “Gandinga Mondongo, Sandunga,” m. 3 - 5

• Mongo Santamaria, “Serpentina,” m. 6 – 10
• Manny Oquendo, “Corta El Bonche,” m. 26 - 28

b) One of the most common batá rhythms is known as “Cha-Cha Elekefún.”

The skills required to play the itótele (middle drum) pattern will be a big help
in executing another subset of the transcriptions.

See the following passages in the transcriptions for applied use of these
rhythms:

• Tata Guïnes, “Descarga Cubana,” m. 2 and 4

• Manny Oquendo, “Bailala Pronto,” m. 41 - 42

c) Within Afro-Cuban folkloric music there are two vital components that di-
rectly translate to improvising in popular music: call and response singing,
and multi-improvisational layers. Any soloist in this music must be able to
converse in an ongoing dialogue with the chorus, and does so while the lead
singer is coincidentally creating his own vocal phrases. This provides two

6
 IMPORTANCE OF AFRO-CUBAN FOLKLORIC MUSIC

simultaneous layers of improvisation (in much the same way as a saxophon-

ist might play behind a jazz vocalist), and obviously requires a high level of
skill in both phrasing and musical awareness.

d) One of the main characteristics of folkloric music is that the line between

recurring element in the way these artists construct their solos. (See discus-
sion of “Stretched Rhythms” in the “Notational Topics” section.)

7
 NOTATIONAL TOPICS

“Stretched Rhythms”

T he line between 4/4 and 12/8 time signatures is often blurred in African diasporic
music; Latin percussion solos are no exception. It must be understood that
although the rhythm section parts of a Latin band are in a “duple” feel, soloists often

character and “swing” of their improvisations. The transcriber then has to make a
decision: “Do I notate this phrase using duplets or triplets?”

Example A

In performance and to the ear, the rhythm is not entirely even or “straight”, and

measures 2 – 6 of the Tata Guïnes etude. The metric ambiguity leaves room for
interpretation and could very easily be written using triplet notation. However,
we have generally chosen to notate this phrase using duplets, but our decision to
use duple notation for these passages is not an overly intellectual one: we believe
this system is easier to read and understand. It makes more sense to write a duple
rhythm, and in performance “stretch it” towards a triplet, rather than to write a
triplet and “square it off” towards a duplet.

Here is another example where we have chosen to use duple notation for the
same reasons:

Example B

You will learn over time to interpret the notation to play the correct feel. We should
point out that the concept of stretched rhythms is certainly not unique to Latin
music. For over a century the entire Jazz world has understood that the written page
needs to be interpreted in order to make the music swing properly. Here is a prime
example:

8
 NOTATIONAL TOPICS

Everyone knows that this must not be played literally, but rather played in the
correct triplet feel:

Important Note: We have chosen to distinguish all stretched rhythms in the

identify these passages. As an example, see measures 2 and 3 from Guillermo

A “Flammable” Issue (Notation vs. Feel)

Flams also need to be included when discussing the topic of notational issues.

note.” Within this tradition more weight is placed on the main note while the grace
note takes more of a complimentary and embellishing role. This is not always the

can have equality in both weight and volume and can have a greater degree of
separation. Additionally the two notes may be played in different places relative

different part of the measure, but rather we are referring to exactly where it starts
and ends on a micro level. To refer to our western tradition once more, we would
normally place the grace note before the beat and have our main note played
directly on the beat. In Latin music, the grace note might start directly on the beat
while the main note is played slightly later. The placement of these two notes
can be either of these two options or anything in between. So be cautious when

Here is a physical representation of the different spacing that can exist between

actually be notated on the staff.)

Western Latin Latin

Notice letter C has a very large space between the notes. This spacing is so wide

9
 NOTATIONAL TOPICS

OR
Grace note BEFORE the beat Grace note ON the beat

The same concept is also applied to the “drag” rudiment. Tata Guïnes is known

rhythm:

A)

Here is the alternative way of writing this rhythm:

B)

Throughout this book we have chosen to employ example A when referring to the
drag rudiment because we believe it is easier to read.

Notating “Time-Keeping” Bars

Conga Etudes

Musically these bars act as connective tissue between phrases, and are integral

can become very cluttered. There simply is too much “ink on the page”, and it is

we have chosen this form of notation in order to allow you to easily identify the
phrase structure.

There are several options of what you can play in these measures, depending on

previous statement. Here are a number of possibilities:

10
have  chosen  this  form  of  notation  in  order  to  allow  you  to  easily  identify  the  phrase  
structure.    
 
NOTATIONAL TOPICS
There  are  several  options  of  what  you  can  play  in  these  measures,  depending  on  the  
tempo  of  the  song,  the  phrase  that  follows  the  filler-­‐bar  and  the  voicing  of  the  
previous  
a) Play one statement.  
bar one of Here  
theafull
re  atumbao
 number  (the
of  pfundamental
ossibilities:   part)
 
a)  Play  one  bar  one  of  the  full  tumbao  (the  fundamental  part)  
  - 1 ¿ 1 - 1 œ œ
/
b)
l l r l l l r r  
  “Dancing Hands”
b)  “Dancing  Hands”  
  In this case there are no audible strokes to be expressed. You therefore employ
a        combination of heel-toes
 In  this  case  there   are  no  aand touch
udible   strokes
strokes   to  btoe  efill the space.
xpressed.   There
You   is no especific
therefore   mploy  a  
formula or sticking for this, and you employ your own
combination  of  heel-­‐toes  and  touch  strokes  to  fill  the  space.  There  is  no   sequence(s) of these
specific  
dynamically
formula  or  sticking   softer strokes
for  this,  inand  
theyway that feels
ou  employ   most
your   natural.
own   Pleaseorefer
sequence(s)   to section
f  these  
2 of “The Soloist’s Conundrum” (page 17) for further details about
dynamically  softer  strokes  in  the  way  that  feels  most  natural.    Please  refer  to  section   this technique.
2  of  “The  Soloist’s  Conundrum”  (p.___)  for  further  detail  into  this  technique.  
 
c)
  You play the first two beats of the tumbao in order to establish a strong slap on
beat
c)  You   two, and
play   the  then
first  complete
two  beats  the
of  tbar
he  twith “dancing
umbao   in  order   hands”.
to  establish  a  strong  slap  on  
beat  two,  and  then  complete  the  bar  with  “dancing  hands”.    
  - 1 ¿ 1
/ V V
l l r l  
  This is frequently employed when you are going into a phrase that starts before
d)
d)  This  
beat oneis  of
frequently  
the next bar. employed   when  
It enables you  
you toaprepare
re  going  for
into  
the a  pupcoming
hrase  that  stroke
starts  (it
before  
can
beat  
be one  throughout
used of  the  next  the
bar.  Tata
It  enables  
Guïnesyou   to  prepare  for  the  upcoming  stroke  (it  can  be  
etude).
used  throughout  the  Tata  Guïnes  etude).        
  ¿ ¿
-
/ 1 1 - 1
J ‰
l l r l l r l  
  This is of course is very similar to (a), except that you don’t complete the whole
e)
e)  This  is  You
tumbao. of  course  
stop on is  beat
very  four,
similar  
which to  (a),  
gives except  
youtsomehat  you  don’t  
space complete  
before playing the  w
thehole  
next
tumbao.   Y ou   s top   o n   b eat   f our,   w hich   g
idea. Your choice of note on beat four will depend on the voicing of the next idea,ives   y ou  s ome   s pace   b efore   p laying   t he  n ext  
so you should practice by playing both a slap on the high drum, or an open tone son
idea.     Y our   c hoice   o f   n ote   o n   b eat  f our  w ill  d epend   o n  t he  v oicing  o f  t he  n ext  i dea,   o  
you  should  
either the high practice  
or low by  drum.
playing  both  a  slap  on  the  high  drum,  or  an  open  tone  on  
either  the  high  or  low  drum.  
  qwerty
- 1 ¿ 1 - 1 ¿
/
l l r l l l r  
 
¿ œ
/ - 1 1 - 1 œ
l l r l l l r  

These filler bars are entirely distinct from bars within the etudes where we have
written out specific tumbao patterns between phrases. This is because the artist’s
tumbao is part of their signature sound, and we wanted to honor that by writing it
into the etude.

11
 NOTATIONAL TOPICS

All Other Transcriptions and Etudes

In the case of all other transcriptions and etudes found in this book, “slashes” are
used as regular time keeping beats. If you are reading a bongo transcription or
etude, the slashes simply indicate to play martillo. If you are playing the conga
transcriptions (as opposed to the etudes), they indicate to play a standard tumbao.

Note: Always remember that no written transcription can stand alone or take the
place of aural understanding. No notation can provide an identical representation
of the actual music, and is always an “approximation” of sound. You must listen to
the original recording of these solos. Only then will the transcriptions make sense.

12
 THE LANGUAGE OF IMPROVISATION

R umberos have always referred to their phrasing as a language. Whenever Manny

Oquendo spoke about soloing he always insisted that it was not just music: it
was a form of speech. The dilemma that every improviser faces is how to create
original phrases within the language of each respective genre and instrument.

Certainly a soloist does not create his/her own voice solely through the use of

they organize their phrases. Ray Barretto and Mongo Santamaria frequently used
the same rhythms and ideas in their solos, but they arranged them in uniquely

syntax” in this music, and to be an accomplished Latin percussionist you must learn
the language!

artist’s vocabulary. They can be found in almost every solo in this book.

13
 THE LANGUAGE OF IMPROVISATION

There are of course other shared figures throughout the transcriptions, and it would
be very worthwhile to identify and extract them as you go along. Nevertheless,
these are some of the most popular vocabulary essential to becoming a successful
improviser in Latin music. Each artist in this book has employed these phrases
in their own distinctive way, and they remain the foundation for modern
improvisation.

Here are a few examples where the masters used a common rhythm in different
ways. First let’s look at example C from above. Take a look at the passage below
from Manny Oquendo’s transcription “Corta el Bonche,” (m. 14 – 17). He enters the
phrase with a common upbeat figure on the hembra that allows him to seamlessly
transition into example C. Manny ends the rhythm with a rim shot on the macho to
create musical tension and then chooses to close the phrase and release the tension
with the rhythm found in measure 17.

Now we look at Mongo Santamaria’s transcription “Este Mambo,” (m. 63 – 68),

where he enters the rhythm without any upbeat rhythm to aid the transition. He
plays two downbeat quarter notes and then simply begins the phrase. His exit from
this rhythm is also different from Manny in that he chooses to continue the phrase
beyond our rhythm rather than close it. The tension-release is still however intact.
Mongo plays all slaps in the example rhythm and then releases the tension with an
open tone on beat 3 of measure 67.

Let’s look at a different phrase, example B. The passage below comes from Tito
Puente’s transcription of “Mon-Ti,” (m. 37 – 41). Notice the entrance to the lick.
The only note he plays is a single pick up beat into the lick; there is no rhythm used
to directly transition in. Similarly to Manny, Tito decides to close the phrase rather
than extend it beyond the example lick.

14
 THE LANGUAGE OF IMPROVISATION

Here is the same example from Guillermo Barretto’s solo on “El Fantasma Del
Combo.” (m. 12 – 20) Guillermo decides to preface this lick with a thematic idea
and proceed directly into example B. He then continues the phrase beyond the lick
and happens to transition incidentally into example C. Within example B we have
identical rhythms on the same instrument, but used in two very different ways.

These are just two of the many common rhythms found throughout our
transcriptions. Look for them, and study each artist’s transition into and out of the
phrase. This approach will help you to create your own voice as an improviser.
Happy studying!

A Final Note: Every transcription and etude in this book is in 2/3 clave. For the
purposes of continuity and comparison, this was an intentional choice. The issue
of improvising in both directions of the clave is complex and multi-faceted and not
the focus of this work. There are other sources available to help you understand
this concept, including another work written by the author, “The Conga Drummer’s
Guidebook.”

15
 THE SOLOIST’S CONUNDRUM

O ne of the main issues for all Latin percussionists is determining how to fill the
space between the improvisational phrases of a solo. Quite literally: “What
do I do with my hands before I play my next idea?” This is a significant challenge
for all players, and requires a number of different skills including the ability to
improvise in two different manners: within the fundamental part, or detached from
the fundamental part.

1) Within the fundamental part (for both tumbao and martillo)

The first approach uses the fundamental part as a placeholder between phrases.
When you have finished your idea, you enter back into the fundamental groove.
This removes any question about what your hands should do in between
improvisations. Regardless of the length of your improvisation you have a way to
end the phrase and can then vamp on the part while you think about your next
idea. If the time between statements is short you may end up incorporating a small
portion of the fundamental part.

Below is an example of this approach by Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez. This was

taken directly from the transcription of his solo in “Guaguancó de los Violentos”
(reminder: slashes represent time-keeping notes):

However, if the duration between statements is long, playing the full tumbao/
martillo is perfectly appropriate. Here is an example by Tata Guïnes. This was taken
directly from the transcription of his solo in “Descarga Cubana”:

Another distinct advantage of this approach is that it keeps your hands “in time.”
When you play percussion instruments that require the use of large muscle groups
(i.e. forearms, shoulders) it is quite challenging to enter into a musical passage from

16
 THE SOLOIST’S CONUNDRUM

a cold stop. Imagine that you are trying to hop onto a train already in motion. This
would be very difficult if you are not already in motion as well. The best approach
is to match the speed of the train and then jump on. The same concept applies
to improvisational ideas. Incorporating the fundamental part in between phrases
enables you to keep your hands moving in time, and then you are much more
likely to succeed in transitioning to your next idea.

Finally, there is another important advantage to this method, particularly on the

conga drum. The tumbadora is the centerpiece of the rhythm section, and the
tumbao is the foundation of the entire band. By returning to the fundamental part
in between phrases, the conga player will continue to reinforce the “swing” of the
band. This is mutually beneficial to the soloist, the band, and of course the dancers!

2) Detached from the fundamental part

This second approach relies on the band to maintain the entire rhythmic foundation
while the soloist “rides on top.” This certainly liberates the improviser to seamlessly
flow from one thematic phrase into another without interruption. On the other
hand, this method requires both an extensive vocabulary and an appropriate
musical “syntax”. If you don’t return to a fundamental part at the end of each
statement, you then must immediately be ready to go to your next phrase. Much
like sight-reading music, your brain must be one step ahead of your hands. Your
ideas must develop organically, as each phrase moves seamlessly into the next. A
prime example of this style can be found in the playing of Armando Peraza. Notice
that the transcriptions of his solos do not have many audible time keeping notes.
Much like a timbale player, he does not go back to the fundamental part (martillo).

It is important to note that there is a distinct difference between the creation of

musical ideas and the ability to execute them. The detached approach to soloing
is very difficult from a technical standpoint precisely because your hands do not
automatically revert back to a familiar ride pattern. The idea is to intentionally
leave space/silence between your phrases. This begs the question: what do you do
with your hands between your ideas? We discussed above the need to keep your
hands moving in order to execute. At the same time however, you don’t want those
movements to make much sound, or they will only serve to create sonic clutter. So
you must acquire the ability to play nearly inaudible time-keeping notes, much like
ghost notes on a drum set. Loud notes are easy to play on any drum. But the subtle,
“time-keeping” element demands a high technical skill level, which means a lot of
practice time.

Transcribing solos within this concept can create potential difficulties. Since there
is no standardized technique for playing the “silent” time-keeping notes, there is
almost no way to determine what the artist is actually playing. Therefore, we have
purposefully left those notes out of our transcriptions and have notated them as
rests.

17
 POLYPHONY IN LATIN MUSIC

W ithin the folkloric foundation of modern Latin music, one finds the distinctive
use of polyphony. In almost every song in this musical environment you
will find a section where several voices are improvising at the same time, as the
lead singer and the lead drummer are in constant dialogue. This is improvised and
does not follow a predetermined course. There are thus two simultaneous layers
of improvisation, which obviously requires highly active listening skills and the
ability to instantaneously adapt one’s phrasing to the moment. This is endemic to
the sacred forms of Afro-Cuban music (lucumí music, bantú music, etc.) and it is
also an essential component of the most important form of secular folkloric music
in Cuba, “la rumba”. Every quinto player must have the ability to phrase in and
around the improvisations of the lead vocalist, and engage in call and response
phrasing with the coro (chorus).

Since Latin popular music is inherently the child of rumba, one finds this same
talent is required in this context as well. It is an obligatory concept for every bon-
gocero whose golpes always come in between horn and vocal lines, and it remains
equally as true for the conguero and timbalero at various times in a song. Frequent-
ly a solo in a salsa band starts as a dialogue with another instrument or singer, and
then opens up into a full solo.

As such, we can see that a good deal of the phrasing one finds throughout many
of these transcriptions has a unique character to it. One is not likely to employ
fast rolls and lengthy through-composed passages if one is in conversation with
another instrumentalist. Rather the challenge is to speak in and around the other
player, and to find the holes in which to speak. Until a solo is in full develop-
ment, the vocabulary frequently takes on certain rhythmic characteristics, and the
common phrases we delineate in the section “The Language of Improvisation”
demonstrate some of those.

When you listen to the beginning of Manny Oquendo’s solo on “Bailala Pronto”
where he is in dialogue with Dave Valentín on flute, you will hear all the compo-
nents of a discussion between two friends: questions, answers, overlapping sen-
tences, interruptions, and so forth. As the conversation finally gives way to Manny’s
open solo, you can see where its tone and structure are predicated on the dialogue
that preceded it.

It is not an accident that Mongo Santamaria was one of the greatest rumberos of
his time, and the skills he developed playing rumba automatically translated to his
popular music career. His solo on “Serpentina” wonderfully exemplifies the poly-
phonic concept, as it begins in conversation with the legendary flautist, Gonzalo
Fernandez.

Soloing in a polyphonic context is rooted in rumba, and is such an essential part of

Latin music’s overall musical character that it is fair to argue that to be a good solo-
ist in popular music, you must also be a good rumbero.

18
NOTATION KEY

Timbale

Conga Drum

Bongo

19
 GLOSSARY

Abakuá – The name of the Afro-Cuban men’s fraternity, or secret society which
originated from the Efik people of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern
Cameroon. In Cuba its music and rhythms are also referred to as “abakuá”.

Bantú – The name used to describe that part of Afro-Cuban music and culture,
which is of Congolese/Central African origin.

Batá – A double-headed hourglass shaped drum brought to Cuba by the Yoruba

people of Southwestern Nigeria.

Conguero – Someone who plays the conga drum.

Golpes – The basic (almost prescribed) improvisations on the bongó.

Hembra – The bigger (and lower pitched) drum of the timbales.

Lucumí – One of the names used to describe the descendants of the Yoruba people
in Cuba.

Macho – The smaller (and higher pitched) drum of the timbales.

Martillo – The basic pattern played on the bongó in a salsa band.

Quinto – The highest pitched drum in the three-drum battery of traditional rumba.
It is the solo drum, and speaks in between the basic drum parts as it punctuates the
steps of the dancers.

Rumbero – Someone who plays/sings/dances Cuban rumba, arguably the most

important secular form of folkloric music in Latin America.

Timbalero – Someone who plays the timbales.

Tumbadora – The original word for the instrument that today is called the conga
drum.

Tumbao – The basic pattern that the conga drum plays in a salsa band.

Yambú – The oldest and slowest form of rumba, traditionally played on cajones
(boxes).

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TIMBALES Guillermo Barreto

Guillermo Barreto

O Cuban jazz
musicians and
most important
drum set players
in Cuban
music history,
“Barretico’s”
legacy is perhaps

a kit player as it
is as a timbalero.
He had superior
technical

drumsticks, and his use of different voicings in technically challenging

passages made him stand out from his peers. Combined with his
wonderful phrasing, these skills were apparent in all of his solos. It is

his time. His work on the Cachao “Descargas in Miniature” remains the
bible for all timbale players.

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 Guillermo Barreto TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Guillermo Barreto

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 Guillermo Barreto TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Guillermo Barreto

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 Guillermo Barreto TIMBALES
AUDIO TRACKS 1 & 2

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TIMBALES Guillermo Barreto

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TIMBALES Manny Oquendo

Manny Oquendo

© MARTIN COHEN, CONGAHEAD.COM

In the section
“The Language
of Improvisation”
we have already
acknowledged
that Manny is a
prime example
of a soloist who
considered his
improvisations

because of their clarity and logic; it is as if he is literally communicating

phrases with grammar and syntax. Upon further investigation it becomes
apparent that these solos belie a high level of sophistication. Please take
the time to listen to the timbale solos he recorded with his seminal band
“Conjunto Libre” in the 1980s and 1990s, and you will be struck by his
remarkable approach. There is no timbale player from the New York Latin
music world that does not owe a debt to Manny.

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 Manny Oquendo TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Manny Oquendo

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 Manny Oquendo TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Manny Oquendo

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 Manny Oquendo TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Manny Oquendo

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 Manny Oquendo TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Manny Oquendo

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 Manny Oquendo TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Manny Oquendo
AUDIO TRACKS 3 & 4

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 Manny Oquendo TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Tito Puente

Tito Puente
© MARTIN COHEN, CONGAHEAD.COM

T ito was the complete

musician—artist,
composer, arranger
and bandleader. His
importance and legacy
in the history of Latin
music are self-evident,
and do not need to be
delineated here.

The transcriptions of these solos demonstrate his remarkable mastery of the

timbal. He uses the full variety of common phrases and language, yet all with
his own voice, tuning and improvisational structure. Among the many reasons
he was called “El Rey del Timbal” was that he understood the history of the
instrument (we must remember that the timbales were created to play the
baqueteo of the danzón). Within this rhythm, the use of dead strokes on the
hembra (low drum) is an integral part of the performance. Notice the frequency
with which Tito refers to this technique in his solos; it is among one of the many
vital parts of his style.

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TIMBALES Tito Puente

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 Tito Puente TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Tito Puente

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 Tito Puente TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Tito Puente

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 Tito Puente TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Tito Puente

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 Tito Puente TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Tito Puente

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 Tito Puente TIMBALES
AUDIO TRACKS 5 & 6

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TIMBALES Tito Puente

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TIMBALES Orestes Vilató

Orestes Vilató

O restes is one of
the most recorded
timbale players in Latin
music history. His career
included playing bongo
PHOTO BY DAVID GARTEN

and timbales in some of

the most important Latin
bands of New York to
innumerable recordings
for the Fania label, and to
an extensive stint in the
Santana band.

He has a completely signature sound and style, and one could argue that
Orestes was the one who took Guillermo Barreto’s phrasing and skill set to
the next level in the last quarter of the 20th century. In addition to unusual

to incorporate a myriad of different colors in his sonic palate: multiple

cowbells, woodblocks, kick drum, etc. Inherent in the use of these new
sounds were new stickings and phrasings.

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 Orestes Vilató TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Orestes Vilató

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 Orestes Vilató TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Orestes Vilató

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 Orestes Vilató TIMBALES

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TIMBALES Orestes Vilató

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 Orestes Vilató TIMBALES
AUDIO TRACKS 7 & 8

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TIMBALES Orestes Vilató

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 Orestes Vilató TIMBALES

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CONGAS Tata Guïnes

Tata Guïnes
PHOTO BY SVEN CREUTZMANN

W ith all respect to the great conga players throughout the 20th century,
Aristides Soto (known throughout the Cuban music world as Tata
Guïnes) ranks at the top. He was 40 years ahead of his time technically,
and had a completely unique style. He is arguably the most imitated
conga player in history (with Mongo Santamaria running a close second),
and every percussionist in the world employs some part of his phrasing in
their playing. His style was born out of rumba, and so all his solos have a
folkloric component to them that few have been able to master.

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 Tata Guïnes CONGAS

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CONGAS Tata Guïnes

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 Tata Guïnes CONGAS

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CONGAS Tata Guïnes

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 Tata Guïnes CONGAS

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CONGAS Tata Guïnes

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 Tata Guïnes CONGAS
AUDIO TRACKS 9 & 10

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CONGAS Tata Guïnes

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 Tata Guïnes CONGAS

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CONGAS Mongo Santamaria

Mongo Santamaria

O ne can state
unequivocally
that without Mongo,
both Latin dance
music and Latin
jazz would have
had a very different
history. After playing
and recording
with some of the
most important
bandleaders of his
time (Perez Prado,
Tito Puente and Cal
Tjader to name but
a few), Mongo went
on to direct his own
band. Just like Art
Blakely and Horace
Silver in the world

PHOTO BY MARK HOLSTON

of jazz, Mongo
gave innumerable
young artists their
start. Many of those
young lions went
on to have major
international careers

like Chick Corea at the top of it.

Mongo was one of the few drummers of his era who could play both folkloric and
popular dance music. In addition to his recorded work with the likes of Tito and
Cal, his recordings of Afro-Cuban folkloric music in the 1960s and 1970s were
seminal record dates. He was a ferocious rumbero, and surrounded himself in the
recording studio with the most important Cuban drummers of the time (Francisco
Aguabella, Armando Peraza, Julito Collazo were mainstays of those sessions).
Those dates are truly historical not only for the quality of the playing, but because
they basically introduced the entire world to the intricate and sophisticated music
of the African traditions in Cuba. It is not an accident that it was Mongo who
composed “Afro Blue”, arguably the most iconic song written within the Afro-
Cuban musical genre.

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 Mongo Santamaria CONGAS

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CONGAS Mongo Santamaria

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 Mongo Santamaria CONGAS

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CONGAS Mongo Santamaria

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 Mongo Santamaria CONGAS

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CONGAS Mongo Santamaria

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 Mongo Santamaria CONGAS

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CONGAS Mongo Santamaria

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 Mongo Santamaria CONGAS
AUDIO TRACKS 11 & 12

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CONGAS Mongo Santamaria

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CONGAS Ray Barretto

Ray Barretto

R ay’s contribution
to the music
scene of New
York was literally
inestimable. He
was as much a jazz
player as a brilliant
Latin musician, and
although he was
a world famous
© MARTIN COHEN, CONGAHEAD.COM

Latin band-leader,
throughout his career
he could be found
on innumerable
jazz record dates.
He truly mastered
the art of playing
conga drums in
a swing and jazz
setting, and could be
heard supporting the
greatest jazz artists of his time, from Dizzy Gillespie to Charlie Parker. And
though obviously not a part of jazz history, it is worth noting that his signature
feel and time was integral to one of the greatest hits by the Rolling Stones,
“Sympathy for the Devil”.

Nevertheless, his real fame came as a bandleader and conga player in

the “Salsa” world of New York. He was a mainstay of the Fania “Salsa”
movement, employed everyone from Orestes Vilató to Ruben Blades in his
band, and put out a catalogue of records whose musical quality and swing
will stand the test of time for decades to come. As a player, he combined
strength and power with extraordinary phrasing and melodic sensitivity, and
he literally embodied the signature: “las manos duras”.

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 Ray Barretto CONGAS

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CONGAS Ray Barretto

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 Ray Barretto CONGAS

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CONGAS Ray Barretto

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 Ray Barretto CONGAS

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CONGAS Ray Barretto

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 Ray Barretto CONGAS
AUDIO TRACKS 13 & 14

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CONGAS Ray Barretto

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BONGO Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias

Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias

R ogelio Iglésias (better known

as “Yeyo” or “Yeyito”) was an
iconic bongocero. In addition
to the absolute coherency of his
phrasing, he was famous for his
sound. Obviously transcriptions
of his work cannot communicate
the attack and transparency of
his sonic quality. Please listen
to the tracks from which we
culled the transcriptions, and
listen to his work throughout
all of the Cachao “Descargas
in Miniature” recordings. His
playing is featured throughout,
and the tone is truly exceptional.

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 Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias BONGO

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BONGO Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias

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 Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias BONGO

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BONGO Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias

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 Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias BONGO

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BONGO Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias

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 Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias BONGO
AUDIO TRACKS 15 & 16

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BONGO Rogelio “Yeyito” Iglesias

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BONGO Armando Peraza

© MARTIN COHEN, CONGAHEAD.COM

Armando Peraza

A rmando was a multi-faceted individual who had several

occupations throughout his lifetime: he was dancer, a baseball
player, a conga player and a bongocero. Although his fame and
fortune came from being the conga player in the Santana band
for many years, he played with many great artists in both the
jazz and Latin music worlds long before he joined Carlos’ band.
His recordings with George Shearing and Cal Tjader remain true
classics, as do his many “duets” with Mongo on a variety of different
occasions. He not only had speed and technique, but his phrasing
was decades ahead of his time. If one listens to some of his ideas
on the Shearing recordings of the 1960s for example, you can hear
him playing “songo” on conga drums when Changuito and Juan
Forméll of Los Van Van (the creators of songo) were still teenagers.
Like Mongo and Tata he was a true “quintero”, and you can hear the

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 Armando Peraza BONGO

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BONGO Armando Peraza

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 Armando Peraza BONGO

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BONGO Armando Peraza

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 Armando Peraza BONGO

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BONGO Armando Peraza

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 Armando Peraza BONGO
AUDIO TRACKS 17 & 18

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BONGO Armando Peraza

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 Johnny “Dandy” Rodriquez BONGO

Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez

T hough known
internationally
as one of the most
important bongo
players in Latin music
history, Dandy’s
percussion skills are
by no means limited
to that instrument. His
conga playing on the
© MARTIN COHEN, CONGAHEAD.COM

Celia Cruz and Johnny

Pacheco recordings
of the Fania era will
bear testament to that
fact. Nevertheless,
his classic sound and
phrasing on the bongo
has been a signature
of Latin music for
decades, whether on
countless Fania recordings, with Tito Puente’s groups or with his own band
“Típica 73”. Like Manny Oquendo’s timbale playing, his approach on the
bongo is like speaking a language more than playing “chops”, and his solos

but once you get inside his structure and approach you will understand
how deceiving they can be!

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BONGO Johnny “Dandy” Rodriquez

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 Johnny “Dandy” Rodriquez BONGO

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BONGO Johnny “Dandy” Rodriquez

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BONGO Johnny “Dandy” Rodriquez

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 Johnny “Dandy” Rodriquez BONGO
AUDIO TRACKS 19 & 20

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BONGO Johnny “Dandy” Rodriquez

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 Giovanni Hidalgo BONUS TRANSCRIPTION

Giovanni Hidalgo

S ince the mid-1980s

Giovanni Hidalgo
has been considered
one of the world’s
greatest conga players.
It is not unreasonable

© MARTIN COHEN, CONGAHEAD.COM

to say that he is the one
who paid forward both
Tata Guines’ technique
and “la mano secreta”
of the genius Jose
Luis Quintana (aka
“Changuito”), thus
bringing contemporary
conga playing to its
current level of artistry.

Giovanni is famous not only for his speed and uber-technique, but his highly
sophisticated phrasing as well. We have chosen to include this “bonus” solo
of an artist known for his prowess precisely because it does not actually
reveal his remarkable technical skills. Rather it demonstrates Giovanni’s
complete knowledge and awareness of his musical roots, and it is as if he
is intentionally paying tribute to the all the elders in this one solo. All the
components that we have featured in this book can be found here: the
concept of soloing as a language, the use of almost all the shared/common
phrases, the use of “stretched rhythms”, and the knowledge of folkloric ideas
and phrasing. It is the perfect example of standing on the shoulders of the
generations that came before.

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BONUS TRANSCRIPTION Giovanni Hidalgo

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 Giovanni Hidalgo BONUS TRANSCRIPTION

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BONUS TRANSCRIPTION Giovanni Hidalgo

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