Son Clave 3-2 drum pattern
A compact drum-set orchestration of the 3-2 son-clave timeline: clave on cross-stick, the kick on the tumbao anticipations and a steady maraca-like shaker. Press Play to hear it with a sampled drum kit at 104 BPM, change the tempo or swing, and follow every hit on the grid.
How to count the Son Clave 3-2
Count it as: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a. The pattern is one bar of 4/4 (one-bar 16th-note clave cycle).
The Son Clave 3-2 pattern, hit by hit
Each character is one step of the grid and each group is one beat. X is an accented hit, x a normal hit, o a quiet or ghost note and - a rest.
| Voice | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Kick | ---x --x- ---x --x- |
| Cross-stick | x--x --x- --x- x--- |
| Shaker | oooo oooo oooo oooo |
Tempo and feel
The clave is the reference and never moves. The kick answers it on the anticipations rather than marking the downbeats. The default tempo is 104 BPM. Slow it down until every hit is controlled, then raise the tempo a few BPM at a time.
How to practise the Son Clave 3-2
Clap the clave alone. Add the kick on 3, 6, 11 and 14 without letting it pull the clave. Start each repetition on the three side.
Variations to try next
Play the clave on a woodblock. Reverse it into 2-3 direction. Add the hi-hat foot on every beat.
Where to hear this feel
Records in this family include Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan, Tito Puente - clave-based arrangements and Salsa ensemble practice. The two-bar 3-2 clave is written as one 16th-note bar, so its onsets are 0, 3, 6, 10 and 12 on a 16-pulse cycle. The kick plays the tumbao bass figure (the and of 2 and beat 4 of each clave bar), which lands on 3, 6, 11 and 14 at this scale.