How To Play A Bembe Groove

When you think of the style Afro Cuban music, there are many types of beats that come into your head. For example, there is Latin music, the Salsa, The Samba, and the Bossa Nova. But what about the Bembe? This word actually comes from the African word bembes; which were religious parties with dancing, drumming, and singing. The Bembe groove is an Afro Cuban beat played in 6/8. This can be a lot of things. Originally, this was a mix of African drums, bongos, djembes, and shakers. Now, drummers play these grooves on their drum sets as well as other percussion instruments. So why not try it for yourself!

Before we get going, you should know that these beats are not that easy to play, so remember to take your time and count aloud. Lets start with the basic bell pattern. The bell pattern is a very basic groove that can be played at slow or fast tempos. Like jazz, this is the foundation of these Afro Cuban Bembe’s. Here is the bell pattern:

A great pattern to throw over top of this is the 6/8 clave beat. This is nice because it is pretty close to the bell pattern. Add them together, playing the clave on the rim of your snare. You will already be able to feel an Afro Cuban groove forming when you get this down! Try this beat.

For the last bit of the lesson, I will tell you how to play all of this in a basic bembe beat. This is one of the easier beats to play, but it is still difficult. Try this beat on the bass drum and snare at first, then move on to more advanced beats and voices later.

There you have it, the Afro Cuban 6/8 Bembe. Once you learn how to play this you will be less intimidated by Afro Cuban and Latin music. It really isn’t as confusing as you may have first thought. The best way to learn is by listening to this kind of music. To do this, go out to your local music store and pick up some Latin music CD’s and listen to te drumming styles!

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