Around The World Traditional Percussion on Drumset Part 3: Timbales by Arturo Stable In a previous article (February 2013) I shared some of the history of the timbales and a few of the main rhythms of the instrument, and I recommended some great players to check out. I also included examples of how we’ve adapted those rhythms to the drumset. In this article I want to share different grooves that you can use when you work alongside a timbale player, which is very common in modern Cuban dance music. Cha Cha (2-3 Clave) 4/4 Abajo (2-3 Clave) Abajo translates literally as “down.” In this context, the word refers to a section of a song where the vocalist is singing the main part. Most of the instruments are playing quietly during this section. The drummer often plays on the closed hi-hat. 4/4 Arriba (2-3 Clave) Arriba translates to “up” and refers […]