Palo pa la campana - Tromboranga - example
Salsa tends to be easier to understand than timba, making this a helpful starting point.
Although this is a salsa song rather than timba, Iâve included it here because JoaquĂn Arteaga â timbalero and bandleader of the salsa orchestra Tromboranga â posted a YouTube video explaining the musicality and basic structure of âPalo pa' la campana.â
0:00.0s
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[ 0:00- 0:21] Intro: Horns playing intro melody while rhythm section plays a salsa groove.
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[ 0:21- 0:31] Bridge: Rhythm changes to Oriza rhythm.
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[ 0:31- 0:50] Verse: Singer starts telling the story of the song.
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[ 0:50- 1:00] Bridge: Rhythm changes again to Oriza rhythm.
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[ 1:00- 1:19] Verse continues: Singer continues the story (back to salsa rhythm).
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[ 1:19- 1:29] Bridge
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[ 1:29- 2:08] Verse continues: Singer continues the story (back to salsa rhythm).
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[ 2:08- 2:17] Bridge
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[ 2:17- 2:27] Montuno section
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[ 2:27- 2:46] Mambo section: Starts with piano and bass.
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[ 2:46- 2:57] Little bridge: Piano plays a steady guajeo.
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[ 2:57- 3:34] Bongo bell solo: Piano keeps playing a steady guajeo.
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[ 3:34- 5:10] Second mambo: With chorus on top.
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[ 5:10- 5:29] Second montuno
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[ 5:29- 5:48] Ending & Coda: With Oriza rhythm, chorus, and inspiring sonero.
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[ 5:48- 6:24] Credit roll
Joaquin Arteaga explaining "Palo pa la campana"
Lyrics video
A pair of small drums played with fingers and palms.
Lees meer >Piano
Origins
Inventor: Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655â1731), an Italian instrument maker in Florence.
Date: Around 1700, Cristofori built the first instrument he called a âgravicembalo col piano e forteâ â meaning harpsichord with soft and loud.
Reason for invention: Harpsichords (the main keyboard instrument of the 1600s) could not vary loudness by touch. Cristofori solved this by using hammers to strike strings instead of plucking them.
Mechanism: When a key was pressed, a felt-covered hammer struck the string, producing sound with dynamics depending on how hard or softly the key was played.
Timba, the explosive and rhythmically rich genre of Cuban dance music, transformed how the bass functions in popular music. In Timba, the bass is not just foundational â itâs fiery, funky, and free.
Lees meer >Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the " mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
- Son traditional
- Son urbano
- Son montuno
- Son moderno.
Lees meer >Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the "mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
The largo, canto, or verse, is where the lead vocalist sings the main lyrical content of the song.
In Timba, the canto often contains a narrative or thematic element and is supported by the rhythm section and background vocals.
Lees meer >The conclusion of the song, which often mirrors the intro or brings the song to a close with a final statement by the band.
Lees meer >IntroducciĂłn
This is the opening section of the song, which sets the mood and introduces the musical motifs.
It often features a horn section and can include elements from the song's main themes.
This section is characterized by a more open and interactive part of the song, where there is a dialogue between the vocals and the instrumentalists, leading to a more improvised feel. The montuno is typically built on repetitive piano and bass patterns and may include call-and-response singing.
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