Gear changes Function – Music
A gear change (cambio de marcha) is the moment the band switches from one gear to another. According to Kevin Moore the percussionists and the bassist change their patterns together; the singer or bandleader usually cues it with a hand signal in the last beats of a section.
What changes with it
- Tempo Shifts
In a gear change it is mainly the feel of the music that changes; the tempo itself usually stays the same. A new gear can sound lighter, heavier or denser, which makes the music seem to speed up or slow down.
- Rhythmic Alterations
A rhythmic change does not always mean a whole new gear: sometimes (part of) the rhythm section plays a short figure, an efecto, in the middle of a gear. In a real gear change the percussionists and the bassist switch patterns together.
- Breakdowns and Build-ups
A song may break down to a simpler texture, perhaps focusing on percussion or a bass line, before building back up to a full-band climax. These moments can create a sense of anticipation and excitement.
- Sectional Changes
Strictly speaking, a sectional change is not a gear change but a step in the structure of the song, such as from the cuerpo to the montuno. Such a change often coincides with a new gear, though.
- Harmonic Shifts
A gear is about the rhythm section, not the harmony. Still, the harmony sometimes changes along with a gear change, for example when a new coro starts or when the piano almost drops out in a sparse gear.
Fixed or live
Some gear changes are fixed in the arrangement and always come at the same point in the song; others are called live. Most happen in the montuno, sometimes as often as every four claves. For dancers a gear change is a signal too: what the rhythm section plays decides whether you dance with your partner or on your own.
📝 Sources