Harmonic Shifts Gear changes – Music

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.

🎹 Harmony in the montuno

The montuno usually runs on a short, repeated chord progression, carried by the piano tumbao and the bass. Precisely because that harmony is so stable, a change stands out:

  • New coro, new chords: a new coro sometimes brings a different chord progression.
  • Harmony drops out: in some gears, such as the bomba, the piano stops or becomes very sparse. The music then sounds almost purely rhythmic, and the harmony returns when the full band kicks back in.
  • Modulation: a real change to another key happens, but it is rare.

💃 For dancers

You hear a harmonic shift more as a different "colour" than as a different rhythm. It is a good moment to adapt your styling to the new mood.

📝 Sources