Clave De Sol

 

Clave de sol (pronounced klaw-de sul) is a rhythmic pattern that forms the heartbeat and underlying structure of many styles of music, from classical to dancehall. It’s also known by other names, including key pattern, guide pattern, phrasing referent and asymmetrical timeline. It is a very common element in the music of Cuba, and it can be heard in sub-Saharan African traditions as well, such as Haitian Vodou drumming, Afro-Brazilian music, and Louisiana Voodoo drumming.

In Cuban music, clave is often expressed through a decorated version of the three-side, which is called a guajeo or cinquillo. The guajeo is usually constructed around arpeggiated chords with syncopated patterns and is often used as an embellishment or decoration to the basic clave rhythm. Alternatively, a clave rhythm can be incorporated directly into the main melody, such as in the case of a son cubano improvisation.

The clave pattern is a regular feature of salsa and other Latin jazz rhythms, and has been adopted by musicians of many different nationalities. The clave’s use in jazz shows how easily it can be adapted to other styles of music.

Cuban music influenced the Caribbean, and the clave is widely used in Jamaican mento, especially in 1950s-era recordings by artists such as Lord Tickler. It is also commonly heard in Martinique’s biguine and Dominica’s jing ping. It is likely that the clave rhythm was brought to these small islands of the Caribbean by descendants of the Yoruba, Fon and Congolese slaves who came to Cuba and Brazil.

There are several variations of clave, the most prevalent being the son clave, which is the one most familiar to non-Cuban music listeners. Other variations include the rumba clave, which is less common but still popular among some groups. The rumba clave is based on the same underlying rhythm as the son, but the placement of the third beat is slightly different.

The other most notable variation is the cha-cha-cha clave, which is used by bands that play salsa in a more dancehall style. It consists of the same basic rhythm as the rumba clave, but with a slightly different sequence of chords that gives the song an incredibly distinct sound.

While clave is traditionally played on Clave de sol  click instruments called claves, it can be played on any instrument that can create a clicking rhythm. It is also common to hear the clave rhythm incorporated into percussive elements such as congas, cowbells and woodblocks in music from Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean. More recently, the clave rhythm has been used in popular genres such as house music and trap music. In these genres, the clave is often sped up and distorted to give it an urban feel that is distinct from the more traditional four-to-the-floor house beat. This demonstrates the clave’s adaptability and its role as the “heartbeat” of these genres.

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