Now that we’ve covered clave neutral bass rhythms, it’s time to begin to look into their clave-aligned counterparts. Clave-aligned basslines are one of the most striking characteristics that distinguish Timba from that of more traditional son or salsa. Notice that the harmony (Am D F E7) is the same as in the Clave-neutral video. The basic idea to introduce a melodic “hook” that serves as the foundation for creating different variations over the same chord progression.

As always, this blog entry is not meant to be a complete tutorial, just a brief demonstration of a general concept. If any of these terms are unfamiliar to you, be sure to check out my books, The John Benitez Method Vol 1 and Vol 2. I also highly recommend any of Kevin Moore’s Beyond Salsa Bass Series. If you’re interested in learning more, comment below or contact me directly if you have any questions or are interested in private lessons either online or in person. Happy practicing and see you on the next one!

Interested in private lessons?