11

Opening the hi-

hat with your
foot on beat 1
of each
measure
willcreate a
stronger feeling
of downbeat,
which is an
important
anchor for the
6/8 pattern.
With hi-hat
open on
"1",listen:Let's
hear the Afro-
Cuban 6/8 feel
played at a
faster tempo.
Listen tohow
the variations
in bass drum
and small tom
parts change
the feel.This 6/8
feel has a
different "swing"
to it at a faster
tempo.
Onceyou've
learned the
basic pattern,
try at different
tempos and
noticethe
differences.
Faster Afro-
Cuban 6/8 feel
with full drum
set
andvariations,lis
ten:
Polyrhythmic
6/8 pattern,
Abakwa
pattern:
A
polyrhythm
is created when
one rhythm
is played over
another.As you
may have
noticed, many
polyrhythms are
being
playedsimultane
ously in the
Afro-Cuban 6/8
feel; different
groupings
arebeing played
at the same
time, against or
over each other.
Animportant
polyrhythm, "4
over 3", is also
played in a
different Afro-
Cuban 6/8 feel
than bembe.
This is played
traditionally by
the
Abakwa
, a secret male
society in Cuba.
This rhythm is
usuallyplayed
with sticks on a
wooden surface
or on the side of
a drum,
or incorporated
into one of the
conga parts.
The 6/8 cowbell
patternplayed in
the bembe feel
is not played
with this
pattern. The
patternlooks
and sounds
likethis: