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Welcome to "Salsa Rhythms On The Beat" Training Program
Volume 1 - The Conga
Let's get the technical stuff out of the way...
When using this eBook, all you need to do is use the buttons to your left and they will guide you through the book. All links in this course will be underlined and of a different color. If you click on something and you don't have the needed software, the eBook will automatically ask you if you want to download it. Oh, to move up and down, just use the scroll bar located over there: ---------------->
Hmmmm...
I think that's it!!
Ok now that we have that out of the way...
Let's get started with the good stuff!!
This training course is designed for you to perfect your timing on the dance floor. I mean, let's face it...
...it does NOT look good if you dance off beat!!!
That's why you will discover the fundamentals of salsa timing and synchronization to the music. You will learn how to distinguish and follow each individual instrument in a salsa band and...
...how they blend together to make up the magic formula of a salsa song. It will create a whole new dimension to your listening and understanding of the music.
You will also notice that this course complements your training by focusing specifically on rhythm and timing details that sometimes cannot be covered in a group class...
IMAGINE THE HEAD START YOU WILL HAVE OVER YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS!!!
Aside from this you will notice one more thing...
...Mastering basic steps with perfect timing is not only essential for proceeding to more advanced levels of salsa, but it also makes dancing far more enjoyable
Now before we get into the actual instruction, remember, this is your time...
What I mean is, feel free to go back and forth with the audio tracks. But most of all, don't move on to the next section unless you feel 100% sure that you understand the concepts you just learned...
...Also, don't forget, we are here for you. If you encounter any problems or just have a question to ask just email us and we will help you in whatever we can (When you get to the final section, you will have our email addresses and other ways to contact us)...
Learn To Count The Beat With The Conga
In most common salsa patterns, the conga marks eight notes in one bar of music...
...don't worry if you don't know what that means, you will learn it in a bit.
The rhythmic feel to it is generated by the fact that some notes are louder than others, as well as by the fact that the conga can generate notes of different pitch.
Now, the following bit of information is VERY important...
...the strong accents of a Conga pattern are on the even beats (2 & 4)...This is SO important that I will repeat it for you one more time...
...The strong accents are on the even beats (2 & 4)
The reason why this is so important is because the strong accented beats will be the ones that you will most likely hear in a Salsa song...
...so even though the conga produces eight beats, you only need to worry about two. This will make your learning much easier!
Follow the conga pattern on the following audio tracks. Remember, beat 2 is marked by a note of high pitch and a strong accent. Beat 4 is marked by two strong notes of low pitch...
The easiest way to ‘find the beat’ is by identifying these two notes.
Now let's listen to our first audio track...
...this will be our Vocal Instructions so listen carefully;
CONGA BEAT -- VOCAL INSTRUCTIONS
As you can see, beats 2 and 4 are the most recognizable. Now, to help you more, you will hear the same pattern, only this time it will be counted at a slow pace without the vocal instructions (only the count)...
...So follow along and make sure you can pick up the beat...
Remember, this is your course, if you want to repeat a track more than once...please feel free to do so.
Also, to help you more, when he stops counting on the track...you should keep counting and see if you remain on beat.
CONGA BEAT SLOW -- WITH COUNTING
OK, by now you should have a pretty good idea of what a basic Salsa pattern sounds like on the Conga...so since you have become so good :-) We are going to do the following...
The next track is going to play the same pattern, but this time it will play without the counting...
...that's right, you've got to do the counting yourself...
Now, don't be nervous, go ahead and wipe that sweat off of your forehead and let's start...
CONGA BEAT SLOW -- WITHOUT COUNTING
That wasn't so bad now was it??
You see, already you're getting better at this...I can see you already...
***** It's about 10:00pm Friday night, you've got your dancing shoes on, you're wearing
your best outfit and...
...your hair just looks awesome!! You drive in your nice shiny car to the Copacabana
(you know, the hottest spot north
of Havana!) And there you are...
...not missing a single beat!! Looking SPECTACULAR on the dance floor! All
because you took some time to learn the Salsa beat.*****
Ok, now that you took that little break, let's get started again. This time though it's a bit different...
...this time, you're going to take it up a level. You're going to hear the same pattern, only faster.
This first track will be faster, but you will have the voice over counting the beat as you listen.
Just do the same thing with this track, once he stops counting, you should keep counting so that it sticks to your mind...
CONGA BEAT MEDIUM -- WITH COUNTING
That was a bit faster, wasn't it?? Well that's ok, you'll love it when you see the new you on the dance floor! Ok, one more time, only now you will not have the voice over...
...instead you will find the beat yourself and do the count yourself...
Go ahead give it a try.
CONGA BEAT MEDIUM -- WITHOUT COUNTING
Phew!!
That was awesome!!!
I knew you could do it...
Now, I would suggest you go back and listen to all the tracks one more time...
...once you do that, go ahead and click on the button that says "Advanced".
In that section, you will listen to the same Conga patterns, only it will be much faster.
You will also be trained to isolate beats 2 and 4.
So, see you in a bit...
...for now, just go back and listen to the beats again so that it becomes second nature to you. Once you're done, click on the "Advanced" button to the left...
Learn To Count The Beat With The Conga - Advanced
Ok, by now you should be comfortable with listening for, and identifying the Conga beat. You have listened to the tracks in varying speeds, and with voice over counting.
What we will do now is listen to the same pattern, except...
...it will be MUCH faster!
Well I hope you are ready, because here goes...
This first track will be fast, but you will have the voice over...
CONGA BEAT FAST -- WITH COUNTING
Well you've gotten this far, so...
...let's try that again, but this time, we will remove the voice over so that you can count it yourself.
CONGA BEAT FAST -- WITHOUT COUNTING
WOW!!!
Now that's fast...
...but this is how you will dance sometimes, and believe me, it is worth it.
Since these last two tracks were quite fast, I recommend that you hear them again a few more times.
You see, you need to train your ears to listen to these beats...especially the fast tempo.
Go ahead...
...go back and listen to them a few more times. Make sure that you are able to stay on beat.
Also remember, it is best to practice ALL of the tracks, from slow to fast, while you do your Basic Step, or any other step you would like to practice on.
When a complete salsa band is playing, it may be hard to hear all eight notes of the conga.
Most of the time you will only hear the accented beat number 2 and beat number 4.
In the following tracks we have broken down the conga rhythm by playing only the accented (loud) notes.
Try to practice these tracks with something like the "Basic Step".
If you learn to listen to this basic rhythm you will distinguish it easily in a complete salsa arrangement, and you will also be able to follow it in your dance.
For this first track, you will hear the beat along with some vocal instructions...
CONGA BEAT ACCENTED NOTES -- VOCAL INSTRUCTIONS
This next track will be the same thing...
...only beats 2 and 4.
Again, remember we are doing this because most of the time, these will be the ONLY beats you will be able to hear.
Now, since you are only listening to beats 2 and 4, make sure that you fill in the other beats as well. This way you will always know what beat you are in.
This next track contains the counting only...
CONGA BEAT ACCENTED NOTES -- WITH COUNTING
Finally, the next track will give you the chance of listening to the same beats, only this time...
...There is no counting to help you; you will have to do it on your own.
CONGA BEAT ACCENTED NOTES -- WITHOUT COUNTING
Well congratulations!!!
You have gone through the first part of the course...
...there are only 5 more instruments to discuss!!
But before you get into that...
So What Are The Next Steps?
The first thing you have to do is this:
Get off of the computer, and go have some fun!!
Seriously, don't move onto the next section yet. If you do, you're going to burn yourself out. I mean, this is supposed to be fun, and believe me, there is nothing fun about burning yourself out.
So for now, go out, have a good time, and make sure that you can follow the Conga beat.
Once you can listen for, and recognize the Conga beat, you will be ready for the next volume... |