Claves by Sylvester Wong, Whitmore Village
Claves are a percussion instrument, consisting of a pair of short, thick dowels. Traditionally they are made of wood, typically rosewood, ebony or grenadilla. In modern times they are also made of fibreglass or plastics. When struck they produce a bright clicking noise. Claves are sometimes hollow and carved in the middle to amplify the sound. The basic principle when playing claves is to allow at least one of them to resonate. The usual technique is to hold one lightly with the thumb and fingertips of the non-dominant hand, with the palm up.
This forms the hand into a resonating chamber for the clave. Holding the clave on top of finger nails makes the sound clearer. The other is held by the dominant hand at one end with a firmer grip, much like how one normally holds a drumstick. With the end of this clave, the player strikes the resting clave in the center. Traditionally, the striking clave is called el macho ("the male") and the resting clave is called la hembra ("the female"). This terminology is used even when the claves are identical.
A roll can be achieved on the claves by holding one clave between the thumb and first two fingers, and then alternating pressure between the two fingers to move the clave back and forth.This clave is then placed against the resonating clave to produce a roll. Claves are very important in Latin music, such as the son and guaguancó. They are often used to play a repeating rhythmic figure throughout a piece, known as clave, a key pattern (or guide-pattern, timeline patter, phrasing referent, bell pattern) that is also found in African music and Brazilian music Among the better known rock recordings featuring claves are the Beatles' recording "And I Love Her," and "Magic Bus" by the Who, and much of which missing in today's Latin music.
Claves are a percussion instrument, consisting of a pair of short, thick dowels. Traditionally they are made of wood, typically rosewood, ebony or grenadilla. In modern times they are also made of fibreglass or plastics. When struck they produce a bright clicking noise. Claves are sometimes hollow and carved in the middle to amplify the sound. The basic principle when playing claves is to allow at least one of them to resonate. The usual technique is to hold one lightly with the thumb and fingertips of the non-dominant hand, with the palm up.
“To be inspired is great, but to inspire is an honor.”
This forms the hand into a resonating chamber for the clave. Holding the clave on top of finger nails makes the sound clearer. The other is held by the dominant hand at one end with a firmer grip, much like how one normally holds a drumstick. With the end of this clave, the player strikes the resting clave in the center. Traditionally, the striking clave is called el macho ("the male") and the resting clave is called la hembra ("the female"). This terminology is used even when the claves are identical.
"La Golondrina" por Los Lobos
"Social Dancers know that they are not there yet, but
they are closer than they were yesterday."
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