The pattern
130 BPM · 4/4 · 32 step
| Instrument | Beat 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Beat 2 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Beat 3 | Step 10 | Step 11 | Step 12 | Beat 4 | Step 14 | Step 15 | Step 16 | Beat 5 | Step 18 | Step 19 | Step 20 | Beat 6 | Step 22 | Step 23 | Step 24 | Beat 7 | Step 26 | Step 27 | Step 28 | Beat 8 | Step 30 | Step 31 | Step 32 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest |
| High bongo | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | hit | hit |
| Low bongo | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest |
| Güiro | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | hit | hit | rest | hit | hit |
How to play it and where it comes from
The basic bachata rhythm (derecho, in the verses): bongó and güira play all the eighths. The bongó accents 1 and 3 on the macho and puts the lowest tone (hembra) on 4, which is also the dancers' "tap"; often a roll on 4 closes the phrase (second bar). The güira (guiro lane) is the band's real metronome, in regular eighths with passing sixteenths. In the first chorus (majao) bongó and güira play only the quarter notes; in the mambo the bongó improvises over a fixed güira. The light kick (bombo) on 1 and 3 is a modern production addition (Romeo Santos, Aventura). Modern tempo 120–140.