The pattern
116 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 | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest |
| Cowbell | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest |
| Clave | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest |
| High conga | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest |
| Timbales | rest | rest | 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 |
| Güiro | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | hit | rest |
How to play it and where it comes from
Medium-tempo charanga groove. The cowbell (the timbalero's cencerro) plays the quarter notes; the güiro plays the quarter notes with the two eighths on 4 and 4& that give the dance its name ('cha-cha-chá' = 4, 4&, 1: the dancer's three steps). Conga in tumbao, 2-3 clave often implied. Kick lane = bass (1 and 3 with an anticipation on 4& toward the next bar; a didactic pattern: many bass players also use the 2& and 4 tumbao). Timbale lane = hits on the low timbal that reinforce the 4&. Flute and violin melody in unison, unison vocal chorus. Simplified pattern: real orchestras (Aragón, América, Fajardo) vary the figures a great deal.