The pattern
| Instrument | Beat 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Beat 2 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Beat 3 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Beat 4 | Step 11 | Step 12 | Beat 5 | Step 14 | Step 15 | Beat 6 | Step 17 | Step 18 | Beat 7 | Step 20 | Step 21 | Beat 8 | Step 23 | Step 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest |
| Rim shot | hit | rest | rest | hit | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | hit | rest | hit | rest | rest | hit | hit | rest |
| Shaker | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest | hit | rest | rest | rest | rest | rest |
How to play it and where it comes from
The siciliana is a slow dance-aria in 6/8 or 12/8 of Sicilian origin, established as the “pastoral” topos in the operas of Alessandro Scarlatti and later extremely widespread in the Baroque (Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Corelli) and beyond. Grid: 24 steps = one bar of 12/8 in sixteenths (6 steps per dotted quarter note, BPM referring to the dotted quarter). The characteristic figure, here on the rim lane (which represents the melodic/accompaniment rhythm), is dotted eighth – sixteenth – eighth on every pulse (steps 1, 4, 5 of each group of 6). The kick represents the basso continuo falling on the first and third pulses; the light shaker on the second and fourth pulses suggests the weak support. Slow, rocking tempo, mode often minor, frequent Neapolitan sixths (bII6) before the cadence. Variants: the Christmas pastorale (Corelli, Concerto grosso op. 6 no. 8, “Pastorale”) with long tonic and dominant pedals like a zampogna drone; the siciliana in 6/8 (12 steps). In a modern production, use the figure on classical guitar arpeggios or pizzicato strings.