Contents
3. Tresillo
Also, a rhythm pattern that loops only the the first half of Son Clave, is quite common. This pattern is called Tresillo.
The pattern is now simplified and just loops the catchy rhythm that divides a bar in the ratio 3:3:2.
And this rhythm is occasionally used in popular music too.
Examples
The song “Clocks” uses Tresillo throughout, while “Miracle Drag” uses it in the chorus. The snare emphasizes the rhythm, making it easily recognizable. “Stand by Me” features a slightly more subtle usage, with the bassline driving this rhythm.
Double Speed Tresillo
The doubled-tempo version of tresillo is of-course used.
Besides drumming, this rhythm is often used in the rhythmic “backbone” of melodies and bass lines. Because it’s a simple and short rhythm, it can easily emerge accidentally when you try to add a bit of syncopation, don’t you think?
“Shape of You” is a typical example that gains its catchiness from the simple repetition of a tresillo pattern!
Dem Bow Rhythm
Among them, the rhythm that distributes the three hits of the Tresillo pattern to kick, snare, snare is particularly famous.
In this way, with the kick drum playing a four-on-the-floor beat while the snare creates the backbone of the Tresillo pattern, it forms a very well-balanced rhythmic ensemble.
This rhythm pattern is known as Dembow Rhythm in the reggae community, because it was iconic in the song “Dem Bow” by the dancehall reggae artist Shabba Ranks. Due to this background, it’s frequently used in reggaeton and various other genres, showcasing its lively rhythm.
Dembow and Other Genres
Additionally, the Dembow rhythm is frequently used in dance music, especially in recent EDM tracks.
With even more emphasis on offbeats compared to Son Clave, it results in a more invigorating and bouncing rhythm. Also, the shortness of the cycle seems to be well-suited for EDM, which often seeks simplicity.
4. Double Tresillo and More
Son clave, Tresillo, Dembow – where does their charm lie? The key here is that multiples of 4, such as 8ths or 16ths, are divided by 3.
As a result, the rhythmic accents take irregular positions within the framework of multiples of 4, creating captivating syncopations. While Tresillo and Dembow employed a 3:3:2 grid division, you’ll frequently encounter variations with an even greater number of “3”s in popular music.
Double Tresillo
This rhythm divides a grid of 16 elements into 3:3:3:3:2:2. You could consider it as a rhythm that slightly shifts the accents of Tresillo and extends the loop’s cycle, or as the result of doubling the 3:3:2 rhythm.
Hence, this rhythm is sometimes casually referred to as Double Tresillo.
In rock songs, snare drums are often used to emphasize accents like this. Moreover, this rhythm is good at evoking tension so it’s also ideal for use in movie soundtracks. In the Japanese anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” there is an iconic scene where this rhythm is employed.
Double Tresillo in 16th
And patterns at twice the tempo are even more versatile and are used across a wide range of genres.
Examples
While the doubled Dembow ends in just two beats, this one extends for a full measure, providing a touch of complexity, which prevents it from being too simple. If Dembow thrives on persistent repetition, this one can be considered more balanced in nature.
“Mombasa” is a background music from the movie “Inception”. Just like double tresillo in 8th, such highly-syncopated rhythm can create a mood of tension and suspence.
Even More “3”s
By doubling the speed, you can put the whole 3:3:3:3:2:2 in 1 bar. Then why not use 2 bars to put even more “3”s!
Quadruple Tresillo
There’s a rhythm that fills a 1/16 grid of 2 bars almost entirely with 3s: 3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:3:2. This rhythm can be found in more intense bass music, among other genres.
This rhythm doesn’t have a common name, but since it uses double the time of the Double Tresillo, calling it Quadruple Tresillo might work, well, somewhat.
“The Entangled” and “Skatepark” are making the overall rhythm more complex by combining it with other rhythms. When dividing the grid into 3 to such an extent, the natural multiples of 4 become a bit ambiguous. However, this rhythmic obscurity takes on a trippy quality, which seems to be favored in these genres.
Infinite Tresillo
This is the extreme case. At first it starts with simple four-on-the-floor. But from 1:06, a bell-like synth starts to play 2:3:3:3…… and it just infinitely keeps “3”! At 1:53 the rhythm is reset as it enters the drop part, but then the endless repeat of “3”s restarts. I gave up counting when it’s over one hundred…
Other Variations
Summarizing the main patterns introduced in this article, they are as follows:
(Summary in double speed)In addition, there are still other patterns, such as the one called “Rumba Clave,” and there are countless variations that subtly shift beats or rhythms from such established forms.
The key is the total length of a loop, where and how many “3”s are placed, how much the timing of the hits aligns with or deviates from the kick and snare.
I introduced African-American/Caribbean/Latin oriented rhythms. While classical and jazz play vital roles in the theory of chords, when it comes to the rhythms of contemporary popular music, we cannot discuss them without acknoledging the influence of these genres. Consider today’s popular music as a vast ocean where various currents come together, rather than a single straight river flowing from classical music. It is this very diversity that fuels the evolution of music and keeps us endlessly entertained.
Summary
- The fundamental rhythm pattern used in Afro-Cuban music is called “Clave.”
- A rhythm similar to Clave, with a 3:3:2 pattern, is known as “Tresillo”, and its sped-up version, “Dembow Rhythm”, is also popular.
- The key is to align the length of 3 on a grid of multiples of 4, and rhythm variations similar to extending Tresillo are frequently used.
