Drums › Grooves › Cumbia / Merengue
The Cumbia / Merengue drum groove
The pattern, step by step
One cell per sixteenth note, sixteen cells to the bar — exactly what the hub's drum machine plays. Downbeats are shown in bold.
Cumbia
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Clap | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 2 hits · steps 1, 9 · beats 1, 3
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Clap · 4 hits · steps 2, 6, 10, 14
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Merengue
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● |
| Hi-hat | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
- Kick · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 9, 13 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · quarter notes
- Snare · 8 hits · steps 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
- Hi-hat · 16 hits · steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · sixteenth notes
Where to start
For cumbia, play a simple pattern and delay the second beat slightly, like a dragging step. For merengue, forget the delay: it is straight, fast and never slows down.
What the hands and feet actually do
Cumbia is recognised by its güira and its rim-played snare; merengue by its tambora, played with one hand and one stick, with a characteristic roll on the last beat.
The trap
Treating both dances as salsa. They are not governed by the clave: pasting a son clave over them sounds wrong to any ear trained there.
Listen to this
To hear the Cumbia / Merengue groove in its element:
La Pollera Colorá · Suavemente (Elvis Crespo) · El Baile del Perrito
Neighbouring grooves
Play it right now
The Drum Hub's drum machine loads this pattern, plays it at any tempo and lets you edit it cell by cell.
Open the Drum Hub →Frequently asked questions
How do you play a Cumbia / Merengue groove on drums?
For cumbia, play a simple pattern and delay the second beat slightly, like a dragging step. For merengue, forget the delay: it is straight, fast and never slows down.
What tempo is Cumbia / Merengue played at?
The usual range runs from 95 to 140 BPM. The hub's 2 pattern(s) are set to 100 BPM, 130 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Cumbia / Merengue straight or shuffled?
Straight: the eighth notes are even, with no delay on the offbeats. That is what the hub's pattern plays.
Which drummer should you listen to for Cumbia / Merengue?
Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Worth hearing: La Pollera Colorá · Suavemente (Elvis Crespo) · El Baile del Perrito