Drums › Grooves › Salsa / Clave
The Salsa / Clave 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.
Salsa
| 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, 7, 9, 15 · beats 1, 3
- Snare · 5 hits · steps 3, 5, 9, 11, 13 · beats 2, 3, 4
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Cuban Clave
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Snare | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Clap | ● | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · |
| Hi-hat | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · |
- Kick · 4 hits · steps 1, 5, 9, 13 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · quarter notes
- Snare · 2 hits · steps 5, 13 · beats 2, 4
- Clap · 5 hits · steps 1, 4, 8, 11, 13 · beats 1, 4
- Hi-hat · 8 hits · steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 · beats 1, 2, 3, 4 · eighth notes
Where to start
Learn the 3-2 son clave on its own, clapping, until you can hold it while talking. Until it is automatic, nothing else will hold.
What the hands and feet actually do
A whole orchestra locks onto that figure, brass and vocals included. Getting the direction wrong — playing 2-3 over a 3-2 tune — is heard instantly and puts everyone on the floor.
The trap
Thinking the clave is an accompaniment. It is a key for reading: it does not follow the tune, the tune follows it.
Listen to this
To hear the Salsa / Clave groove in its element:
Oye Como Va (Tito Puente) · Quimbara (Celia Cruz) · El Cantante (Héctor Lavoe)
Drummers of this groove
Tito Puente
Moved the timbales from the back of the band to the front, and established the clave as grammar.
Puente studied at Juilliard on the GI Bill after the war, then spent fifty years making Cuban music and New York jazz talk to each other. "Oye Como Va", which Santana made world famous, is his. He recorded over a hundred albums.
Oye Como VaRan Kan KanPara Los RumberosNeighbouring 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 Salsa / Clave groove on drums?
Learn the 3-2 son clave on its own, clapping, until you can hold it while talking. Until it is automatic, nothing else will hold.
What tempo is Salsa / Clave played at?
The usual range runs from 90 to 115 BPM. The hub's 2 pattern(s) are set to 100 BPM, 100 BPM, and the tempo stays free inside the drum machine.
Is Salsa / Clave 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 Salsa / Clave?
Tito Puente, the Fania All-Stars. In the hub, Tito Puente is attached to this groove.