Among the essential elements of Afro-Cuban music is the alternation of rhythmical subdivision between 4/4 and 6/8 time. In this exercise, Horacio demonstrates how Cubans internalize and play “on top of” the clave. Using rumba clave as the foundation, he subdivides each beat of each measure into either 16th-notes or triplets, demonstrating the importance of metric duality: 6/8 and 4/4 need to be felt simultaneously.

ABOUT THIS MASTERCLASS
A deep dive into the foundations of Afro-Cuban drumming featuring members of Irakere 50, this five-episode masterclass highlights the importance of the clave and other patterns in anchoring rhythmical fluidity and improvisational creativity. A master of polyrhythm and independence, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández has established himself as one of the leading exponents of Afro-Cuban drumming techniques, using foot pedals to incorporate various patterns on bells or the jam block in order to amplify the clave pattern as a foundational anchor. Together with his Irakere 50 bandmates – percussionist Roberto “Tato” Vizcaíno Jr. and José Armando Gola on bass – Horacio showcases the extraordinarily complex and fluid elements of cross-rhythms as well as the immense vocabulary required for ultimate mastery of this art form. The power trio is joined at the piano by SFJAZZ Director of Education Rebeca Mauleón.