"Island Stomp" Michel Camilo

This is another song I listen to to be cheered up. It uses primarily major chords, has an upbeat tempo, and the grooves are awesome.

I think there may be a connection between syncopation and feeling a stronger pulse. Lots of time, listening to Latin music, I feel more inclined to bob my head, dance, or tap my foot to the rhythm. However, when I listen closely to the individual parts, most of the parts are playing something quite syncopated. For example, the bass player is playing this rhythm (this is the best notation I could come up with on Blogger - the lines are above beats on which the bass plays):


1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

Comparing this to rock music, where the bass player would never play in between eighth notes, this rhythm is highly syncopated. However, the pulse of Latin music feels stronger than most rock music, or at least it's more 'groovy'.

This effect can be seen in basic rhythms of Latin music, like the rumba clave:


1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

This rhythm forms the basis for tons of grooves in Latin musical styles that are intended for dance (an thus have a very strong pulse), yet it is syncopated.

Huh.