Another essential Latin style is the samba, which comes from Brazil. Here’s an example of a samba groove.

Audio Example 1

Audio Example 1 (Drums)

 

IDIOMS

RHYTHMIC:

The rhythmic motif of the samba groove is fundamentally based upon a half-note feel (in cut time for most medium- to up-tempo tunes). The 8th-notes immediately before beats 1 and 3 are also often played, but aren’t usually emphasized (to the extent of sometimes being interpreted as ghost notes). Experienced samba players can also frequently be heard accenting beat 3 and de-emphasizing beat 1 (even intermittently laying off of beat 1 entirely).

As with Afro-Cuban music, this is another form of Latin music where there’s an organic quality to the subdivision that is somewhat difficult to quantify. Any of you who’ve programmed and quantized a Latin percussion groove can attest to this: authenticity of the feel is dependent upon a certain elasticity within the subdivision.

The time feel is usually right down the middle or slightly on top, often depending upon the tempo and desired “energy level”.

HARMONIC:

Harmonically, the typical samba bass line uses the root & the 5th almost exclusively (root on beat 1, 5th on beat 3). Other chord or scale tones are often employed in the embellishments to add harmonic interest and spice.

A common variation involves anticipating the downbeat by hitting the target note on the 8th-note preceeding beats 1 or 3 (see bars 7 & 8 of Figure 1). This can be effective for injecting an extra sense of momentum into the groove.

SONIC:

This type of bass line usually benefits from a warmer, thicker tone that emulates an upright bass. For this reason, experienced Latin bassists will typically move up the neck (rather than ascend to a higher, lighter-gauge string) in order to keep playing the groove on the heavier strings. For the same reason, the 5th is typically played in the octave below the root, if practical to do so.

GENERAL:

The samba groove is deceptive; it initially appears to be rather rudimentary, but authenticity requires much attention to the subtleties (note duration/articulation/phrasing) and solid command of the instrument.

As with many musical styles, it is extremely valuable to listen to the masters and glean from them. This is particularly true of Latin music.