Latin Beat Music Lesson

So a Latin beat uses our three notes, C, D, E, and it starts on E.

Introduction to the Latin Beat

Now, because this is in a Latin American style, the rhythms are quite jazzy. But that's fine. You just make sure you use your tongue. Try and use quite a heavy tongue.

If you listen to some salsa music, just Google "salsa music." There'll be tonnes. You'll hear the Latin style of the horn sections, which is quite heavy.

• The first bit is: We are learning a Latin beat.
  • Where do the notes change?
  • It starts on E.
  • Make sure you also do A on the E.

Listen, I'll play it for you slowly:

1, 2, 3, 4.

If you're thinking of those words all the time, that will give you the rhythm for that break.

Main Tune or Melody

Next, we go into the head. This is the main tune or the main melody for this piece, and it starts on E.

Let me sing it for you first. It goes:

This is a Latin beat. Makes me want to move my feet.

So if you sing that a few times, you'll get the tune into your head and then you'll start to hear where the pitches change.

Let me play it for you:

It starts on E. Play it slowly: 1, 2, 3. Very good!

Then there's four bars where you can move your feet in a rhythmic pattern.

Repeating Phrases

The next phrase is really the same music, but the words are different:

This is a Latin beat. Makes me want to tap my knees.

And then you have four bars where you can tap your knees using one hand, probably into some fancy rhythm patterns that you can make up.

The next one ends with:

Clapping my hands.

Again, you have a four-bar break where you can clap your hands. If you're singing or tapping your pea trumpets, make a really good rhythm.

Review and Improvisation

Then we have the break again:

We are learning a Latin beat, same as the introduction.

This song has quite a long copy back or improvisation section. So, let's try some!

I'm going to use all of our three notes. Remember, we're playing in a Latin American style. So let's try to use our tongue to make up some good jazzy rhythms.

Here I go. Copy me: 1, 2, 3, 4. Off you go: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3. One more!

The track gives you four times to do that.

If you're improvising on your own, try and think about making up a question phrase and an answer phrase:

How can I move my feet?
I can move my feet like this.

Anything you like! Think of some words to give you some inspiration.

Conclusion

The whole song finishes on a different break, only using C and D for the first section, ending on an E.

So it goes:

This is a Latin. A Latin beat.

Then there's an extra note at the end. You could say:

Yeah, at the end. This is a Latin. A Latin beat, yeah.

Let me play that for you slowly:

1, 2, 3, BA.

Really aim for that last note to be on the beat, and that's that song: A Latin beat.

Good luck! If you have any problems, don't forget you can get in touch and ask me if I can help you play it better.