Short Bell, Long Bell, Universal Break

1	.	.	2	.	.	3	.	.	4	.	.
x		x		x	x		x		x		x
x		x		x		x	x		x		x
x		x	x		x		x	x		x

Playing rhythms of the African and Afro-Latin traditions, one inevitably comes across these backbones of the beat, played usually by a bell, sticks or clave. The first two patterns above are known as short bell and long bell respectively, because the first pattern starts with two single beats before a double beat, and the second starts with three single beats before a double. (Actually that first beat, “the one,” is in both cases the second of a double beat, preceded by the pickup note at the end: “and one.”) The third pattern above is less commonly found in traditional 12/8 rhythms, but is recognizable as the first part of the universal break or cascara patterns in 4/4:

1

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*

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2

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*

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3

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*

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4

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*

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x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

The interesting thing about all three rhythms in 12/8 (first grid at top of lesson) is that they are all the same pattern, just begun at different points. The bold x shows where the short bell pattern begins in each of the three (moving left to right and then back around). Then why choose the third pattern for such a critical role in 4/4? Because though it starts right away going off the beat, it comes back to resolve strongly on the 3 and 4 pulse (bold for emphasis):

1	.	*	.	2	.	*	.	3	.	*	.	4	.	*	.
x		x	x		x		x	x		x		x

Speaking of transitions from three-time to four-time (and back again), compare the movement of the rumba clave, in 4/4, with the 6/8 Afro-Latin clave - and notice also how similar these patterns are to the universal break and short bell, respectively:

1

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*

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2

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*

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3

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*

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4

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*

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x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

univ. break

x

x

x

x

x

rumba clave

1	.	.	2	.	.	3	.	.	4	.	.
x		x			x		x		x			6/8 clave
x		x		x	x		x		x		x	short bell

For further rhythm studies and lessons see Roots Jam rhythm books, with excerpts and free lessons online, and audio tracks of many basic and advanced traditional rhythms.