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Basic Rumba Technique PDF

Rumba is a style of flamenco dance music derived from Afro-Cuban music and brought to Spain in the 19th century. The basic rumba sequence involves hitting the guitar followed by up, down, and up strumming motions using the index or middle finger. Rotating the wrist is important for the down and up strokes. Varying where on the guitar the hit lands produces different tones. Warming up the wrist with circular motions and bending prepares it for the fast rhythmic movements required. Exercises provided practice the rumba technique over common chord progressions.

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Raaghav Singhania
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1K views3 pages

Basic Rumba Technique PDF

Rumba is a style of flamenco dance music derived from Afro-Cuban music and brought to Spain in the 19th century. The basic rumba sequence involves hitting the guitar followed by up, down, and up strumming motions using the index or middle finger. Rotating the wrist is important for the down and up strokes. Varying where on the guitar the hit lands produces different tones. Warming up the wrist with circular motions and bending prepares it for the fast rhythmic movements required. Exercises provided practice the rumba technique over common chord progressions.

Uploaded by

Raaghav Singhania
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Basic Rumba Technique: Provides an in-depth explanation of the Rumba dance, its origins, and its relevance in musical exercises.

7.

Basic Rumba Technique


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7.1. About the Rumba


Rumba is a type of flamenco. This style is derived from the influence of Afro-Cuban rumba that
was brought from Cuba to Spain in the 19th century. One of the differences is that the main
instruments are guitars instead of congas. It is also written as “rhumba” and many people confuse
the two spellings. It is played in 4/4 time, unlike most other flamenco forms, which are in
sequences of twelve beats. This is probably one of the reasons the rumba is so popular, as
audiences are able to easily relate to the familiar 4/4 rhythm.
7.2. Basic Rumba Sequence
The sequence is as follows: hit, up (with all fingers), down (with all fingers), and up (p). Once the
sequence becomes familiar it is recommended that only the index or middle finger be used
instead of all fingers. This will result in faster and easier play because less effort is required to
make the movements. Rotating the wrist is very important while performing the downstroke (i)
and upstroke (p) movements. Without the proper rotation, it is not possible to “roll” the wrist
quickly with solid hand movements that are required for this technique. The rhythm is in 4/4
time, and below is the pattern to follow:

X↓i↑i↓p or X↓m↑m↓p
The rhythm in both cases is written like this:

7.3. How to Influence the Sound


If the hit is closer to the sound hole it produces a deeper sound. If the hit is closer to the bridge it
produces a harsher or higher sound. Varying or alternating the hits at these two locations
produces a richer and more diverse accompaniment. Expanding on this technique, the guitar
itself can be made to sound like a percussion instrument. Every part of the neck and the
soundboard sounds a little bit different when struck, so striking at different places can result in a
very rich and rhythmical sound.

Tips:
• It is very important to be relaxed with the wrist and to warm it up before playing.
Otherwise it is difficult to go fast.
• Always practice very slowly at first, until you are confident with the movements, and then
you can speed it up. Never speed up before you perfect the exact sequence of the
movements.
• Try to play along with your favourite songs using this strumming technique instead of
other strumming techniques you might be using. You will see how much fun it is to make
famous songs into rumbas!
7.4. Warming up the Wrist
This warm-up is similar in approach to a fitness workout and helps to prepare the wrist to do fast
movements. First, make 10-20 counter-clockwise circular movements with the wrist then change
the direction to clockwise and repeat. Next, bend the wrist away from you with the other hand
and hold it for three seconds. Then bend it in the other direction (toward you) for another three
seconds. Repeat the warm up a few times before starting the exercises below.

Picture 7.4.1. Positions of stretching the wrist

7.5. Exercises

Exercise 7.5.1. Rumba Emaj to E7


This exercise is great for learning how to change from the Emaj to the E7 chord, since the
difference between these two chords is just one note. It is important to become proficient with
this technique before moving on to more complex chord progressions.

TAB 7.5.1. Rumba Emaj to E7


Exercise 7.5.2. Basic rumba chord progression
Below is a typical chord progression for the rumba using the chords Am, Gmaj, Fmaj, and Emaj.
Please note that the intended speed of this exercise is 200 beats per minute – but to start, practice
this at a much lower speed.

TAB 7.5.2. Basic rumba chord progression

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