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1.
Quinto and transcription:
Learning by seeing the quinto language in written form is a very
basic way to start to understand what it's all about. Since Quinto
is a language, It can be difficult to remember everything that has
been played by the quintero. It's easy for many of us to listen
on the spot and memorize different rhythms, however just imagine
trying to remember a short conversation word by word that you've
had with one of your friends. This is why writting down licks and
solos that have been recorded is a great way to take your time and
learn at your own pace.
2.
Quinto and dancers:
Watching how a TASTEFUL quintero throws down with the dancers. Each
quintero has different taste in how much he/she follows the dancers
or just throws down on his/her own. There is no exact ruling on
this. I suspect if a dancer thinks that your ignoring him/her, he/she
might say something or just wait for another quintero. I remember
playing with my wife's former group here in Berkeley "Racies
Afro Cubanas" at La Pena, Jose Luis was dancing and I was marking
him, but I was trying to mark him in the most tasteful way that
I could. When I looked back at the video it was awesome. The way
we were responding to each other was really poetry. Playing quinto
can be even more wonderful and soulful if you and the dancer(s)
are at "one".
3.
Quinto and clave:
Throwing down with clave. It's very important that one not only
learns licks on his/her own, but it's also important to know how
to throw down with clave so that it makes sense. When I play, I
feel it's my "job" to make the clave sound more funkier
with my own expression.
4.
Quinto and "Gallo" (lead singer for rumba):
Listening to the "Gallo". There are Cubanos that play
right through the lead singer. There are others that play a little
during the verse and others that hold back almost completely. Which
is right? I guess that' up to whom ever we play with. Personally
I like to wait for the the singer to end a verse and then answer
it with a phrase. In my book, Rumba Afro Cuban
Conga Drum Improvisation, the phrasing I chose to put in the
book is just perfect for that style.. At times I play rides while
the singer is singing, but I save most of the phrasing for between
verses, except when the coro comes in then I'm more free about phrasing.
5.
Quinto, Tumba and Segundo drums:
Developing an intuitive feeling for answering the tumba or segundo.
Each of these drums are doing that anyway, so finding space to put
your 2 is almost a different direction in expression. I find that
I might be in a certain "zone" but I'll break out of it
and feel the sublety of silent spaces between the open tones of
the Tumba and Segundo or as sometimes called, Tres Gulpes.
6.
Quinto, engraining each lick or phrase deeply into the subconscious
by:
a. Taking time to FEEL each movement pattern that the arms make
when they are playing a lick or phrase.
b. Taking time to SEE each pattern that one is playing and looking
at from a transcription.
c. Taking time to HEAR each audio pattern that one is either listening
to from a audio source or that one is actually playing.
d. Taking time to FEEL the emotionals you have while listening to,
playing or reading.This is one of the most important things that
I did in order to learn the quinto language. Doing a-d at the same
time will bring each lick into your heart, mind and soul like you
won't believe and, it doesn't hurt to SING along at the same time
what you are playing!
7.
Patience:
Learning to be able to express oneself with the afro Cuban language
takes time and patients. Don't be in a hurry to learn because the
hurry as an emotion can inhibit one's own ability to learn to be
tasteful, intuitive and masterful of the quinto expression. These
are the 7 ways that helped me to learn. Your way could be different
and so if any thing I said here today helps you on your path, I'm
glad to have been of service. There are 1000s of us in the world
that play and so there must be many other ways of learning the same
thing.
Clifford
Brooks
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