How to count it
It is the tangos compás: 4 even beats, with the accents on 1 and 3. The difference is in the speed and the feel, which is far more danceable.
As in tangos, the percussion leans heavily on 2 and 4, and at rumba speed that off-beat hit is what drives it.
| Beat | Accent |
|---|---|
| 1 | Strong |
| 2 | Weak |
| 3 | Strong |
| 4 | Weak |
An ida y vuelta palo
The flamenco rumba has its roots in Cuban music: it is one of the cantes de ida y vuelta, the ones that travelled back and forth between Andalusia and the Americas. It can be played in any key, which is why it has blended so much with popular music.
It closes on 3, like tangos, and the guitar also thinks in cycles of two compases: that is why many people count it in eights, in two groups of 4.
What tempo it is played at
In the app it is recorded at 160, 180, 200, 220, 240, 260 and 280 beats per minute, and you can set it to any tempo from 130 to 280 without changing pitch. The first time you open it, it starts at 185.
If another metronome gives you 90 for a rumba, it is probably ticking once every two beats: here that would be 180 beats per minute.
| Beats per minute | One compás lasts |
|---|---|
| 160 | 1.5 s |
| 180 | 1.33 s |
| 200 | 1.2 s |
| 220 | 1.09 s |
| 240 | 1 s |
| 260 | 0.92 s |
| 280 | 0.86 s |
How to practise it with the metronome
A sequence that builds up step by step:
Start as if it were tangos
Set it to 130 and count just as in tangos, in groups of 4, following the wheel.
Mark the off-beat
Clap on 2 and 4 while it plays: that is where the rumba gets its drive.
Close on 3
End your phrases on 3 and leave the rest of the compás silent before coming back in.
Raise the speed
Turn on the Speed trainer and let it rise on its own to 280: at that tempo, the off-beat has to come without thinking.
Strip back the accompaniment
Switch from Full to Instruments and keep the palmas or the congas. Turn on the Click if you want a hit on every beat.
What you can practise it with in the app
In Full you hear the whole accompaniment; in Instruments, each instrument separately, with its own pattern and volume. With Fills turned on, every few compases one of them rounds off with a recorded fill: here there are fills on cajón and tinaja.
- Full
- 4 accompaniments
- Cajón
- 2 patterns
- Congas
- 2 patterns
- Palmas
- 2 patterns
- Tinaja
- 2 patterns
Frequently asked questions
How many beats does the rumba have?
It has 4, with accents on 1 and 3, like tangos, and closes on 3. Many people count it in eights, in two groups of 4.
How is it different from tangos?
The compás is the same; the rumba is faster and has a more festive feel. In the app, the rumba runs from 130 to 280 beats per minute, and tangos from 80 to 190.
Why do other metronomes show half the tempo for the rumba?
Because they tick once every two beats. What is 90 there is 180 beats per minute here: the same speed, counted another way.