Cumbia style originated in Colombia as folk music. The style combines African, zambo and Caribbean musical traditions and features multiple percussion instruments. Cumbia's distinctive rhythm forms the basis of the overall musical style. The four beats in each measure feature accents on the upbeat in the accompaniment. The melody line flows from the downbeat in a steady declamation of eighth notes. Even slow songs with a sparse melodic line follow that basic rhythmic pattern. Any song works in the cumbia style, so long as the accompaniment follows the off-beat rhythm structure.
Things You'll Need
Song with melody and accompaniment
Piano
Metronome
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Instructions
1
Counting the metronome clicks as eighth notes subdivides the beat evenly.
Set the metronome to click on every eighth note. Count the beats out lout saying "one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and" repeatedly.
2
Divide the song into melody in the right hand and accompaniment in the left hand. Play the left hand accompaniment on the "and" of one and the "and" of three only.
3
Combine the right hand melody line with the left hand accompaniment.
4
The accordion is a common accent feature instrument in Mexican cumbia music.
Add extra highlight parts like accordion runs or horn shouts to the right hand during the gaps in the melody line. Continue to juxtapose the melody line against the highlight parts in the right hand wherever it fits in the song structure.