Composing Salsa Music

Hello fellow composers.

I was wondering if anyone know or has any idea how to start composing Salsa music.

To me it seems that the percussion parts are the most difficult, but so is the bass and guitar marimba etc. ok everything lol

is there like a chord structure of some sort? or what?

im stumped.

please give me answers.

First: Read this Wikipedia article: Salsa music - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Second: Listen to lots of salsa, to get a handle on the various idioms used. This is the most important part, as it's how you go about learning to write in any genre.

Hello fellow composers.

I was wondering if anyone know or has any idea how to start composing Salsa music.

To me it seems that the percussion parts are the most difficult, but so is the bass and guitar marimba etc. ok everything lol

is there like a chord structure of some sort? or what?

im stumped.

please give me answers.

Yes, doing lots of listening will always help. But then you must know how to listen and what you are listening for. The Salsa link that nhomas provided will be useful.

Not only will you want to pay attention to the clave, but also to how the other percussion parts are reacting and the bass line as well.

Try choosing a few songs to listen to that have less complicated rhythmic parts for a basica understanding. Because understanding the rhythm will be key.

Here is a few links to some Celia Cruz songs. If you don't know she was a famous Salsa singer from Cuba (called the Queen of Salsa). These are too complicated.

YouTube - Celia Cruz - Guantanamera con la Fania

YouTube - Celia Cruz and The Fania All Stars Quimabra

Remeber that the drumming and rhythms of all Caribbean is of African origin. So if you can wrap your understanding around that concept it will help and you won't end up just choosing "drum sounds" and throwing rhythms around.

For one thing. Writing in a minor key does help to facilitate the "salsa" sound.

Hope this helps.

I wrote my reply late last night and I forgot to mention one other thing.

Althought the Clave concept is very important in Salsa, the clave itself is not always present in Salsa music. As you listen to more Salsa you will pick this up.

What software could be used for composing ? I cannot understand how the congas, or maracas can be composed.

They cannot really be broken down into a note or chords.

For example, the congas have the open hit, the palm roll - these are not easily converted to the western notation of composition.

Hello fellow composers.

I was wondering if anyone know or has any idea how to start composing Salsa music.

To me it seems that the percussion parts are the most difficult, but so is the bass and guitar marimba etc. ok everything lol

is there like a chord structure of some sort? or what?

im stumped.

please give me answers.

...I cannot understand how the congas, or maracas can be composed.

They cannot really be broken down into a note or chords.

For example, the congas have the open hit, the palm roll - these are not easily converted to the western notation of composition.

Conga strokes are very easily notated:

Conga Key Notation

Also, this thread is almost a year old. :blink:

Cool. That would be fine. I posted on this thread as someone was talking about composing for salsa music.

So, I just need a pack that has latin instruments.

Which one is better Finale or Sibelius ??

Do you also know the notation for the shakers (maracas) and cowbell. Timbales should be standard drum notation I reckon..