The bolero rhythm is a type of mambo and it’s played using 4/4. The maracas should execute 4 accents per bar. Theoretically, this rhythm can be played with 4 descending accents.
The bolero rhythm is characterized by two syncopated accents in the first beat of every bar. These are usually played by the maracas.
The downbeats are emphasized by hitches in the voice or some other device.
In the last bar, the second half of the 2nd measure is a variant of the final measure in the previous examples. The maracas play one hit on the 2nd beat and then they move freely over the next 4 bars.
- Right hand downwards
- Left hand downwards
- Right hand downwards
- Left hand downwards
If we play it in this way, it will sound rather general. So, to play the bolero rhythm we will do it in the following way:
Right Hand:
- Down
- Down
- Up and Down
Left Hand:
- Wait
- Wait
- Up and Down
- Down
Then play 4 simple accents:
- Right hand down
- Left hand down
- Right hand down
- Left hand down
Once you have learned how to play this in a low tempo, following the most recent video, we invite you to practice this rhythm with a higher tempo, just as is played in the next video.
