Ask an Expert: Archive

Q: I am playing the maraca part to Gershwin's Cuban Overture. How can I best achieve the correct feel? The rhythm is a bit unusual, especially the dotted16th/32nd rhythm.
Brenda Harbison

A: The maraca part in Gershwin's Cuban Overture is one of the more interesting in the literature. The first thing to realize is that Gershwin is representing traditional ethnic music from Cuba. As with much ethnic music , the "feel" is difficult to notate precisely. The ideal solution is to listen to examples of Cuban dance music and to how they "swing" the rhythms.

Also, listening to recordings of the Cuban Overture will help understand the "feel" of the rhythms. An ethnic player will sometimes not play what is exactly written in the part, but will improvise in a manner that is traditional to Cuban music.

The traditions of ethnic music arise out of improvisations similar to how Jazz drummers play the basic dotted eighth and sixteenth rhythms on the ride and hi-hat cymbals. The actual notation (if any) in the part is only a guide, the result is based on a deep knowledge of the traditions. Musicians from countries such as Cuba grow up listening, singing, and dancing to this music. They are immersed in the culture and music of their country from birth grow up in an aural tradition, not from reading manuscript.

For Classical percussionists to step into a situation such as the maraca part to the Cuban Overture by Gershwin can be very difficult, especially if you don't have a drum set background. In the San Francisco Symphony, whenever there were traditional Jazz or other ethnic parts in the music, many times we would hire a specialist to play the part.

Today, World Music is a growing part of University programs and students will have a much greater knowledge of these traditions then ever before in percussion training. A great part of being able to play ethnic music is to listen to recordings and actually sing and dance to the music.

Tony Cirone
San Francisco Symphony (1965 - 2001)
Chair - Percussion Department
Jacobs School of Music - Indiana University