Plena Music Course Course Created and Led by Plena Master Class Artist Sammy Cordero
Category: Latin / Traditional
“Plena” is a very rhythmic, narrative song form, native to Puerto Rico, and very popular
particularly along and among the peoples of the coastal regions. Its origins have been variously stated as early as
1875 and as late as 1920.
Sample this distinct music with the talents of Condido Reyes y Sus Planeros and
"Oye Mi Ritmo"
The
lyrics are call and response vocals that express themes about everyday life, from the smallest incident in the community to
universal occurrences. The instruments used for this type of music are the clave’ the tamborine and a style of
hand drum called the Panderos. The
musicians are called Pleneros/Pleneras and there are three main styles of Plena: Ponce, Mayaguez, and Santurce.
The Plena Music Course is a series
of sixteen workshops. Following, in no particular order are the topics covered:
History of Plena
Types of Hand Drums
The Guiro The Punta Clavo
Bomba & Plena
The Requinto
Bass Rhythms of Plena
Tuning the Drums
Repairing
Drums
Composing a Plena
Timing & Chorus
Directing a Plena Group
Ponce’s Style of Plena
Santurce’s
Plena
Plena from Mayagüez
How to Teach
Plena
How to Dance
Plena
Course Objective
The course is focused on teaching students how to become
creative music artists as Plena Teachers. It covers every aspect of Plena Music, from its history to how it is played
today. Students experience the joy of learning how to play the instruments and teach others what they learn.
Seven
Steps to Improve Your Skills for Plena
1- Set your goal for practice.
2- Choose a place where there will be no interruptions.
3- Establish
how long your session will be.
4- Always warm-up.
5- Work on what needs improvement.
6- Use your own instrument
and have a pencil & notebook ready to take notes.
7- Remember to memorize what you practice and practice what you memorize.
Three Fundamental Beats on the Pandero
1 - The Bass- (“TUM” = the approximate
sound made when pronounced)
-approximately between 2-3” away from the edge of the Pandero -usually executed using only
the thumb (index finger may be used instead) on the bottom part of the Pandero
2 -The Slap- (“PA” = the approximate
sound
made when pronounced)
-located in the center of the
drum
-cup your hand as if you are going to clap
except with your thumb closer to the index finger and slap the drum
3 - The Ring- (“TIN” = the approximate sound made when pronounced)
-located on the edge of the
Pandero (also known as a rimshot)
-executed with the finger tips hitting the edge of the drum and quickly sliding
off
*
If the Pandero is touched in the center without slapping, as if holding to keep from vibrating when the bass is executed,
the sound made when pronounced is ta.
When
the last three fingers (middle, ring, and smallest) of the left hand holding the Pandero tap the edge of the drum the sound
made when pronounced is ca.
* Drums must always be properly tuned before they are played.
The Three Basic
Rhythms of Plena
1- Seguidor (largest Pandero) - hit the bass once, immediately
touch the center of the Pandero, and repeat consecutively (2 beats). The sound made should be TUM-ta-TUM-ta-TUM-ta-TUM-ta, etc…
2 - Llamador (medium sized Pandero)
- hit the bass twice, touch the center of the Pandero, and repeat consecutively (3 beats). The sound made should be
TUM-TUM-ta-TUM-TUM-ta-TUM-TUM-ta-TUM-TUM-ta, etc…
3 - Punta Clavo (smallest Pandero)-
hit the bass once, slap twice, bass once, slap once, and repeat consecutively (5 beats). The sound made should be TUM-PA-PA-TUM-PA-TUM-PA-PA-TUM-PA, etc…
These are just basic rhythms of Plena in its simplest form. The actual
rhythms are more advanced and require lots of practice. The bass in the Seguidor and the Llamador should be loud and clear. The beats on the Requinto should sound evenly and not be
louder then the other Panderos or the singer.
