A bell pattern is a rhythmic pattern, often a key pattern (also known as guide-pattern, timeline pattern or phrasing referent), performed on metal bells such as an agogô, gankoqui, cowbell or similar percussion instruments such as the metal shell of the timbales or drum kit cymbal.
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The use of iron bells (gongs) in sub-Saharan African music is linked to the early iron-making technology spread by the great Bantu migrations. The spread of the African bell patterns is probably similarly linked.
Throughout Africa, wherever these gongs have occurred they have been manufactured by the same process of welding the two halves together along a wide flange. This indicates a common origin.—James Walton, (1955: 22) [4]
[Key patterns] express the rhythm’s organizing principle, defining rhythmic structure, as scales or tonal modes define harmonic structure. . . Put simply, key patterns epitomize the complete rhythmic matrix. . . Key patterns are typically clapped or played on idiophones, for example a bell, a piece of bamboo [or wooden claves in Cuban music]. In some ensembles, such as iyesá and batá drums, a key pattern may be played on a high-pitched drumhead.—David Peñalosa, (2009: 51)[5]
Gerhard Kubik. . .claims that a timeline [key] pattern 'represents' the structural core of a musical piece, something like a condensed and extremely concentrated expression of the motional possibilities open to the participants (musicians and dancers).—Kofi Agawu, (2006: 1)[6]
At the broadest level, the African asymmetrical timeline patterns are all interrelated . . .—Gerhard Kubik, (1999: 54)[7]
The most commonly used key pattern in sub-Saharan Africa is the seven-stroke figure known in ethnomusicology as the standard pattern.[8][9][10]
The standard pattern is expressed in both a triple-pulse (12/8 or 6/8, thus known as the 6/8 bell pattern[11] by some North American drummers) and duple-pulse (4/4 or 2/2) structure.[12]
The standard pattern has strokes on: 1, 1a, 2& 2a, 3&, 4, 4a.
12/8:
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a || X . X . X X . X . X . X ||
4/4:
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a || X . . X . . X X . . X . X . . X ||
The standard bell pattern may also be represented as follows[13] with the above being a variant substituting eighth and quarter notes for the dotted-quarter notes in the example below :
The example above is notated with the notes sustained between each interonset interval, thus only quarter and dotted-quarter notes rather than only eighth notes and eighth rests.
There are many different triple-pulse bell patterns found in sub-Saharan Africa. These are but a small sample.
Bell patterns 1 and 2 are considered by A. M. Jones to be the two simplified forms of the standard pattern.[14] Pattern 2 is one of the four main variants created through rotating through and beginning on a different stroke of the all quarter and dotted quarter note pattern of the last section.[13] Pattern 3 is another variant of the standard pattern. Pattern 4 is a bell pattern used by the Hausa people of Nigeria.[15]
Pattern 1 (4/4 standard pattern) is played on the head of a small Yoruba bata drum in Benin.[16] Pattern 2 is used by the Yourba and Ibo people of Nigeria.[17] Pattern 3 is the bell part in fufume (Ghana).[18] Pattern 4 is used by the Ga people (Ghana) for the rhythm gahu.[19] Pattern 4 is a bell part in the Ghanaian rhythm kpanlogo.[20]
Patterns 2 and 3 are known in Cuba as rumba clave and son clave (rhythm) respectively.
Some bell patterns are single-celled and therefore, not key patterns.[21] A single-celled pattern cycles over two main beats, while a two-celled key pattern cycles over four main beats. The most basic single-celled pattern in duple-pulse structure consists of three strokes.
A common variant has two additional strokes.
In some rhythms the bell just plays offbeats.
In Cuba the three-stroke and the five-stroke patterns are known as tresillo and cinquillo respectively.
The method of constructing iron bells in Cuba is identical to how it is done in Africa.[22] Not surprising, many African bell patterns are played in Cuba as well. The standard pattern is the most widely used bell pattern in Cuba. Some of the Afro-Cuban rhythms that use the standard pattern are: Congolese (Bantu): palo, triallo; Lucumí (Yoruba): iyesá (12/8 form), bembé, agbe; Arará (Fon): sabalú, egbado; "Haitiano" (Fon, Yoruba): vodú-radá, yanvalú, nagó; the rumba form columbia.[23]
A variety of Cuban 4/4 bell patterns have spread worldwide due to the global success of Cuban-based popular music.
Pattern 1 is son clave, usually played on wooden claves. Pattern 2 is the baqueteo, the key pattern used in danzón and the first expression of clave in written music. The baqueteo consists of the son clave strokes, plus four additional strokes. Not technically a bell pattern, the baqueteo is played on the güiro and on the heads of the timbales. The slashed noteheads are muted tones and the regular noteheads are open tones.
In the 1940s the cowbell was added to the timbales in the first danzón-mambos of the charanga orchestras. Arcaño y sus Maravillas introduced this development. Later multiple cowbells, a cymbal and sometimes a woodblock was added to the timbales setup.
During that same era, the bongo player began regularly playing a large hand-held cowbell during the montuno section in son groups. This bongo bell role was introduced in the son conjunto of Arsenio Rodríguez. Pattern 5 is the basic bongo bell pattern.
Patterns 3 and 4 are timbale bell parts that were introduced in mambo big bands. During the early 1940s Machito and his Afro-Cubans was the first band to employ the triumvirate of congas, bongos and timbales, the standard battery of percussion used in contemporary salsa (music). In the montuno section the bongo bell and the timbale bell parts are sounded simultaneously in a contrapuntal interplay.
In the 1970s José Luis Quintana "Changuito" developed the technique of simultaneously playing timbale and bongo bell parts when he held the timbales chair in the songo music band Los Van Van. The example below shows the combined bell patterns (written in a 2-3 clave (rhythm) sequence).
Afro-Brazilian music uses a variety of bell patterns, many of which are different than the patterns used in Cuba.
Bell pattern 1 is used in maculelê (dance) and some Candomblé and Macumba rhythms. Pattern 1 is known in Cuba as son clave. Bell 2 is used in afoxê and can be thought of as pattern 1 embellished with four additional strokes. Bell 3 is used in batucada. Pattern 4 is the maracatu bell and can be thought of as pattern 1 embellished with four additional strokes.
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