I wondered if anyone could tell me which Latin rhythm (e.g. Samba, Rumba etc) Gershwin uses in the final section of the DipABRSM piece 'I Got Rhythm'?

Thanks,

Dave W

Are you talking about when the principal theme repeats around the bottom of page 2 of 4? I just assumed it was Gershwin's own arrangement of a stride piano accompaniment. Most of Gershwin's music is highly syncopated in his own inimitable style. I would say that one of his pieces though, "Cuban Overture" is written in a Samba style!

Gae

I'm going off aural memory (I have never played it). I have heard a jazz orchestra version of this piece and I thought it went into a jungle-swing rhythm, like 'Sing Sing Sing' (lots of toms the drums)... ??

If you're sure it is in Latin, then there are generally two types of latin (apologies to all you Sth American reading this out there for the oversimplification!) - bossa and samba.

The easiest way to tell if it's samba or bossa is look at the rhythms:

It will be bossa if there is a TWO BAR rhythm somewhere like this - dotted crotchet, dotted crotchet (or quaver tied to a crotchet) followed by a crotchet (this a type of charleston rhythm also), then crotchet rest, crotchet, crotchet, crotchet rest. These two bars can be switched around - the one written above is called a '3-2 clave' but if you switch the bars around, it becomes a '2-3 clave'. Bossas tend to be slower than sambas.

It'll be samba if it's lots of quavers in groups of 4 and sounds like 'girl from ipanema' by jobim. Sambas accentuate beat 3 (or anticipate it, ie, beat 2 1/2) and feature a dotted crotchet, quaver, dotted crotchet, quaver rhythm (generally)

If you write out these rhythms that I have told you, and then look at the score (particularly at the LH part) you might be able to recognise one of them to the part.

Hopefully this will help, and Im sorry I have no idea what the score looks or sounds like. But that is a pretty fool-proof way of working out what type of latin it is. Please note I am not a latin expert. You will have to ask a brazillian or cuban for a more accurate answer. I have only been studying jazz for 4 years, so I am by no means an expert.

Thanks for asking an interesting question.

All the copies and arrangements of "Girl from Ipanema" that I have (including organ, piano and recordings) classify it as a Bossa Nova

Samba tunes include "One Note Samba", "Brazil", "Choo Choo Samba", "Tico Tico"

Thanks for your replies - I feel it is probably a samba but will check out your ideas.

I felt it would be useful for my student to know for the viva section of his exam.


Regards,

David

Hi,

I am learning this piece at the moment, and I wasnt aware Gershwin uses a Latin rhythm in this piece...

When you say the final section do you mean the ragtime like section with a stride bass, or the section marked marellato (hammered)? Actually thinking about it this section probably does have a latin rhythm!...got me worried now

I am hoping to include this in my diploma next year along with Man I Love as I am learning these pieces and I play a lot of Gershwin myself, but I was under the impression this was more stride piano playing as you have the big jumps in the left hand which is typical of this.

Gershwin was known for this type of playing as well as ragtime.

With regards of the Cuban Overture this is a Rhumba rhythm.

I played it about 10 days ago for the DipABRSM....i don't think it fits into any existing Latin rhythm (samba, rumba, merengue, salsa etc). I think Gershwin just made the rhythm up!

If anyone finds out for definite, let us know?