WEBVTT 00:00:06.619 --> 00:00:10.740 Welcome to our podcast, Band BFFs. The podcast 00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:13.199 where we make your music selection less complicated. 00:00:13.640 --> 00:00:16.620 On today's episode, we will be discussing Cumbia 00:00:16.620 --> 00:00:19.980 by Jorge Vargas. Cheers to starting the conversation. 00:00:21.379 --> 00:00:27.339 This is a very fun Latin piece. Lots of cool 00:00:27.339 --> 00:00:29.579 colors and textures in the sound. It's in the 00:00:29.579 --> 00:00:33.820 key of concert B flat 4 -4. It's about two minutes 00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:36.939 long and it's a publisher grade one and a half 00:00:36.939 --> 00:00:41.109 and I... absolutely think that is spot on. Split 00:00:41.109 --> 00:00:44.130 clarinet parts, split trumpet parts, trombone 00:00:44.130 --> 00:00:46.409 and euphonium don't have the same part all the 00:00:46.409 --> 00:00:50.630 way through, but often it is very similar. Lots 00:00:50.630 --> 00:00:54.270 of percussion. So you really need, in order to 00:00:54.270 --> 00:00:56.829 pull off the Latin style of this piece, you really 00:00:56.829 --> 00:00:59.509 need eight percussionists. If you didn't have 00:00:59.509 --> 00:01:02.850 a, you could potentially flirt with leaving out 00:01:02.850 --> 00:01:05.730 the bell part. It is not like a bell part that 00:01:05.730 --> 00:01:08.739 just doubles the flute. the whole time but it 00:01:08.739 --> 00:01:11.760 does usually have the melody wherever that is 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:14.120 happening so if you had to leave something out 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:15.739 you could do that but I would try to keep as 00:01:15.739 --> 00:01:18.060 much of the latin percussion in as possible. 00:01:18.680 --> 00:01:22.519 Relatively new piece published in 2025 so this 00:01:22.519 --> 00:01:25.340 would be a cool piece to possibly program like 00:01:25.340 --> 00:01:28.700 on your spring concert coming up or for next 00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:31.560 school year doing it at a fall concert or some 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:34.959 or even you know a spring festival or something 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.140 like that. It's, oh go ahead. This one, I was 00:01:38.140 --> 00:01:40.540 just gonna say this one is really all about style. 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:43.159 There's not a ton of really overly complicated 00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:46.159 rhythms. There are some independent parts, but 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:49.420 it's about style. And I talk to my kids all the 00:01:49.420 --> 00:01:52.159 time about style being where the flavor comes 00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:54.780 from. Like if you think about food, I like using 00:01:54.780 --> 00:01:57.620 popcorn or a baked potato as an example. Like 00:01:57.620 --> 00:02:00.299 you can have a baked potato and it's just fine 00:02:00.299 --> 00:02:04.319 by itself, but I want mine with butter and salt 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:08.620 and pepper. and I want my popcorn with salt and 00:02:08.620 --> 00:02:10.819 butter and maybe some sort of flavoring on it, 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:12.840 right? I use a Christmas tree instead of food, 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:14.460 that's funny. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like a 00:02:14.460 --> 00:02:16.379 Christmas tree is great all by itself, but when 00:02:16.379 --> 00:02:18.020 you have the lights, it's even better, or the 00:02:18.020 --> 00:02:20.400 ornaments, or the star, or the tinsel, so. That's 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:23.240 exactly right. Whatever you use, yeah. That's 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:25.819 where this piece is gonna shine, if you can really 00:02:25.819 --> 00:02:28.060 make that flavor of the style come through. Yep. 00:02:28.460 --> 00:02:34.219 um it's uh it's marked festive at 152 bpm um 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:36.819 and it starts out with just the upper woodwinds 00:02:36.819 --> 00:02:41.139 one two and three four and one two and one two 00:02:41.139 --> 00:02:46.159 and one two and so it's got easy rhythms and 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:49.699 easy style here easy articulations then we add 00:02:49.699 --> 00:02:53.219 in uh much like a little dance flavor now we've 00:02:53.219 --> 00:02:57.000 got alto and tenor coming in one two and three 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:01.719 four and one two and same thing vibra slap congas 00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:04.419 all kinds of cool percussion happening underneath 00:03:04.419 --> 00:03:06.939 they're kind of starting out the cumbia dance 00:03:06.939 --> 00:03:10.000 now we've added in another grouping and And then 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:13.419 as we go into measure eight, the lows come in 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:19.539 one, two, three, four, along with timpani, bells, 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:22.879 et cetera. So it's thinly written and scored 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:26.460 much like a cumbia dance. It's just one person 00:03:26.460 --> 00:03:28.439 and then another group and then another group. 00:03:28.780 --> 00:03:32.330 So then at nine we have everybody in. Now, I 00:03:32.330 --> 00:03:34.389 would be really, really particular, like pay 00:03:34.389 --> 00:03:36.889 close attention to where he writes the staccato 00:03:36.889 --> 00:03:40.009 markings. They are on lots of quarter notes, 00:03:40.229 --> 00:03:43.389 but not all quarter notes. So you want to make 00:03:43.389 --> 00:03:46.530 sure that the kids are aware of that and are 00:03:46.530 --> 00:03:48.729 observant of that so that quarter notes that 00:03:48.729 --> 00:03:51.409 don't have that marking are full value and a 00:03:51.409 --> 00:03:54.370 little more weighted. Right, like here, the low 00:03:54.370 --> 00:03:59.039 voices have one, three, four, one. three four 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:02.259 but the trumpets have one two and three four 00:04:02.259 --> 00:04:05.340 and one two and that's like the beginning yes 00:04:05.340 --> 00:04:07.960 and that's a quarter note that one two and three 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:11.379 four and those are all staccato but one two and 00:04:11.379 --> 00:04:14.800 yeah exactly you might even as you're like marking 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:17.439 your parts draw a tenuto on the quarter notes 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:21.899 to just show them that um as well. At nine, the 00:04:21.899 --> 00:04:24.180 trumpets take over the melody with saxophone 00:04:24.180 --> 00:04:26.800 and then flute, clarinet, and oboe go to the 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:30.360 background music and we still have, like I said, 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:32.740 the lows playing kind of like an accompaniment 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:35.220 part. Those upper voices are the cha -chas. So 00:04:35.220 --> 00:04:37.519 we have the melody and the trumpet and alto and 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:40.980 then we get the half, cha -cha -cha, half, cha 00:04:40.980 --> 00:04:45.509 -cha -cha. Yep, it continues on like that for 00:04:45.509 --> 00:04:50.209 eight measures to measure 16 now you've got a 00:04:50.209 --> 00:04:55.089 cute little percussion feature on crash cymbals 00:04:55.089 --> 00:04:58.509 one two crash and the crash is where the trumpets 00:04:58.509 --> 00:05:02.910 come in three four one and Then the highs have 00:05:02.910 --> 00:05:06.430 rest two and three four and one so they're a 00:05:06.430 --> 00:05:09.949 new little part But the lows get to have the 00:05:09.949 --> 00:05:13.930 cool part here. So at seven they have one, three, 00:05:14.250 --> 00:05:19.699 four, three, four, one, three. And that accent 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:23.000 is so important. And it comes back over and over 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:26.240 and over and gives it that syncopated feel. Percussion 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:29.480 always have the accent with them. So really bringing 00:05:29.480 --> 00:05:31.560 that out and leaning into it and teaching the 00:05:31.560 --> 00:05:34.620 kids how to do a good accent without it being 00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:38.540 overly like splatty or whatever is super important. 00:05:38.660 --> 00:05:40.680 And I would think about making that staccato 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:43.240 quarter note before the accented tied note just 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:45.980 a little bit softer. That way they don't clip 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:48.319 it too short. them to close their throat off 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:50.040 and clip it too short if they think about making 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:53.519 it softer so you know more so than making it 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.060 shorter I think it'll help make the accent more 00:05:56.060 --> 00:05:59.899 effective. Yep the trumpets I think technically 00:05:59.899 --> 00:06:02.620 have the melody here but I would make that low 00:06:02.620 --> 00:06:05.000 part and the horns have it with the low people 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:08.040 be kind of brought out next and then just like 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:10.079 I always call like the woodwind part here like 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:14.120 a little sparkly feature so it's not like super 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:16.420 important but it's there. And the trumpets by 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:18.699 the way are the only people who have the melody 00:06:18.699 --> 00:06:24.220 here it is not covered anywhere else yep at measure 00:06:24.220 --> 00:06:28.920 24 as we're going into the next block at 25 the 00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:32.399 trumpets continue on this part the highs now 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:34.800 just have a different sparkly part one and two 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:37.879 and three foot eight or sorry one and two and 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:41.899 three four two and three so this like syncopated 00:06:41.899 --> 00:06:46.579 accent part is now being added in on upper people, 00:06:46.579 --> 00:06:48.639 but just in a different way. And for younger 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.060 players, those ties across the bar lines are 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:53.220 gonna feel weird. They're gonna feel weird. You're 00:06:53.220 --> 00:06:55.220 gonna have to make sure that you count this with 00:06:55.220 --> 00:06:57.920 them repeatedly, that they feel very secure in 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.180 the rhythm before you start worrying about adding 00:07:00.180 --> 00:07:03.660 notes to it or changing notes here. Just get 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:06.500 that rhythm really solid. Yep. At 30, the lows 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:08.899 kind of are finishing it out with a little mini 00:07:08.899 --> 00:07:12.300 scale moving downward. One, two, three, four, 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:16.730 one, three, four. then we have a little percussion 00:07:16.730 --> 00:07:22.350 break 33 the melody is in the low voices they 00:07:22.350 --> 00:07:29.000 have long one three one and three four one and 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:33.079 two three four one so they have like a cool little 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:36.259 melody part again i would draw tenudos on the 00:07:36.259 --> 00:07:39.639 quarter notes and it is truly a feature so the 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:42.199 the rest of the winds are clapping on two and 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:45.500 four even the percussion are stick clicking or 00:07:45.500 --> 00:07:48.740 clapping yeah so there's not percussion motor 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:52.180 going on behind them to support this so it really 00:07:52.180 --> 00:07:54.819 is a low brass feature low brass low reed feature 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:57.560 so make sure that again that they match and it's 00:07:57.560 --> 00:08:00.540 just mezzo forte too this isn't crazy loud right 00:08:00.540 --> 00:08:03.500 but make sure that they match style they match 00:08:03.500 --> 00:08:07.579 energy and we can play that full phrase which 00:08:07.579 --> 00:08:09.500 phrasing really shouldn't be an issue here because 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:12.100 of all the rest yeah and then they finish out 00:08:12.100 --> 00:08:14.300 their melody with just another mini scale going 00:08:14.300 --> 00:08:17.759 down one two three and then the upper woodwinds 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:20.639 and upper brass come in with four and one two 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:25.189 three four two three and four two three so we're 00:08:25.189 --> 00:08:28.910 getting this accented beat four tied over feel 00:08:28.910 --> 00:08:31.490 from like the whole band here everybody percussion 00:08:31.490 --> 00:08:34.549 as well yeah so 41 it's like a 2d it's almost 00:08:34.549 --> 00:08:37.169 like this is the this is the most um this is 00:08:37.169 --> 00:08:39.909 the pinnacle of the cumbia dance um everybody 00:08:39.909 --> 00:08:43.230 has that together and then um we're finishing 00:08:43.230 --> 00:08:45.690 out again with another mini scale in the lows 00:08:45.690 --> 00:08:50.570 this time going up with a decrescendo 49 um the 00:08:50.570 --> 00:08:53.230 high brass drops out or the trumpets drop out 00:08:53.230 --> 00:08:57.129 and um upper woodwinds and mid voices have one 00:08:57.129 --> 00:09:00.169 and two and three four one and two and three 00:09:00.169 --> 00:09:02.610 four so we're just playing kind of softer we're 00:09:02.610 --> 00:09:06.529 backing off again lows get an arpeggio one two 00:09:06.529 --> 00:09:10.350 three four same people all back to the trumpets 00:09:10.350 --> 00:09:15.679 this time everybody one and Four and one or there 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:18.940 is no one the one is beat is the bass drum because 00:09:18.940 --> 00:09:22.159 they have had one and three and before so this 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.559 is different right one and rest rest four and 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:29.100 bass drum and then snare two and three and four 00:09:29.100 --> 00:09:32.740 57 full band coming back in trumpets have the 00:09:32.740 --> 00:09:35.460 melody again but the counter melody cool part 00:09:35.460 --> 00:09:37.399 that you want to feature is in the flute of a 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:40.980 clarinet part one and three and four and one 00:09:40.980 --> 00:09:44.440 and three and four and they can get louder each 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:47.279 time and three and four and so i would write 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:49.120 that in the part that they're even though it's 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:52.159 marked forte I would like start it a little softer 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:56.220 and kind of grow it up all the way to 62 where 00:09:56.220 --> 00:10:00.700 that little Section ends they have one two and 00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:03.779 four and one along with the trumpets and the 00:10:03.779 --> 00:10:07.580 bells Then they have that little melody one and 00:10:07.580 --> 00:10:12.710 three four one and three four One, and three, 00:10:12.809 --> 00:10:16.149 four, and one. Percussion. Percussion. Four, 00:10:16.289 --> 00:10:19.730 sixty -seven. One, two, and three, four. One, 00:10:19.730 --> 00:10:21.850 two, and three, four. I am convinced that Jorge 00:10:21.850 --> 00:10:25.110 Vargas did that on purpose. I made the six -seven 00:10:25.110 --> 00:10:27.610 motion. I am convinced he did it on purpose. 00:10:27.610 --> 00:10:29.490 I didn't think you would even say anything because 00:10:29.490 --> 00:10:31.730 I just did it for you. Yeah, no, thank you. Thank 00:10:31.730 --> 00:10:34.830 you. But I'm, you will not. convince me otherwise. 00:10:35.070 --> 00:10:38.070 Yeah well I mean this was printed in 2025. Yeah 00:10:38.070 --> 00:10:40.789 it's that year so here we go six seven everybody's 00:10:40.789 --> 00:10:44.950 in one two and three four one two and three four 00:10:44.950 --> 00:10:48.570 one and two three four one percussion two and 00:10:48.570 --> 00:10:51.970 three and one cha -cha -cha yeah so yeah thank 00:10:51.970 --> 00:10:56.330 you it's so cute so this piece is adorbs I would 00:10:56.330 --> 00:11:00.669 be I would would not be surprised if it shows 00:11:00.669 --> 00:11:06.029 up in a lot of band halls in 2026 and beyond, 00:11:06.230 --> 00:11:09.669 because it's well written and fun, but you do 00:11:09.669 --> 00:11:12.429 need to have a lot of percussion, so that's a 00:11:12.429 --> 00:11:14.710 factor for sure. And again, you need to be really 00:11:14.710 --> 00:11:18.970 mindful about the style. But a lot of great teaching 00:11:18.970 --> 00:11:22.440 tools. For sure. for sure, but some independence 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:24.440 in this. So just making sure that your kids are 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:28.039 confident counters and confident with the style 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:29.539 independence. But the hardest rhythm is dotted 00:11:29.539 --> 00:11:32.500 quarters and the tied beat four to beat one. 00:11:32.580 --> 00:11:35.519 Right. That's it. Yeah. Well we hope you will 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:38.200 consider programming Cumbia in the future and 00:11:38.200 --> 00:11:41.399 thank you for joining us on this episode of Band 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:42.559 BFFs.