{"id":5772,"date":"2021-11-05T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=5772"},"modified":"2023-01-13T16:18:43","modified_gmt":"2023-01-14T00:18:43","slug":"latin-piano-montuno-tutorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/latin-piano-montuno-tutorial\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Play the Most Popular Piano Montuno (Latin Progression Lesson)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This Latin piano progression (montuno) is SO iconic. And our friend Kevin Castro<\/a> is back with a tutorial on how to master it yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This progression is technically called a montuno<\/em>, and the bass is called a tumbao<\/em>. A word of warning: there’s a lot<\/em> of syncopation here. So, if you\u2019re not familiar with Latin jazz<\/a>, the rhythmic pattern may be a little tricky at first. But don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ll break down the counting to help you make sense of it. And as always, start slow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to Play the Latin Piano Montuno<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll be playing in the key of C Minor, which means three flats. Broken down, the basic pattern on the right hand alternates between a C Minor triad (C-Eb-G), B flat, and B natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piano<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chromaticism<\/strong> is popular in montunos. This means you\u2019ll hear many notes that are right next to each other (ie. black key to white key).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Piano Montuno Rhythm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As we\u2019ve mentioned, there\u2019s a lot of syncopation in this piece. In other words, many notes are played on the off-beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to demystify the rhythm is to break it down into smaller subdivisions. Like eighth notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piano<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Counting like this, each eighth note takes a syllable (\u201cone\u201d or \u201cand\u201d). We have a whole lesson about subdividing rhythms here<\/a> if you want a more thorough explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUT. If this seems like too much math and you\u2019d rather play the rhythm by ear, that is totally<\/em> fine! We all learn in different ways \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udfb9 Latin Piano Essentials with Kevin Castro<\/b><\/h3>

If you feel inspired by this lesson, Kevin Castro is releasing a six-part Latin jazz course with Pianote in November, and you can access this when you become a Pianote Member. Not sure whether you want to become a member yet? No problem! Try Pianote for 90 days and get your money back if you\u2019re not totally satisfied.<\/p>

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Adding Octaves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve mastered the right hand rhythm, see if you can play with both hands an octave apart, in unison. This will help you master that rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next step after that <\/em>is to incorporate some octaves. Octaves are super popular in montunos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piano<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Play this slowly at first. Here’s the suggested fingering: play the octaves with fingers 1 and 5 and the inner voices (the Eb and G thirds) with fingers 2 and 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spice Up the Inner Voices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now let\u2019s have some fun and switch things up a little. Try breaking up those inner voices in the montuno \u2014 those Eb-Gs. Play them going up or going down. Just varying things a bit can add lots of flavor to your montuno!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piano<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Left Hand (Tumbao)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Latin music, the left hand rhythm is often called a tumbao<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, syncopation is a BIG part of this. Here\u2019s the counting breakdown again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piano<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Remember: after the first measure, you don\u2019t start the first note on the \u201c1\u201d but on the \u201cand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things can get tricky when you add the right hand\u2026 If you want to break down the counting for both, it\u2019ll look something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Piano<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For some people, it helps to line up where the notes match. But again, for other people, hearing the rhythm and playing along works better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You do you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either way, getting the hang of this will probably take some practice. It\u2019s not easy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you master the basic pattern, try adding octaves and breaking up the inner voices again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udd25 From DIY Pianist to Professional Artist \ud83c\udfb9<\/h4><\/center>

Today, Kevin Castro plays with top artists like JESSIA. But his beginnings were humble. In fact, Kevin started his piano journey by learning from YouTube tutorials as a teen. Take a look at his incredible story and get a mini-lesson in re-harmonizing here<\/a>.\n<\/p><\/span>\n\n\n\n

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Other Chords with the Same Piano Montuno<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The cool thing about this piano montuno is that you can easily play it with other chords. Kevin demonstrates it with F Minor, which C Minor modulates nicely to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hope this lesson gives you some inspiration! If you want to learn more from Kevin Castro, consider joining Pianote as a member to access his Latin Piano Essentials course. And as always, happy practicing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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