How To Tell If It’s Salsa Music

“An easier way to describe Salsa music is how it does NOT sound like other types of Latin American popular music.”
Since Salsa music has so many musical origins, it can be really difficult to distinguish between what is a Salsa song and what isn’t. distinguishing characteristics of Salsa music are: 4/4 time signature, Son Clave and Tumbao rhythms, Montuno Piano

Unless you have a background in music, the above 3 characteristics probably mean nothing to you. An easier way to describe Salsa music is how it does NOT sound like other types of Latin American popular music.

Merengue is a straight 2 beat dance (almost no synchopation). Bachata is a straight 4 beat dance with a prevalence of a syncopated guitara line and a clear lack of any “hard” piano, brass (trumpet, trombone) lines. ChaChaCha resembles Salsa music the most as it feels like “really slow” salsa/mambo. ChaChaCha can be distinguished by it’s emphasis of the double tumbao beat on counts 4+5 and 8+1 (the “cha-cha-cha”)

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Here is a Salsa Playlist you Can Practice to!