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The instruments of a salsa band

2.The timekeepers

These instruments play sharp, clear patterns that the rest of the band can lock onto.

  • A pair of wooden claves

    Clave

    Two hardwood sticks hit together. They play the clave pattern that the rest of the band fits around.
  • Three black metal cowbells

    Campana (cowbell)

    A handheld cowbell, hit with a stick. The bongó player often switches to it for the louder parts of a song. Its low tone marks the main beats.
  • Tito Puente's painted timbales on their stands, with a cowbell mounted between them

    Cáscara (timbales shell)

    Cáscara means “shell.” The timbales player hits the metal side of the timbales drums with a stick, making a dry, clicking pattern.
ListenRan Kan KanTito PuenteTito Puente, the “King of the Timbales,” wrote it to show off his instrument. Listen for the timbales and the cowbell right up front, driving the whole band.