Santana Oye Como Va how to count it

JohnHurley

Rock and Roll
OK so most of you people know I am not the sharpest knife in the toolbox when it comes to guitar and music ( ok well anything at all really ). Well I am going to prove that now for anyone still in doubt.

For the longest time I have been scared of any and all Santana material I have been in awe of him since Abraxas. The whole album is still heavy in my playing rotation especially when out running.

But I finally decided to get over it partially and I am taking a whack at Oye Como Va. I can play through the whole song on rythm just going back and forth ( well lots of options ) on full bar chords Am7 ( or Am ) and D7 or D9. I can full speed play against it and hit the strums and well it's not too bad at all. God knows I have been listening to it long enough it's just automatic.

So it shouldn't be hard to count against it right? For practice?

But how to count it? I kind of hear it when counting two different ways ...

I started counting it 1 and AH / 2 and AH / 3 and AH ... and well that doesn't sound too bad to me.

But then I started counting it 1 E and AH / 2 E and AH / 3 E and AH ... and I think that is better and correct.

Maybe I should start dancing while I count it?

So please someone help me out ... it's Latin ish so 1 E and AH must be the correct way right?

What time signature would it have also please?
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
I've never played it, but as I think about it I'd agree with JP or maybe even 1&2&3&4& with the emphasis on the &.
 

dvs

Green Mountain Blues
It's straight 4/4 for sure. The rhythm figure or strumming pattern (betw. Am7 and D9) is:

||: 1 (&) 2 (& 3) & (4 e &) a | (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) :||

where you play on the beats that are bold, NOT the ones in parens.
 

JohnHurley

Rock and Roll
It's straight 4/4 for sure. The rhythm figure or strumming pattern (betw. Am7 and D9) is:

||: 1 (&) 2 (& 3) & (4 e &) a | (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) :||

where you play on the beats that are bold, NOT the ones in parens.

Thanks I will try and process that information. It may mess me up though yikes ...

It's weird but the strumming and hitting on the beats the way the ( Abraxas album version ) goes is easy and instinctive and well amazing for me correct but that song is in my brain for decades ... the brain I guess knows to tell my strumming hand what to do here without any conscious thought ...
 

OG_Blues

Guitar Geezer
It's straight 4/4 for sure. The rhythm figure or strumming pattern (betw. Am7 and D9) is:

||: 1 (&) 2 (& 3) & (4 e &) a | (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) :||

where you play on the beats that are bold, NOT the ones in parens.

This is close, but doesn't look complete to me - I don't see any bold in measure 2, but you do need to play in measure 2.
In the first measure, I don't see the need for the 4 e & a (overcomplicates it). You simply play on the & of 4.

Measure 1: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Beats 1 and 2 are stacato quarter notes, and the & beats are 8th notes.
Measure 2: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 8th notes

BTW, Santana made this tune popular and did a fantastic version of it, but it was written by the great Tito Puente!!
 
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