Nathaniel School of Music

The Tresillo: Pop's Most-Used Piano Rhythm, Explained

The tresillo is a 3+3+2 rhythm: in its slow form it hits beat 1, the 'and' of 2 and beat 4 across a bar of eighth notes, and in its fast form the same shape fits into two beats of sixteenths (1, the 'a' of 1 and the 'and' of 2), repeating twice per bar.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 35 min

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.

Key points

What this lesson teaches

The tresillo, sometimes called the pop clave, is a group of three hits spaced 3+3+2. It sits under a huge amount of modern pop, dance and even rock music. In this lesson Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music shows how to count it at two speeds, the slow tresillo (eighth notes) and the fast tresillo (sixteenth notes), at the same tempo, and then builds groovy piano patterns over a simple four-chord progression. Beginners can follow the counting and chords; intermediate players will get the most from the later patterns.

Step 1: Count the slow tresillo

Count eighth notes over four beats: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. The hits fall on 1, the and of 2 and 4. That spacing is three eighths, three eighths, then two, which adds up to eight. You can also count it in sixteenths (1 e and a 2 e and a...) to get more access to the sub-beats.

Step 2: Count the fast tresillo

Now squeeze the same 3+3+2 shape into two beats of sixteenth notes: 1 e and a 2 e and a. The hits land on 1, the a of 1 and the and of 2. It then repeats on beats 3 and 4, so you get six hits per bar. Some musicians simply count 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2. Tap it with your right hand, since that hand will play the chord hits.

Step 3: Learn the chords

The progression is Bm – D – A – Em:

Play each chord in the right hand using the inversion closest to the previous chord so the hand moves as little as possible, with the root in the bass. Give each chord two beats, or a full bar of four if you are new to this. Swapping Em for E major (E G# B) gives a rockier, Dorian flavour.

Step 4: Left-hand patterns

  1. Pulse first. Tap, snap or play the chord roots (B, D, A, E) on 1 2 3 4 to stay steady. Do not add the left hand until the pulse is secure.
  2. Root and octave. Play both together on beat 1, then only the thumb on the other beats. Keep the thumb soft and hold the pinky.
  3. Toggles. Instead of striking two notes together, alternate root and octave, root and fifth (a Latin, salsa-like vibe) or root and third: B–D, D–F#, A–C#, E–G.
  4. Slow arpeggios. Combine root, third and fifth as low–middle–high–middle, or low–high–middle–high. These suit both speeds, especially the fast one.

Step 5: Slow tresillo patterns

Step 6: Fast tresillo variations

Repeating the same chord hits can get monotonous. Vary the second cycle by moving a hit, for example onto the e of 3, and add the end-of-bar flutter. You can also combine the tresillo with a clave pattern; the two together create tension and resolution purely through rhythm.

How to practise

Count aloud, keep a steady pulse with your body or a shaker, and get the right hand feeling right (try staccato hits with the last one legato) before adding the left. Put energy into the off-beats so it sounds human rather than programmed.

Questions about this lesson

How do you count the tresillo rhythm?

Group eight subdivisions as 3+3+2. In eighth notes over a bar that means hits on 1, the and of 2 and 4; in sixteenths over two beats it means hits on 1, the a of 1 and the and of 2.

What is the difference between the slow and fast tresillo?

Both use the same 3+3+2 shape at the same tempo. The slow version spreads it over a whole bar of eighth notes, while the fast version fits it into two beats of sixteenths and repeats it, giving a more EDM-style pop feel.

What should my left hand play under the tresillo?

Start with the chord roots on a steady 1 2 3 4 pulse, then try root-octave, root-fifth or root-third toggles, or a slow arpeggio of root, third and fifth.

What is a ghost note on piano?

It is a chord tone played very lightly or briefly, like a soft staccato, used as a small embellishment between the main hits, such as on the and of 4 before the next chord.

Practise it

Related lessons