Definición
Clave (rhythm)
También conocido como: son clave · 3-2 clave · 2-3 clave
Two-bar rhythmic pattern, with a three-strike cell in one bar and two in the other, that organizes and coordinates every instrument in salsa and Cuban son.
The clave is the rhythmic pattern that organizes salsa and the Cuban son it derives from. It spans two bars: one with a three-strike cell (the tension side, syncopated) and another with two strikes (the resolution side, where the phrase settles). Depending on which of the two bars sounds first, it’s called 3-2 clave or 2-3 clave.
It isn’t a percussion ornament: every other instrument —piano, bass, horns— has to play in coordination with it, or deliberately cross against it to generate tension. It’s the rhythmic grammar of the piece, not a decoration on top of it.