Rafa Cajón

Level 3 · Your First Groove

3-3 - Two-minute groove

Endurance: the groove only counts if it lasts a whole song.

How to practice it

Loop the boom-boom-crack groove (3-2) for two full minutes at a comfortable tempo. This is a song-length test: consistency, relaxation, and recovering gracefully from small stumbles without stopping.

Suggested take: ~120s · start 75 BPM → pass around 85 BPM

1
B
&
g
2
S
&
g
3
B
&
B
4
S
&
g
75 BPM

Start at 75, exercise passes around 85. Legend: B bass · S snare · g ghost · - rest

Tips

  • If you stumble: keep the pulse with ghosts and re-enter on the next '1'. Never stop.
  • Scan for tension at every '1': jaw, shoulders, grip.
  • Think about the groove FEELING good, not being perfect.

Watch out for

  • Stopping dead after a mistake (the cardinal sin of live playing)
  • Slow tempo drift over the two minutes
  • Dynamics flattening - keep bass/snare/ghost layering alive

Record your take

Aim for ~120s. Put the phone ~1m away, facing the front plate. You'll get Rafa's feedback within a minute of submitting.

Up next after this: 3-4 - Ghosts & accents