Contenidos
Despacito — Luis Fonsi (2017)
The most-watched Spanish-language song in YouTube history began as a cumbia played on a guitar. Its secret is a rhythm you can play with your feet and hands: the dembow.
🏷️ Ficha musical
Why it's in this book
"Despacito" is January's anchor song, the one that opens the second term. It is here to teach you the dembow, the rhythm of reggaeton, and to teach it in the right order: first with your body, in the room with no instruments, and only then on the drums, in the music room. Its chords are the Year 9 loop, the same as "Zombie", but in a different key: in class, A minor, F, C and G. That way you find out that a loop can be moved to any pitch and still be the same loop. On the record it is in B minor; in class we bring it down a tone to A minor, because those chords are much easier on ukulele. In the ukulele room you play those four chords, and in the music room the drums play the dembow and the keyboard plays short, detached chords. The chorus is sung in two parts, in thirds.
Why this song
You know this song even if you have never looked for it. For more than three years it was the most-watched video on YouTube, ahead of everything else in the world.
Now try this: foot, clap, foot, clap, with the clap arriving slightly early. That stumble is the heart of the song.
The question on this page is: why is such a simple rhythm recognised within a second in half the world?
Historical context
Luis Fonsi is a singer from Puerto Rico. Until 2017 he was known mostly for romantic ballads.
In late 2015, at his home in Miami, he started writing a song on the guitar. At first it was a cumbia-pop song with ballad-style lyrics. He finished it with the Panamanian songwriter Erika Ender. Then he felt something was missing, gave it a more urban feel and sent it to Daddy Yankee, also from Puerto Rico and one of the biggest names in reggaeton. Daddy Yankee added his rapped section.
The video was filmed in La Perla, a neighbourhood of brightly painted houses by the sea in Old San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
Foto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0, vía Wikimedia Commons
La Perla, in Old San Juan, seen from the walls of San Cristóbal castle. This is where the video was filmed. After "Despacito", the neighbourhood filled up with tourists.
It came out in January 2017. In April a new version with Justin Bieber was released, and the song took off. It was number 1 in the United States for 16 weeks, equalling the record at the time. In Spain it was number 1 for 26 weeks. On the US Latin chart it lasted 56 weeks, beating the record of another song in this book, "Bailando".
Musical characteristics
The dembow. Listen to the percussion. The bass drum marks the four beats of every bar, like a clock. On top, a sharper hit lands just before the second beat and again halfway through it, and the same around the fourth beat. That pattern of a steady kick and a stumbling hit is the dembow, the rhythm that defines reggaeton. With your body: feet keep the beat, and hands clap the stumbling hits.
An instrument from Puerto Rico. The first thing you hear is a Puerto Rican cuatro, a small guitar with paired strings, typical of the island. It is the song's signature: before the rhythm comes in, you already know where it comes from.
Four chords. The harmony is the Year 9 loop: on the record, B minor, G, D and A. In class, A minor, F, C and G. They are the same four chords as "Zombie", in the same order, but at a different pitch: "Zombie" is in E minor. Moving a song to another pitch without changing anything else is called transposing. Notice that "Zombie" and "Despacito" share the same chord loop and sound nothing alike.
The word that does what it says. In the chorus, the title word is sung stretched out, unhurried. According to Wikipedia, the producers did this on purpose. When the music does what the lyrics say, it is called word painting.
Hard facts: B minor on the record and A minor in class, 4/4, 89 beats per minute, 3:47. The form: intro with the cuatro, verses, choruses and Daddy Yankee's rap, all over the same loop.
Guided listening
Play the music video. In the intro, listen to the Puerto Rican cuatro. Is it higher or lower than an ordinary guitar?
When the percussion comes in, tap the beat with your foot. Then try adding the stumbling claps. If you lose it, just keep your feet going for a while and try again.
In the chorus, listen to the title word. What happens to the rhythm right there?
When Daddy Yankee comes in, notice that the voice is no longer singing: it raps, almost speaks. But the loop and the dembow carry on underneath exactly as before.
Trivia and curiosities
- Before it was reggaeton, it was a cumbia. The reggaeton part came at the end, when Fonsi decided to give it an urban feel.
- It was the first YouTube video to pass 3, 4 and 5 billion views. The only video to overtake it, in 2020, was the children's song "Baby Shark".
- In July 2017 it was reported that tourist interest in Puerto Rico had gone up 45 % since the song became a hit. Many visitors went looking for the bar from the video.
- The woman in the video is Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universe 2006, also from Puerto Rico.
Classroom activities
- Dembow on your body. In the room with no instruments: feet on the four beats; hands on the stumbling hits. Very slowly first, then at 89 beats per minute. Only when it works, sing the chorus on top.
- Four chords, another key. Ukulele: A minor, F, C, G, one chord per bar. Then play the same loop in the "Zombie" key, E minor, C, G, D. It is the same progression at another pitch.
- Band. In the music room: the drums move the dembow from your body to bass drum and snare; the keyboard plays short, detached chords; everyone else on ukulele. The chorus in thirds.
- Compare. Listen to eight bars of "Zombie" and eight of "Despacito". Same loop. Write down three things that change.
Key vocabulary
- Dembow — dembow: el ritmo del reguetón
- Beat — pulso
- Puerto Rican cuatro — cuatro puertorriqueño
- Transposing — transportar
- Chord loop — bucle armónico
Resources
Official music video — Filmed in La Perla, in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ukulele tutorial — Easylele. A play-along with A minor, F, C and G, the chords we use in class.
Guitar tutorial — Guitarraviva, in Spanish. An easy version with no barre chords.
Piano tutorial — PHianonize. Easy version.
Drum tutorial — Alejandro Sifuentes. How to play the reggaeton beat, for beginners.
Por qué está en este libro
«Despacito» es el ancla de enero, la canción con la que empieza el segundo trimestre. Está aquí para aprender el dembow, el ritmo del reguetón, y para aprenderlo en el orden correcto: primero con el cuerpo, en el aula sin nada, y solo después con la batería, en el aula de música. Sus acordes son los del bucle de 3º, el mismo de «Zombie», pero en otro tono: en clase, la menor, fa, do y sol. Así descubres que un bucle se puede llevar a cualquier altura y sigue siendo el mismo. En el disco suena en si menor; en clase la bajamos un tono, a la menor, porque en ukelele esos acordes son mucho más fáciles. En el aula de ukeleles se tocan esos cuatro acordes, y en la de música entran la batería con el dembow y el teclado con los acordes picados. El estribillo se canta a dos voces, con terceras.
Por dónde entrar
Esta canción la conoces aunque no la hayas buscado nunca. Durante más de tres años fue el vídeo más visto de YouTube, por delante de cualquier otro del mundo.
Ahora haz esto: pie, palma, pie, palma, con un pequeño adelanto en la palma. Ese tropiezo es el corazón de la canción.
La pregunta de esta página es: ¿por qué un ritmo tan sencillo se reconoce en un segundo en medio mundo?
Contexto histórico
Luis Fonsi es un cantante de Puerto Rico. Hasta 2017 era conocido sobre todo por sus baladas románticas.
A finales de 2015, en su casa de Miami, empezó a escribir una canción con la guitarra. Al principio era una cumbia pop, con letra de balada. La terminó con la compositora panameña Erika Ender. Después pensó que le faltaba algo, le dio un aire más urbano y se la envió a Daddy Yankee, también puertorriqueño, uno de los nombres más grandes del reguetón. Daddy Yankee añadió su parte rapeada.
El videoclip se rodó en La Perla, un barrio de casas de colores junto al mar, en el Viejo San Juan, la capital de Puerto Rico.
Foto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0, vía Wikimedia Commons
La Perla, en el Viejo San Juan, desde las murallas del castillo de San Cristóbal. Aquí se rodó el videoclip. Después de «Despacito», el barrio se llenó de turistas.
Salió en enero de 2017. En abril llegó una versión nueva con Justin Bieber, y la canción explotó. Fue número 1 en Estados Unidos durante 16 semanas, empatando el récord de la época. En España estuvo 26 semanas en el número 1. En la lista latina de Estados Unidos aguantó 56 semanas, y así batió el récord de otra canción de este libro, «Bailando».
Cómo suena
El dembow. Escucha la percusión. El bombo marca los cuatro pulsos de cada compás, como un reloj. Encima, otro golpe, más seco, cae un poco antes del segundo pulso y otra vez en la mitad del segundo pulso, y lo mismo en el cuarto. Ese dibujo de bombo regular y golpe que tropieza es el dembow, el ritmo que define el reguetón. Con el cuerpo se hace así: los pies marcan el pulso, y las palmas hacen los golpes que tropiezan.
Un instrumento de Puerto Rico. Lo primero que suena en la canción es un cuatro puertorriqueño, una guitarra pequeña de cuerdas dobles, típica de la isla. Es la firma de la canción: antes de que entre el ritmo, ya sabes de dónde viene.
Cuatro acordes. La armonía es el bucle de 3º: en el disco, si menor, sol, re y la. En clase, la menor, fa, do y sol. Son los mismos cuatro acordes de «Zombie», en el mismo orden, pero a otra altura: los de «Zombie» están en mi menor. Pasar la canción a otra altura sin cambiar nada más se llama transportar. Fíjate: «Zombie» y «Despacito» comparten el mismo bucle armónico y no se parecen en nada.
La palabra que hace lo que dice. En el estribillo, la palabra del título se canta estirada, sin prisa. Según Wikipedia, los productores lo buscaron a propósito. Cuando la música hace lo que dice la letra, se habla de pintar con el texto.
Datos duros: Si menor en el disco y La menor en clase, 4/4, 89 pulsos por minuto, 3:47. La forma: intro con el cuatro, estrofas, estribillos y el rap de Daddy Yankee, todo sobre el mismo bucle.
Escucha guiada
Pon el videoclip. En la intro, escucha el cuatro puertorriqueño. ¿Suena más agudo o más grave que una guitarra normal?
Cuando entra la percusión, marca el pulso con el pie. Después, intenta añadir las palmas que tropiezan. Si se te escapa, haz solo los pies durante un rato y vuelve a probar.
En el estribillo, escucha la palabra del título. ¿Qué le pasa al ritmo justo ahí?
Cuando entra Daddy Yankee, fíjate en que la voz ya no canta: rapea, casi habla. Pero el bucle y el dembow siguen exactamente igual debajo.
Curiosidades
- Antes de ser reguetón fue una cumbia. Lo que la canción tiene de reguetón llegó al final, cuando Fonsi decidió darle un toque urbano.
- Fue el primer vídeo de YouTube en pasar los 3.000, los 4.000 y los 5.000 millones de visitas. Solo lo adelantó, en 2020, la canción infantil «Baby Shark».
- En julio de 2017 se publicó que el interés turístico por Puerto Rico había subido un 45 % desde el éxito de la canción. Muchos turistas iban a buscar el bar del videoclip.
- La protagonista del videoclip es Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universo en 2006, también de Puerto Rico.
Para hacer en clase
- Dembow con el cuerpo. En el aula sin nada: los pies marcan los cuatro pulsos; las palmas, los golpes que tropiezan. Primero muy despacio, después a 89 pulsos por minuto. Solo cuando salga, cantad el estribillo encima.
- Cuatro acordes, otro tono. Ukelele: la menor, fa, do, sol, un acorde por compás. Después tocad el mismo bucle en el tono de «Zombie», mi menor, do, sol, re. Es la misma progresión a otra altura.
- Banda. En el aula de música: la batería pasa el dembow del cuerpo al bombo y la caja; el teclado toca los acordes picados, cortos; el resto, ukelele. El estribillo con terceras.
- Comparar. Escuchad ocho compases de «Zombie» y ocho de «Despacito». Mismo bucle. Escribid tres cosas que cambien.
Vocabulario fundamental
- Dembow — El ritmo del reguetón: bombo en los cuatro pulsos y un golpe seco que tropieza encima.
- Pulso — El golpe regular de la música, como un reloj.
- Cuatro puertorriqueño — Una guitarra pequeña de cuerdas dobles, típica de Puerto Rico.
- Transportar — Pasar una canción entera a otra altura. Aquí, de si menor a la menor.
- Bucle armónico — Una serie de acordes que se repite. El mismo en «Zombie» y en «Despacito».
Recursos
Videoclip oficial — Rodado en La Perla, en el Viejo San Juan de Puerto Rico.
Tutorial de ukelele — Easylele. Para tocar encima con la menor, fa, do y sol, los acordes de clase.
Tutorial de guitarra — Guitarraviva, en castellano. Versión fácil, sin cejilla.
Tutorial de piano — PHianonize. Versión fácil.
Tutorial de batería — Alejandro Sifuentes. Cómo tocar el ritmo de reguetón, para principiantes.
Why it's in this book
"Despacito" is January's anchor song, the one that opens the second term. It is here to teach you the dembow, the rhythm of reggaeton, and to teach it in the right order: first with your body, in the room with no instruments, and only then on the drums, in the music room. Its chords are the Year 9 loop, the same as "Zombie", but in a different key: in class, A minor, F, C and G. That way you find out that a loop can be moved to any pitch and still be the same loop. On the record it is in B minor; in class we bring it down a tone to A minor, because those chords are much easier on ukulele. In the ukulele room you play those four chords, and in the music room the drums play the dembow and the keyboard plays short, detached chords. The chorus is sung in two parts, in thirds.
Why this song
You know this song even if you have never looked for it. For more than three years it was the most-watched video on YouTube, ahead of everything else in the world.
Now try this: foot, clap, foot, clap, with the clap arriving slightly early. That stumble is the heart of the song.
The question on this page is: why is such a simple rhythm recognised within a second in half the world?
Historical context
Luis Fonsi is a singer from Puerto Rico. Until 2017 he was known mostly for romantic ballads.
In late 2015, at his home in Miami, he started writing a song on the guitar. At first it was a cumbia-pop song with ballad-style lyrics. He finished it with the Panamanian songwriter Erika Ender. Then he felt something was missing, gave it a more urban feel and sent it to Daddy Yankee, also from Puerto Rico and one of the biggest names in reggaeton. Daddy Yankee added his rapped section.
The video was filmed in La Perla, a neighbourhood of brightly painted houses by the sea in Old San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
Foto: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0, vía Wikimedia Commons
La Perla, in Old San Juan, seen from the walls of San Cristóbal castle. This is where the video was filmed. After "Despacito", the neighbourhood filled up with tourists.
It came out in January 2017. In April a new version with Justin Bieber was released, and the song took off. It was number 1 in the United States for 16 weeks, equalling the record at the time. In Spain it was number 1 for 26 weeks. On the US Latin chart it lasted 56 weeks, beating the record of another song in this book, "Bailando".
Musical characteristics
The dembow. Listen to the percussion. The bass drum marks the four beats of every bar, like a clock. On top, a sharper hit lands just before the second beat and again halfway through it, and the same around the fourth beat. That pattern of a steady kick and a stumbling hit is the dembow, the rhythm that defines reggaeton. With your body: feet keep the beat, and hands clap the stumbling hits.
An instrument from Puerto Rico. The first thing you hear is a Puerto Rican cuatro, a small guitar with paired strings, typical of the island. It is the song's signature: before the rhythm comes in, you already know where it comes from.
Four chords. The harmony is the Year 9 loop: on the record, B minor, G, D and A. In class, A minor, F, C and G. They are the same four chords as "Zombie", in the same order, but at a different pitch: "Zombie" is in E minor. Moving a song to another pitch without changing anything else is called transposing. Notice that "Zombie" and "Despacito" share the same chord loop and sound nothing alike.
The word that does what it says. In the chorus, the title word is sung stretched out, unhurried. According to Wikipedia, the producers did this on purpose. When the music does what the lyrics say, it is called word painting.
Hard facts: B minor on the record and A minor in class, 4/4, 89 beats per minute, 3:47. The form: intro with the cuatro, verses, choruses and Daddy Yankee's rap, all over the same loop.
Guided listening
Play the music video. In the intro, listen to the Puerto Rican cuatro. Is it higher or lower than an ordinary guitar?
When the percussion comes in, tap the beat with your foot. Then try adding the stumbling claps. If you lose it, just keep your feet going for a while and try again.
In the chorus, listen to the title word. What happens to the rhythm right there?
When Daddy Yankee comes in, notice that the voice is no longer singing: it raps, almost speaks. But the loop and the dembow carry on underneath exactly as before.
Trivia and curiosities
- Before it was reggaeton, it was a cumbia. The reggaeton part came at the end, when Fonsi decided to give it an urban feel.
- It was the first YouTube video to pass 3, 4 and 5 billion views. The only video to overtake it, in 2020, was the children's song "Baby Shark".
- In July 2017 it was reported that tourist interest in Puerto Rico had gone up 45 % since the song became a hit. Many visitors went looking for the bar from the video.
- The woman in the video is Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universe 2006, also from Puerto Rico.
Classroom activities
- Dembow on your body. In the room with no instruments: feet on the four beats; hands on the stumbling hits. Very slowly first, then at 89 beats per minute. Only when it works, sing the chorus on top.
- Four chords, another key. Ukulele: A minor, F, C, G, one chord per bar. Then play the same loop in the "Zombie" key, E minor, C, G, D. It is the same progression at another pitch.
- Band. In the music room: the drums move the dembow from your body to bass drum and snare; the keyboard plays short, detached chords; everyone else on ukulele. The chorus in thirds.
- Compare. Listen to eight bars of "Zombie" and eight of "Despacito". Same loop. Write down three things that change.
Key vocabulary
- Dembow — dembow: el ritmo del reguetón
- Beat — pulso
- Puerto Rican cuatro — cuatro puertorriqueño
- Transposing — transportar
- Chord loop — bucle armónico
Resources
Official music video — Filmed in La Perla, in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ukulele tutorial — Easylele. A play-along with A minor, F, C and G, the chords we use in class.
Guitar tutorial — Guitarraviva, in Spanish. An easy version with no barre chords.
Piano tutorial — PHianonize. Easy version.
Drum tutorial — Alejandro Sifuentes. How to play the reggaeton beat, for beginners.