Mambo bell (timbale bell, 2-3)

The cowbell the timbalero switches to when a mambo or salsa tune goes into its montuno section: a louder, denser timekeeper than the cáscara played on the shell. In 2-3 it reads x.xx.xx. | x.x.xx.x on the eighth-note grid; the open (accented) strokes fall on the downbeats and on the 3-side's and-of-2, so the bell both marks the pulse and outlines the clave. Underneath, the conga marcha gives the slap on 2 and the open tones on 4 and 4-and that the whole rhythm section leans on. Loop it against the clave layer first, then add the guajeo and listen for where the bell and the piano agree (beat 1, the and-of-2 in the 3-side).