How to Play Colombian Pasillo on Guitar and Tiple

What pasillo is and why it feels different from a waltz

Pasillo arrived with the European waltz in the 19th century and developed into a distinct genre in the Andes: danced with shorter steps (hence the name), sung, or played instrumentally, it is now one of the most recognizable rhythms in Colombian Andean music. It is also practiced in other Andean countries; in Ecuador, for example, it has a distinctive character. Here we focus on Colombian pasillo.

It shares a time signature with the waltz, but the accompaniment differs. This table sums up what you will hear when you listen to them back to back:

For an overview of Colombian rhythms, see our guide to bambuco, pasillo, and cumbia explained.

The beat in 3/4: counting, accents, and subdivision

Before picking up your instrument, feel the meter. Count aloud 1 and 2 and 3 and: the numbers are the beats, and each “and” marks the halfway point. When you strum, your right hand moves down on the numbers and up on the “ands,” without ever stopping, like a pendulum.

1. Open the pasillo metronome, set to 3/4 with an accent on the first beat and eighth-note subdivisions.
2. Tap 1 with your foot, then clap softly on the second half of 2 and again on 3.
3. Sing or hum the melody of a pasillo you know over that groove.
4. Increase the tempo by 4 BPM only when the pattern feels automatic.

That clapping pattern is the backbone of the accompaniment: a strong 1 and a push halfway through 2. If you struggle to maintain it, review how to use a metronome to practice.

Pasillo on guitar: bass, chords, and the right hand

Here is the starting pattern for guitar. One measure, repeated; ↓ means a downstroke, ↑ an upstroke, and the dot is a rest for the hand (it moves through the air without touching the strings):

This is a teaching simplification: recorded pasillos include variations depending on the performer and piece. But this pattern is enough to accompany a song. For the bass, alternate the chord root and its fifth from one measure to the next: in A minor, A on the fifth string and E on the sixth.

How to practice without getting tangled up

• Start with muted strings: just the hand motion, counting “1 and 2 and 3 and.”
• Then use a single chord, such as A minor, keeping the bass separate from the strumming.
• Then use two chords, alternating every measure.
• The first beat should sound lower and more grounded than the rest; record yourself and check.

For other three-beat patterns, see basic guitar strumming patterns, where a simple waltz is the natural starting point.

Pasillo on tiple: the strumming that defines the feel

On the tiple, strumming takes center stage: its high register and double and triple string courses mean a well-placed stroke shapes the character of the whole piece. Pasillo's push is felt toward the third and sixth eighth notes, that is, on 2 and the “and” of 3. Here is a starting pattern:

When tiple and guitar play together, the guitar handles the bass and the tiple adds rhythmic color, so the tiple's first beat can be very light in that setting. If you play tiple alone, give it a little more presence. What matters is keeping the three-beat pulse clear to the listener.

• Start slowly with a relaxed hand; wrist tension holds back the strumming.
• Tune carefully before starting: an out-of-tune tiple spoils any rhythm. Use the tiple tuner or review how to tune the tiple.
• Tiple chords resemble those on the guitar's four highest strings, so your guitar knowledge comes in handy.
• If you are choosing between the two, read guitar or tiple: which to learn first.

Typical pasillo chords and progressions

Many pasillos are in minor keys and move through tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords. The classic A minor progression uses just three chords, with E7 as the dominant:

Play each progression with a single stroke per measure first, then with the full pattern. To understand why these chords work together, the circle of fifths shows it at a glance. Once you master A minor, transpose it to E minor with its dominant, B7.

Slow pasillo and festive pasillo

Two pasillos can sound worlds apart. One is a song, while the other is a dance piece or an instrumental showcase:

Learn in that order. Start slow to develop your right hand, then move to the fast style, which relies on movements you have already made automatic. Once you go beyond about 150 BPM on the metronome, it helps to turn off subdivisions and leave only the beats. To choose pieces that progress in difficulty, see Colombian songs to learn on tiple or guitar.

A four-week practice plan

With about 20 or 30 minutes a day, you can make good progress. Here is a sensible sequence you can adjust to your level:

Common mistakes

• Playing pasillo like an even waltz. If all three beats sound the same, the shift on the second beat is missing.
• Speeding up without noticing. It is easy to rush pasillos; the metronome is your best friend.
• Strumming with your whole arm. The movement comes from your wrist; your arm simply follows.
• Forgetting the bass. On guitar, a first beat without a bass note leaves the measure without a foundation.

Learn pasillo with a teacher, at home or online

The right hand is the hardest thing to explain in writing and the easiest to correct live. A tiple or guitar teacher listens to your strumming, shows you the shift on the second beat, and tells you if you are straining your wrist, something you rarely notice on your own.

At A medio tono, we have tiple, acoustic guitar, and Andean bandola teachers, offering in-home lessons in Bogotá and nearby areas, depending on each teacher's availability, or online lessons from anywhere. If pasillo is your goal, tell us in your first message, and we will build the repertoire around it. See the options under in-home music lessons in Bogotá and online music lessons.

Frequently asked questions