Son montuno — Guitar

On the acoustic guitar, a chord progression comes to life as full, ringing shapes, with the low string anchoring the bass and the rest filling out the harmony. Son montuno is a Cuban tradition that laid the groundwork for salsa, with a hypnotic sway guided by the clave — in practice, a short two-bar pattern that organizes the whole rhythm. On this page you'll find the style's strumming patterns, the figures that recreate that Caribbean lilt.

Grooves

My Chords & Scales — Build the genre's repertoire — save and organize in the Notebook · see it in Chord & Fret

Updated July 9, 2026