Time Characteristics (including a description of the rhythm of the main eight-beat phrase):

What will be an ideal response?

• 0:00—0:43 Introduction by harp (Efraín). There is a strong, characteristic rhythm in the first four beats of the song's main phrase: long-long-short-long-short-long-long-longer identified in Worlds of Music as "Ta Ta Ta-Ta, Ta Ta Ta Ta." During the next four beats, which constitute the second half of the main phrase, this rhythm is repeated exactly, creating isorhythmic phrases. "Some combination of sixteenth-eighth-sixteenth, and two eighths, [short-long-short, long-long] is characteristic of most sanjuanes." (Try tapping this repeating rhythm with the harp so that you get the feel of the pattern. See also answer to question #33, below.)
• Golpe, rhythmic hitting on the harp sound box by a golpeador--in this case, by the vocalist, Rafael--helps reinforce the beat and keep the tempo rock steady.