A solo accordion item in which one player performs the son, the rhythmically driving, bass-rich vallenato rhythm, entered by age division and judged on rhythm, melody, bass work and command of the instrument.
Son is one of the four traditional rhythms of vallenato, the accordion music of Colombia’s Caribbean north, and in this competition it is played as a solo accordion item. One player carries the lead melody on a button accordion, normally over the traditional vallenato rhythm section of caja drum and guacharaca scraper, and has to show that the son’s pulse can be held and driven by a single pair of hands.
Where the paseo is the unhurried, storytelling rhythm, the son is usually heard as the more rhythmic and syncopated of the four: the left hand carries a prominent, rolling bass line, and the melody is shaped around it with short, punchy phrases. That puts the weight on the player’s coordination between hands and bellows. A son that is merely a melody with a beat underneath it is easy to spot.
On eTalenter the item is one of four rhythm items, alongside Paseo, Merengue and Puya, and is assigned to five divisions: Infantil (5 to 13), Juvenil (14 to 18), Aficionado and Profesional (14 and over, split by playing status rather than age) and Reina Vallenata, a women’s accordion division. Aficionado, Profesional and Reina Vallenata allow overlap, so one player can be entered in more than one of those divisions. Each entry is individual and has a ten-minute limit on the template.
Organisers keep the rhythms as separate items so a panel can compare players on the same musical ground and see where each one is strongest. A player with a fine feel for the son may be less settled in merengue or puya, and separate scores make that visible instead of averaging it away.
Where Son (Accordion) comes from
Son belongs to the vallenato tradition of the Valledupar region on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, where the accordion became the central instrument of the folk music. Vallenato was inscribed by UNESCO on its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2015.
Where Son (Accordion) is run
On eTalenter this item is used in one template, built from the published rules of a Colombian vallenato accordion festival. Son is played wherever vallenato is performed, across Colombia and in Colombian communities abroad, but each festival sets its own divisions, time limits and scoring, so coordinators should follow the rules of the event they are running.
- Colombia
Key facts
- Individual item: one accordionist per entry
- Five divisions on the template: Infantil (5 to 13), Juvenil (14 to 18), Aficionado, Profesional and Reina Vallenata (women, 14 and over)
- Aficionado and Profesional are split by playing status, not by age
- Ten-minute limit and a maximum of 100 on the template; both are working defaults, so check the official scoresheet
- One of four rhythm items with Paseo, Merengue and Puya
- Run in any language, since the performance is instrumental
On eTalenter, Son (Accordion) is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Son (Accordion) is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 10 minutes where a limit is set.
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means. The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed. Others in this category: Dance, Music, Drama, Mimicry, Debate, Elocution, Story Telling, Group Song, Action Song eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed. No criteria match this name, so none are created automatically — judges score it on the event’s own criteria instead.How it is scored
Where it sits
Judging criteria installed for it
What judges look at in Son (Accordion)
What a Son (Accordion) panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Rhythmic drive: a firm, syncopated son pulse held without rushing is what the panel listens for first
- Bass line: a clear, rolling left-hand bass that locks with the caja and guacharaca patterns shows real command of the instrument
- Melody and phrasing: short, punchy lead phrases that sit on top of the bass, rather than a continuous run of notes
- Bellows and tone: crisp accents and even tone through direction changes separate experienced players from learners
- Style and variation: authentic vallenato touches and changes in the repeats earn marks, provided the tune stays recognisably a son
- Fidelity to the rhythm: drifting into paseo softness or merengue speed means the entry has stopped being a son and costs marks
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Son (Accordion) under Scoring Setup, or start from judge scoring and tabulation software.
How to prepare for Son (Accordion)
How entrants and their teachers usually get Son (Accordion) right on the day:
- Listen to recordings by respected players and train your ear to tell a son from a paseo, merengue and puya before you pick a tune
- Start with the left hand alone: get the bass pattern steady against a metronome, then add the caja and guacharaca patterns on a recording
- Add the melody only once the bass is automatic, and keep the phrases short and clean at first
- Choose a tune that fits your level; a tidy, rhythmically solid son beats an ambitious one with stumbles
- Practise accents and bellows direction changes on their own, since a son loses its drive when they blur
- Vary the repeats across the ten minutes, rehearse the ending as carefully as the opening, and confirm with the organiser which accompaniment rules apply
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Son (Accordion) judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is a son in vallenato?
It is one of the four traditional vallenato rhythms, alongside paseo, merengue and puya. It is the strongly rhythmic one, with a prominent bass line under short melodic phrases.
Is son the same as paseo, merengue or puya?
No. They are separate rhythms with different tempos and feels. On the template each is its own item, so a player is scored on each separately.
How long is the son item?
The template sets a limit of ten minutes. That is a working default, so follow the time stated in the rules of your own event.
Is it judged individually or as a team?
It is individual. Each entry is one accordionist, entered in the division that matches their age or playing status.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read judge scoring and tabulation software, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try Son (Accordion) in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Son (Accordion), and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
