The main emphasis of Latin music is on the rhythm, which is strong and central to the composition of the music. The most typical rhythmic pattern is called the clave, and there are actually two types - the son clave and rumba clave.

Latin rhythms include the music of all Latin American countries and cross all varieties: from the simple northern music of Mexico and the United States to the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, from the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos to the simple sounds of the quena.

Tresillo (/trɛˈsiːjoʊ/ tres-EE-yoh; Spanish pronunciation: [tɾeˈsiʎo]) is a rhythmic pattern (shown below) used in Latin American music. It is a more basic form of the rhythmic figure known as the habanera.

Most jazz uses a Swing feel, but Latin jazz has a 'straight' feel that fits with the rhythmic styles of Cuban and Brazilian music. Here is an example of a fundamental Cuban rhythm, the Clave. This word means 'key' in Spanish and it is the rhythm that locks together all the other rhythmic elements with Cuban music.