conga class « Michael Pluznick

If you can say it you can play it!

There are many different ways to learn drums. Some people prefer an intellectual approach, to understand the breakdown or math of the part or pattern on the drum. The beats and dividing the beats. This is a western approach that really works for some people.

how we learn to play

These type of learners can not learn unless they first understand how the pattern is set up with numbers. This is not my personal preference or way I think, but over the years I have grown to accept the fact that this is the only way certain people can learn. We have different ways, so we need to respect each others process as no two people are the same.

I have respect for the great thinkers in the drum movements and I also believe it is important to have some system of notation as a full time student or professional. That said, I do not believe in learning a rythym or pattern (piece) for the first time from a book or internet. The numbers can not give you a feel, no matter how far you divde or break it down.

Hawaii's own drum carver Boaz Martin plays Bata

The number system and traditional or non traditional music notation for me is good for seeing how something that appeared complicates is actual made up of smple parts and also notation and to refresh my memory. I do like to know where the “one” or first beat of the pattern starts and where the pulse in the pattern is.

Drums were traditional taught by a vocal system (singing or speaking) and by demonstration in West Africa. Each tone you can make on any type of hand drum be it congas, djembe, dumbec or whatever can be thought of and used as a spoken or sung sylable.

drummers and dancer

Try repeating back a a new rhythm someone shows you by first saying or singing it. If you stumble verbaly, wait until you can repeat it back as a song or spoken word set perfectly before you try playing it. For many of us this by steps the part of the thinking process and replaces it more with the feeling process, thus making it easier for us “feelers” (those who learn by feeling and hearing and then playing back) to learn.

If you can say it, you can play it!

Congas: basic hand position and playing techniques

“With out strong framework the house will collapse’. In this ‘follow along” video/ conga lesson we will begin to explore how to position your hands and also how to make basic sounds on the conga drum. This is part one

Increasing your playing speed on any kind of drums

I often hear people, friends and students complain that they can not play as fast as they would like to. Watch any video of the top players in Africa or Cuba play and it is truly amazing. How do they do it? A key to playing fast is playing relaxed. This does not mean “sleepy” it means “tension less”. Some people can relax or play with tension easier then others. There are mental aspects to this practice and there are physical aspects as well.

world drumming and dance

Practice makes perfect. As anyone familiar with me or my site will have heard me preach, the more you practice or play with yourself, the easier and more fluent your playing will become. A tip I suggest for gaining speed is a simple drum machine. They are readily available and relatively cheap and easy to learn as well. You do not have to be any type of techy or geek to learn how to use one of these machines very quickly.

If you by one at your local shop the salesman can show you how to program it. Here is what I do. Whatever rhythm I am learning or working on I program into the drum machine. If I am working on West African patterns I use the toms as dununs for example. Once I have the pattern programed in I play it at a comfortable speed, put on the headphones and play along.

my djembe drum with new skin in Thailand

Once I am warmed up, I check my self out in the mirror, another useful tool to see how I am sitting, where I am holding tension and if I am making strange faces. Once I am confortable, I speed the pattern up. I just play along and breath. Watch your breathing. Check out if you are holding your breath. Once your beath is natural you will notice it is easier to play.

After a few minutes at the faster speed you will forget it is faster and just be playing along. Try soloing. Leave space. When you are comfortable speed up again. I go on and on like this until I am playing incredibly fast. At the end of the session I always say, “wow, I was plying really fast”. I did not know I could do that”!

This is because in many ways we limit ourselves by a preconceived notions or a self “limiter” of what we think our limit should be. If we step back and allow ourselves to go with it or flow with the speed we can go much faster then we ever imagined.

Sacred Temple Drum high up in the tower

Much of the positive drumming experience for me is about going past these preconcieved notions, the limitations we place on ourselves and also that others place on us as well. Drumming is magical and musical and like any other instrument be it violin, piano or drums it takes practice, dedication and a great teacher to help us raise our levels as well.