Featured CD

Preview the new CD
"Rise Up" by Barabajaba.

Featured Products

Your First Djembe Rhythm

The Rhythm Reference Project

This is an amazing audio and notation encyclopedia of every djembe and dun dun part for 50 Rhythms!

Tasumakan

Drumming and playing music in bali

Playing music in Bali

This last month I had the good fortune to be able to go to Bali once again. My focus was on teaching west african drum classes in Ubud and also playing with every band I could sit in with or gig (work) with. I had no idea that the musicians and drummers I would meet would be so receptive and talented. I had many interesting and surprising moments and experiences there as well. [...]

How to start (or to continue) to play drums when you are over 40 years old

P1040223

Does age matter when playing or performing drumming and percussion music? Yes and no.Many of us who have been playing for a while would obviously like to keep playing for a while. I myself am over 50 years old. I am constantly playing with players half my age and sometimes more. Of course there are always going to be some age or physical limitations, but there does not have to be any cramp in your style and with the proper maintanance and care of our bodies there should be no reason why we can not play well into our 90′s! They do in Africa! [...]

Some tips about soloing on Djembe

Bolokada Conde soloing

Here are some tips on soloing on the djembe drum. Please do not be afraid to express yourself when the time is appropriate (your turn) to solo on djembe. Every chance you get is a good chance to play and improve your playing. I’ll be the first to admit I have thought about throwing my drum in the fire after hearing a child in Africa drum circles around m [...]

Having a hard time learning hand drums or djembe?

guisti smile

f you are like any of us that have been around the ethnic or world drumming and music scene for many years, then you may have experienced some hard times trying to learn the drumming, percussion or music from another culture. Please don’t get discouraged if you are trying to learn drumming and are having a hard time. For some of us it never comes easy. And it does take time. When we first hit a drum we thought it was going to be easy! We heard a pleasing sound at once, and we played a rhythm and thought we had it all right then in there. But once you start to study you get to see it is quite involved. [...]

How to practice quietly at home

annoyed2-1

Many people have written to me saying, “OK, I agree I need to practice, but where can I practice”? Maybe it is too cold to go out to the park, or you just don’t feel like dragging your drum around? Or maybe someone has complained about “noise”?

I do not know how many times I have had noise complaints from my neighbors about “strange sounds both night and day”! The drums can definitely bring out [...]

Back to basics part one, “where is the one” in West African djembe music?

P1030717

Drumming to me, especially drumming from the African diaspora  is about learning and always playing basics, or “fundamentals”. If you have ever read any of my articles, you may have noticed me saying, “with out the framework the house will fall down”. Like any other musical instrument  you have to practice regularly. No matter what stage you are in in your drumming career or hobby, be it pro or amateur it is always important [...]

How to Play Congas: Very basic technique, position and tones

DSC_0080

“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. For more info go to: www.michaelpluznick.com

How to play African drums: Soko, Djembe and Dununs class

raw shells are beautiful

Soko djembe drum and dunun rhythm from guinea west africa taught by Michael Pluznick for his international crew including friends from Japan, Europe, Mexico, USA and Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand. All around the world people love to play djembe and dununs, too. Soko is now a popular rhythm in Guinee (aka Guinea). Soko is a Malinke (Malenke) rhythm from the Faranah region of Guinee. It used to be played during the month prior [...]

How to play Sorsonete (soresonere) on three Dunun (doundoun)

begginer drumming at a fun jam session

Michael Pluznick shows a technique for playing the Guinee (Guinea) west african drumming and rhythm pattern Soresonere (Soresonete) on three drums or dununs (dounouns) at Rumpuree dance studio in Bangkok, Thailand during a West African djembe drum and dunun workshop and drum class. This style of playing dununs (aka djundjuns or dounouns) is called “ballet style” and refers to  the Afrcan dance  and performing groups in West Africa called Ballets. In the Ballets [...]

Bali Treasures informal djembe and dunun class with Michael P

IMG_0986

Fun little djembe and dunun west african drum class with some fellow lovers of djembe,dununs and west african music. In this video we play the new Toca djembes at the Bali Treasures retail store located in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.

Buying a djembe, Bali or African drum?

Buying a drum

Bali Djembe drums vs West African djembe drums

The prices of professional djembe drums are going through the roof on line (you can pay well over $650!). That said, under certain circumstances, one of the best buys going right now is a Bali djembe drum. They are just about always light weight, have nice skins and a great drum can cost you about $100 US or even less!

Bali is still a wonderful place [...]

African dance: Mali, “SUNU” Djembe Drums Dance and Chants

African dance class by Michael Pluznick. Djembe music with Dancers Ami Doumbia left and Malodone right) from the award winning Santogoola community center and local group in the Sabaliboogou district of Bamako chant traditional songs and perform traditional based djembe muisc and dance choreography to the Sunu djembe rhythym in Bamako Mali while accompanied by djembe grandmaster Aruna, djembe master Brulye, djembe fola Siaka and dunun fola Kaliefa, 4 different generations of Mali [...]

“How to play Djembe” beginers drum class: Djagbe-Madan Drum Class/ Demo Thailand: slow

How to play djembe. Begginers Djembe calss. Begginers dunun class. This is the rythym arangement “Djagbe” (in Guinee) or Madan (in Mali) djembe and dunun class excerpts @ Rumpuree dance school in Thailand. taught by Michael Pluznick.

“How to Play Djembe”, Djembe class: Mali “Sunu” Djembe Solo tech. recital by MP

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali

Part number one Watch me, (Michael Pluznick) struggle in the deep Mali West African heat trying to remember..and recite djembe solo technjique for my master djembe teacher, “Old Master” Aruna Sidibe… everything Aruna has taught me in the prior 2 and 1/2 months of djembe class for this one piece! I pull it off, but just barely!! To see how it is really played go to my other SUNU djembe and african [...]

Africa, Barabajaba and more..your questions answered!

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali

I have received so much mail asking who was who and what was what, I put this video together with answers for you..It has captions and information on whose who and what is what in many of my videos! Please click on the link in blue to take you to the earthcds.com Mali page where you can listen to 4 of my different CD’s for free, or order them there as well. [...]

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

What is traditional drumming about?

Traditional drumming part one West Africa

What is traditional drumming?

Traditional  African drumming usually refers to drumming that has been handed down from generation to generation and comes from a time long ago.

Traditional drumming is  organized and systematized drumming or drumming that is part of a musical piece or composition that is used for a specific purpose or occasion in almost every culture if you look back far enough.

Master Mali djembe [...]

Mali Mendiani drum and dance demo

This is a new video of Mediani drum, dance and chants made in Bamako Mali West Africa. It sounds almost identical to Guinea (Guinee) style mendiani as well. Dancers and singers (Ami Doumbia left and Malodone right) from the award winning Santogoula community center and local group in the Sabalibougou district of Bamako chant traditional songs and perform traditional based West African dance choreography in Bamako, Mali while accompanied by Aruna, Brulye, Siaka [...]

getting the most out of your drum class

Drum class on Hawaii wirh master Pedro De Jesus

Many of us take drum class after drum class which is great for imersion, for learning by being part of something on a continual basis. But I have noticed that many people will come back to the same class time and time again with out any progression or improvement. Are you getting the most out of your drum class or learning experience? It is [...]