Category: Music Study
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Understanding West African Jenbe (Djembe) and Dunun Music.
When we concentrate only on soloing on the jenbe, and not learning or playing the dunun we are only experiencing the rhythm arrangement or composition from one small perspective. You are relating to it from a small and stuck position. Its like driving down the highway and only seeing the back of the car in… Read More »
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Playing Ballet Style Dunun (aka Djun Djun) vs Traditional Style Dunun
What is the difference between playing ballet style dunun drums and traditional style dunun playing? Traditional is sideways played by three or two players and Ballet stye the dunun are played standing up. But it goes beyond this. The dunun are a set of three double sided drums hit with sticks that make up the… Read More »
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The learning Process and Drumming
The learning process and drumming, transcending the illusion of ” I can’t”. I am constantly hearing people say, “I can’t do that, I can’t do this” when I am trying to teach them or share something new, “odd” or very different. I always get a lot of excuses. And they are often very convincing, because… Read More »
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How To Learn Difficult Rhythm Compositions
People often ask me, “how do I learn a new djembe rhythm composition”? and say “I can never remember how the parts go in west african drumming”!. Memorization is indeed challenging for most of us. I would like to tell you how I do it and offer some suggestions that may be helpful and fun.… Read More »
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Old School and New School Djembe Styles
There are many different ways to hit the djembe, to play it, to make it speak or have it speak through you. And, there are different styles with in the tradition and cultural context to play the djembe as well. When I was in Mali and Guinea on both of my trips I was amazed… Read More »
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Holistic Drumming, Simplifying The Learning Process
Learning west african djembe and dunun compositions. Instead of watching every different Youtube video, lessons, buying every DVD and gathering and storing mass amounts of information with the intention of learning evertyhing, try and focus on one rhythm at a time. Just one. Come up with a plan of attack. All the information in the… Read More »
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Using the bass note, the sometimes forgotten note on your conga or djembe drum
I was talking to a friend the other day about a drum I had mentioning that the new skin did not leave it with a lot of bass tone. He mentioned to me, “that’s O.K. because I don’t really use the bass note too often anyway”. Of course I schooled him and shared with him… Read More »
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Balance your studies between and east and west if you really want to learn and grow
There are several different ways to learn to play or express yourself on drums originating from the african diaspora be it afro cuban, west african or other areas. Here is a short overview. It does not matter which style of drumming you choose to play in be it traditional drumming or freestyle, if you balance… Read More »
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Finding A Teacher
I have been playing since the early 70’s and a lot of that time has been spent studying. A lot of that time was also mucking around. It took me a while to begin to get it together and realize that I did not know anything and I needed to study. I am so glad… Read More »
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How To Remember Rhythm Patterns
Remembering rhythm patterns, use any tool you can find. Once I do actually learn a rhythm, pattern or phrase it is usually because or helped by the fact that I hear it and sing it to myself as a simple melody. Melodies are interesting because they contain rhythm as well as musical notes. Interestingly enough… Read More »
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Overwhelmed trying to learn percussion? Simplify things!
If you are like myself and get overwhelmed easily at a class or with a lot of information from various sources then you do need to simplify things. There is so much information out there between Youtube, the internet, informational books and CD’s that it is easily to overload your system and not learn anything!… Read More »
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How To Make A Slap Sound On Your Djembe
In this free video I would like to show you how to make what I call a Guinea style slap on your Djembe. I say Guinea style as there are several different ways to make a slap. One famous teacher named Dr. Djobi from the Ivory Coast of West Africa has 8 different slaps. I… Read More »