How To Play Djembe and Hand Drums As We Get Older.

As we age our body does not react the same way as it did when we were 40, 30 or 20. I started drumming when I was 10. I can not play mindlessly like I did in my teens or 20’s now that I am over 60. We have to play with strategy now. We have to play with the use of phrases, space, relaxation. You have to pick your spots and play musically.

We need to breath evenly when we play, and we can’t tense up and try to muscle through situations. We need technique. There are many ways to hit your drum. Everyone is going to say their technique is the best, including me . I am going to make suggestions for longevity. That means so you can keep playing as you age.

The first thing I suggest is developing and refining your playing technique.

I suggest not even thinking of hitting the drum as hitting or attacking the drum. Try bouncing your hand. Instead of I like to think of the sound being pulled or bounced out of the drum lightly. You can still use force but the sound is coming up and out. Floating up and out if you will.

Your posture and seating is very important. Standing and playing in a stand is also good if you are playing long periods of time like I do.

Breathing is important. Many of us actually hold our breath when we play hard or for sudden bursts of energy. Check in with yourself! Please make sure that you are breathing evenly and fully when you drum.

Sitting is the new smoking. Sitting long periods of time with bad posture in incorrect seating and hitting the drum hard is a recipe for disaster for anyone with back problems. Make sure you invest in the best possible drummers stool (aka “throne”) and dont sit in camping furniture! If you have to walk long distances get a collapsable cart with wheels.

You can check your posture and possible playing problem areas yourself using common sense and playing in a mirror. You will see how you are slumping, holding your head to one side or making strange contorted faces like I do!

Stretch before you play. Take a break during your session and stretch at the end of your session as well.
One thing I mentioned (“pick your spots”) that is worth going into. If you are playing at jams with large groups of people, hot shots, or where people start off the jam very fast or explosive, don’t get sucked into a competitive speed battle right off the start.

If you hold your space, play accompaniment and hang in there almost always they will “punch themselves out” and there will be a comfortable space for you to express yourself in…later. Almost no one can keep it up all night at the pace I see a lot of sessions start at. If your patient, your spot will come!

Don’t shy away from playing with people faster, louder or more experienced then you. Everyone has a valid voice. Don’t try to play like them, play like you. Make your statement in a way that is comfortable and meaningful for you.

Avoid getting into contests of speed or competition with faster louder players taking up space. Let them play themselves out. It’s not worth hurting your hands and stressing your body. You can also move your seating or position to somewhere else.

Check in with your body constantly when you are playing. I spent years drumming ecstatically, going way out there into the unknown realms only to come back to reality and find my hands shredded later. If you hurt yourself then you won’t be able to play.

Think about the theme, “less is more”. I am always telling myself to play 50% less notes. You will not only relax more and not be as tense but it makes you more musical as well.

I am aware I have repeated some points twice such as breathing, competition, etc. I did that for a reason