Tag: class
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The Will To Learn or “Poop or Get Off the Can”
Get serious about your drumming! From around the world I get letters and also in my travels I see many people who are not improving in their drumming skills. They are staying at the same level of drumming they were a year or two ago and still can only play one or two rhythms. Why… 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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Drumming Is An Art Form
Drumming is an art form and the drum is a musical instrument. It needs to be learned. Why? There are many different styles of drumming from many different places. I have studied drum music originating from West Africa and end also ending up in the new world. Some people call it traditional african drumming. This… Read More »
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Developing Your Deepest Creative Drumming
To be “deeply creative” go into the learning mode In the hand drum world there is a lot of talk and pride about expressing your own inner rhythm. Being creative. Doing your own thing. Soloing. Freestyle. And I am all for it. I acknowledge my inner rhythm and your inner rhythm. it is a beautiful… Read More »
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Amazing Dancer, “Lasensua” from Canada to Maui and beyond!
I have had the great opportunity to know and to have been playing for Lasensua for over 20 years or more. I first met her on the Big Island of Hawaii. Lasensua has lived, studied & performed in many areas of the world. Her travels started in 1974, when she became immersed in Hawaiian culture… Read More »
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Mano Secreto; Demystifying the secret hand technique for conga drums
Have you heard of the Mano Secreto? It is the secret hand technique used and first made popular by percussion legends Changuito and also Giovanni Hildago. Prior to these great conga players there was another player named tat Guines in Havana Cuba who was developing this technique. Why is it secret? Because until recently (well… Read More »
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Studying West African drumming in Mali part one
My first trip to Africa was to Mali ,West Africa. I was always scared to go to Africa even though all my friends and students had already gone and the reports were always very positive. I was scared of getting sick. I heard the horror stories of people getting sick there, the poor hospitals, bad… Read More »
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What is a djembe solo and the four types of djembe solos
I love to play djembes and I also love to study the music we make with djembes. Djembe soloing is a very small part of djembe music as a whole. The djembe is a communal drum and is about community and unity. We all (myself included) get caught up in being the soloist as it… Read More »
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How to Play Hand Drums: Getting the Bounce technique
My first drum teacher used to chant repeatedly, “minimum input maximum out put” when it came to the topic of playing techniques and how to hit the drum. It was true over 30 years ago and it is still true now. What he was talking about is that it is not important how hard you… Read More »
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Having a hard time learning hand drums or djembe?
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… Read More »
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How to get work as a drummer, percussionist or musician
Are you a percussionist, drummer or musician and are ready to go out there into the “real world” and make a go at it as a pro? If so I have some solid suggestions I have learned along the way I can share with you here. If you follow these tips you will be well… Read More »
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What to look for when buying a djembe
When you are buying a djembe there are numerous things to look for to assure you are buying the right drum for your self. Here is a guideline of features to be aware of and look for. When buying a djmebe the first thing you want to look at is the wood shell. Put a… Read More »