The Root System.

When learning and playing hand drums such as djembe and conga drums, It’s great and very important to specialize and focus. To learn the tradition, technique and skills necessary to play the style and drum type you are learning on. One thing at a time. Step by step.

There are always specific techniques, nuances, songs, dances and intention for various rhythms, arrangements and music compositions. And these can be different from each other even in the same regions or the same groups.

And at the same time it is important for us as drum students, artists and musicians to remember and respect that many and most drums and popular hand drumming styles be it djembe or conga drums originated out of west and central Africa.

The rhythms, arrangements and systems changed to various degrees in the new world for so many different reasons.

Even so, the root system is the same. The roots go deep. And the rhythms are the tree branches.

So although there maybe different languages, looks and feels when we are drumming there is still drum “languageing”. It is still still drumming vocabulary. It is still drums talking.

If we investigate deeper instead of isolating in only one style we can see there are many connections, similarities and commonalities. We are going to see different aspects of clave in both west African and afrocauban music. We are going to see the 6/8 bell at the formation of everything as well.

Older generation drummers who started pre internet, pre CD and even pre record albums know what I am talking about when I say “back in the day” we had to study everything that came our way in terms of learning drumming styles and traditions from traditional cultures.

Anyone who had information was welcomed and we all learned different styles and drumming techniques, patterns and played different types of drums because we had to. We were limited in knowledge and anything that came through was an acknowledged gift.

It’s hard to imagine in this day when we have so much information at our finger tips. It’s easy to get caught up in the differences and even fascinating.

I was brought up learning many different types of drumming. Someone would bring a Congolese rhythm to our study group, someone would bring an Afro Cuban piece. No one ever said, “I dont play that style”.

Drumming is music, and there are different styles of music. So it is therefore important for all of us to be open to each other as well. When you play djembe and see a conga player or vice versa I suggest looking for ways to connect rather then separate. I am not suggesting we combine styles, but it is interesting none the less. We are all brothers and sisters of the drum, and all though we may look different or act differently we all source the same root.

There are so many rhythms that can actually be played together in harmony. All you need is knowledge, fundamentals and openness. It can all work together. All drumming is about coming together, not separation.