Musicians and artists already possess many of the skill sets to cross over into acting, especially when it comes to acting in TV commercials. All that’s needed is a little realistic information about how the industry works, for example what tools are needed. And that's the intent of my 240 page working actor book. I priced it at 5 dollars. July is my virtual book launch. If you buy my Kindle book for $5, read it, and leave a short review on the Amazon Kindle site, I will send you 2 of my drum circle jam CD’s free, and cover the shipping to anywhere in the world.
With the economy the way it is, and the lack of jobs, a lot of people are hurting out there. I hope I can help a few people out, and possibly even help a few realize their dream. You can explore whether the acting field is something that might be right for you. If nothing else, you get 2 jamming CD’s shipped for five bucks.
In my book, I share my 20 years of experience as an actor, the realities of the business, the ups and downs, and things I learned. (Most of them the hard way!) Intertwined are a lot of auditioning, and acting anecdotes. Most of them I have never shared with anyone, including my friends. A lot of it is deeply personal, but putting ourselves out there to be judged, is part of what we do as artists. Johnny Depp went out to LA to work as a musician, and look how that worked out.
On Kindle, the book is translated in almost every language. This promo is good anytime during the month of July. After you leave a review, I will contact you.
Just go to my actor page website: ShannonRatigan.com. No registering or signing up for anything is required, other than what Amazon requires in order to buy Kindle books. The title is: "An Actor's Face, Audition, Casting Advice, And Anecdotes From A Working Actor".
Thanks,
Shannon
drumcircles.net
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Can You Get Free Drum Circle Facilitating Training?
These days, not everyone can afford to spend the money for drum circle facilitation training. Some others aren’t able to leave the area they live in to travel somewhere to take a training program, intensive weekend workshop, or ect. It’s just the reality of how things are in the real world right now. Let’s say you want to learn to facilitate drum circles for a group, or even for a living. Maybe you just want to get a community drum circle started somewhere. That’s the intent of my article. Please keep in mind, these are just my opinions based on my experiences.
Is taking classes, or training a good idea? Of course it is. Just like with most other art forms, some training is good, but the best way to learn, is to do. To get experience go out and do it. That is a viable way to go about this.
If you have some musical background, the odds are you can keep basic time, and that is the foundation of a fun drum circle in my opinion. But, let’s say you have never touched a hand drum before, and you want to learn to facilitate drum circles, or host one. If you are not a musician, start by just listening to some of your favorite music that has a strong beat. Try keeping time with both of your hands tapping on your thighs or on a table. Keep at it until you can stay on the beat. Try some different songs out and follow them along. When you are on beat, you are keeping good time.
You can do this, and be out there organizing a drum circle in a month or two. Are you going to make mistakes? Yes. Are you also going to get some things right? Yes. You will remember the things you did right, and the ones you did wrong. This helps you on the next one, and it’s how you get better and better. Like with any other craft, you have to put the work in.
So where to start right now for free? YouTube is a good place to see clips of other facilitators. How they start a rhythm, end one, do a rumble, or even a few rhythm examples, and games. Do a search on the keywords drum circle + Facilitator, or facilitating. Lots of stuff will come up. Check a few out. There are many different styles, methods, and approaches to facilitation. Learn as many as you can, and develop your own style. You don’t want to just copy somebody. It’s like a band that just plays cover tunes. You probably aren’t going very far unless you have some original material.
So what about being “certified” as a drum circle facilitator?
I have had people tell me that they are under the impression that drum circle facilitators have to be certified. Okay, doctors, dentists, lawyers, yes. I wouldn't want to use one that hadn't gone through the process of accreditation and/or licensing. But, facilitators don't have any kind of official governing body. Anyone can decide to teach, hold workshops, etc. and then give out a certificate. But, all it means is that the person spent some money on training in one style of facilitation. Like in any other field, some are better than others. Is certification necessary to facilitate drum circles? No. Does it help? Yes. Their logo looks good on your resume, and it adds some credibility to you. Most of them cost a bit also. Do you need certification by someone in order to work and earn a living? No. Many individuals and companies offer their own brand of facilitation. One isn't necessarily better than another, some are promoted more, and widely known than others.
Practically speaking, even if you are a newcomer you can buy a few books on the subject, watch a few videos, and get out there and host a drum circle just fine. But you need to be able to hold a beat. Like I mentioned, I think you learn the most by doing. Go to some drum circles in your area, participate and observe other facilitators if you get the chance. Check out my drum circle finder page, and see if there is anything going on around you within a couple of hours driving distance. It is worth the drive to attend a few and see what works, and also what doesn’t. There might be a few facilitators that you can go participate with, and observe.
Would you only want to know one style of cooking to prepare dinners? Many good books on facilitating approaches have been written. Look for used ones in places like Ebay and Amazon. There are also some good DVD’s on this also. Look in the same places for those. Forty bucks will buy you a lot of reference material, and give you a lot more understanding and insight into this art form.
I think to a certain extent, a good drum circle is an extension of the old Bluegrass days of 100 years ago. There were no cars, so people couldn't travel long distances. There was nothing to do for entertainment but get together and get out the fiddles, washboards, spoons, jugs, drums, and sing and dance and make music. For years, it was about the group ensemble, and the musicality. Any facilitating that needed to be done, was done through the music, not by someone playing conductor. That concept still works. And, it brings out the improvisational skills of the participants. The better things sound, the more fun it is for the group. Almost every culture has a rich history of group drumming, so you are about to do something that has transcended the test of time, and more importantly, brings people together.
Under most circumstances, I like to begin a drumming session by letting everyone just choose something, sit down in the circle, and start playing. This approach helps everyone to relax before the welcome, introductions, and then into some more organized rhythms. The reason I encourage everyone to play first is the nerves. The barriers just begin to melt away. After the first jam, I offer a few pointers about hand technique, and volume, so nobody gets injured, or is uncomfortable. I let people know that a support rhythm is just a starting place. You don’t need to play what I play. You can if you want, but I encourage you to improvise and experiment. Have fun! We get to be kids again, and make up our own rules. You may invent a new way to play, or a new sound from your drum, that’s what good musicians do. They find new ways to do things, not just copy others.
When suggesting a drum circle rhythm, I like to vocalize the first few measures before we play it. I think the logical analytical side of the brain can process it quicker, which then frees up the creative intuitive side. People can then play what they feel, rather than over thinking it.
Plus, I start it out very slowly, then I can gradually bring it up to the desired tempo (speed) once they are comfortable with it. I always mention that this is just a starting point, and you don't have to play this support rhythm, play whatever you feel fits.
Interestingly, I've found that most people can wrap their heads around a rhythm quicker if I vocalize out sounds with a "K" in them. ie: Heartbeat rhythm: Boom Boom chicka-chicka Boom Boom. (pause, & repeat). Or, Doum Doum, tekka-tekka Doum Doum. Or, I just "scat" them out jazz style any way I can think of. My goal is to get them out of their heads and playing as quickly as possible. Drumming uses the brain in a different pattern than the linear thought process that’s usually needed in everyday life, and even the work environment.
Playing a drum brings you to a more open mental and psychological thought process. Once you vocalize out a rhythm, the creative side of the brain is quickly freed up to improvise. And most importantly, they are not thinking about remembering, or trying to figure out what to play. Help start them out, and let it go. Boom.
Another idea is drumming to common word phrases, rhymes or well known commercial jingles, or songs to get things rolling. For example: "Yum, Yum, tastes like chic-ken" (D, D, t k t-k) or try "pep-per-oni-Piz-Za" (t-k-t-k D D) An easy way to start a Clave rhythm is to remind them of the beat in the song, “Hand Jive“.
There's a variety of different ways I like to use to notate a drum rhythm. There are 5 examples in an earlier post of mine, as well as a list of notated support rhythms from around the world to help get you going. The list is also a free download in a word doc on my website. No registering, or signing up for anything is required.
Later as the rhythms join together, everyone joins together. We join together musically. The result is there is no distinction between you or me. We just all sense the feeling of the one song we are creating in the moment. This was the tried and true approach of the elders who would begin their gatherings, and ceremonies this way. The babbling came later.
So, you have done some research, read up, watched some stuff, now what? In my opinion, you need to be a musician first. You don’t need to be a great one, just good enough to be able to start a rhythm out, and keep time. If you can’t keep time, often what ends up happening is something that sounds like a bunch of dog paddling, or a pile of rocks rolling down a hill. It’s not a very satisfying experience for everyone. Sure people will still have a good time noodling around for an hour, but if you can help guide them into some good sounding music, people will have a great time, and then they can’t wait for the next drum circle.
Some disagree with me on this, and think it creates a dependency on you. Well, guess what, sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed to get them jamming. Sometimes they are dependent on you, or the circle sounds like crap. Not always, but sometimes you need to be there to hold things steady until the group finds it’s groove. Usually after a rhythm or two, you can back off a little and let the group go with a given rhythm, but I like to participate, playing my drum all the time. I want to set the tone that I just want to jam with everyone, not be a control freak. This way, others will likely start up a rhythm, and you can go with that. This is how to create a good group dynamic.
I prefer to facilitate from the edge of the drum circle, leaving the middle open for self expression. People will get in there and dance if the groove is right, and they are feeling it. One thing I bring along is a few hula hoops, and a couple of belly dancing wraps. Hoops are 5 bucks, and belly dancing wrap skirts are fifteen. These entice people to get in the center and do their thing. The drumming elevates to a whole new level when this happens. Sometimes the dancers, or hoopdancers will drive a rhythm a bit longer than you had planned, but I never stop a good groove from going on. You can sense when it’s over, or, they leave the center. That’s your cue to “wrap” it up, and start another one.
I approach a drum circle like a band set. 45 minutes to an hour long. Sometimes two 45 minute sessions with a “let’s take 5” brake in between. I bring along a “set list” just like most bands have. Usually it gets changed, or goes right out the window, but you are prepared to introduce rhythms for an hour if you need to. I like to vary the rhythms a little. Some up tempo, some slower and grooving, some even meditative. Sometimes it’s a jam out, but I like to end things that way. Always leave them wanting more. When the hour is up I say, “Okay time’s up, thanks everyone…wait a minute…should we do one more?” Everyone will say yes, so do one more and make em’ happy.
I like to play different rhythms from different cultures. The variety makes it more fun. Play some Latin, African, Bellydancing, Funky, Hip Hop, Soul, whatever feels right. An hour is usually enough time for 7 or 8 rhythms. So you don’t need to have a huge list, but you don’t want to play the same things next circle either. It makes sense to have a good body of reference rhythms to draw from, so you can put together a good set list each week, or each month. At least vary the tempos if you don’t want to try cultural rhythms.
I offer a 2 hour DVD of djembe drum rhythms called 101 Drum Circle Rhythms. It is ideally suited for this purpose. It’s $15 and includes a drum circle jam CD. I priced it low so it is affordable to everyone. I also have a long list of notated drum circle rhythms in a word doc. format. You can download it free on my website drum circles.net There are also drum circle mp3’s to check out, and lots more. This will also give you a visual aid to help you learn rhythms, and to keep time. With that, and a little experience, you can be out there rockin’ in no time.
You’re going to need a fairly decent drum to play. Somewhere in the $100 - $200 range is good enough to get you started. If you do end up not liking this, the good news is that most drums have a pretty decent resale value. But I do hope you don’t go there. If you need some advice on what kind of drum to get, read a few of my prior blog posts about choosing a first djembe drum. You need something durable that will allow you to play louder than the group if you need to. Sometimes it’s necessary, but most of the time if you feel a rhythm heading for a train wreck, let it go. Laugh it off and move on. It sets the tone that you aren’t a control freak, and willing to take risks with everyone else.
Another thing you will need to slowly invest a few bucks in is a few drums for other people to play. A dozen or so, and some smaller percussion instruments to fill it out, is enough to get you started. 30 body drums is a good target number. I suggest getting aluminum doumbeks (that have synthetic heads), rather than wood shell djembe drums with goatskin heads. They are much less expensive, yet still pack a decent punch musically. Djembe heads break easily, and the drums are heavier. I can get 30 doumbeks in my Yugo, no problem. And still have room for a couple of plastic bins full of tambourines, frog rasps, maracas, shakers, etc.
The doumbeks are easier to move, transport, carry, and people enjoy playing them. Plus they take up less space, and are more durable. They are lug tuned with an allen wrench, and you can change a $10 head yourself if it breaks. (Which isn’t easy to do with a rope tuned djembe). With a kit of djembes, if one kid whacks it with a stick, it’s pop, bye bye 60 bucks. Bongos are very durable, small, and inexpensive also. You need some variety, and frame drums played with a mallet are good to have, because some people have physical limitations and can only play with one hand. The idea of a good drum circle is including everyone.
I bought most of my drums second hand, one at a time, in places like Craig’s, and Ebay. Many were $35 - $50 each. You can round out your kit with some frame drums, or sound shapes. Not everyone wants to, or can, play a body drum, so having a few choices is a good idea. Frame drums are as low as $20. Last time I bought a pack of soundshapes they were in the $80 range for 6. (new) They store flat easily, and people like playing them.
Okay so you are ready to start up a drum circle, or get out there and try your chops at facilitating one. Unless you are in it for the love of it, you might need to do it for next to nothing for awhile, or even for nothing, but that’s a good place to start and get that valuable experience.
You can start one in a café, new age shop, park, community center, art center, or even at the beach. A regular meeting drum circle gives you an important thing, a home base to operate from, and a place to build up a community, as well as get leads for future work.
Around the country right now many places like night clubs, bars, and coffee shops are struggling to find working formulas for weeknights. I’ve started them at a micro brewery, even a comedy club. Both of those went very well, despite the serving of alcoholic beverages. Fortunately most people that know each other at a local drum circle see each other a lot, so they don’t want to get too hammered and make a fool out of themselves. But drum circles at places that serve alcohol, that’s an important factor to consider. Wherever you do it, having a drum circle night quickly builds up a community around it with a loyal following that grows very quickly. You are also bringing lots of people together, and these days, it’s needed more than ever.
The cost to do this is minimal, I've been doing it successfully for years at various venues. All that’s needed is you the facilitator, or organizer to help keep things running smoothly, and promote the drum circle. If you do this at a business establishment, keep in mind that it isn't the drummers, musicians, or dancers that do the majority of buying their products. They will help support the venue and buy one or two, but it's the onlookers that are attracted, who will be doing most of that. They are after all a business and in business to make money. A following will grow very quickly if people have a good time. That’s your job, and it takes some time to hone your skills. Each time you will get better at it.
Try it on a trial basis for a few weeks, and when it takes off, ask for a small percentage of sales to cover your costs, damage, etc. You will be dealing with a lot of different personalities, so issues and problems will arise from time to time. You may need to make some tough calls on the spot. Some may be wrong, but you will learn from them as they occur. For the most part, things seem to run smoothly.
The reason for a home base, is that eventually better paying jobs will come to you. After the circle is established, people will want you for birthday parties, city events and festivals, gatherings, schools, even weddings and churches. So start putting together press materials as soon as possible, photos, videos, newspaper articles they write about your drum circle, and get some good looking business cards made, to leave out prominently on a table by the door. I’ve been very pleased with Vista Print.
Try to get the website, and social networking thing happening as quickly as you can. It is very effective in getting things rolling. If you want to get more in depth with all of this, please consider picking up my book. It is 300 pages of scintillating drum circle information for eighteen bucks. I include a facilitated drum circle CD along with it free. If you do choose to purchase my book or DVD, thanks in advance for helping out. I really do appreciate it.
Drum some, and have fun. I am here if you need to ask a question, or need an opinion on something drumming related.
Check out my website: drumcircles.net & my blog: drumcircleworld.blogspot.com/for lots more resources and ideas.
Shannon Ratigan
Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Junk Percussion Treasure - The Grandpa Guiro
About 10 years ago I was going through our local thrift shop hunting for junk percussion, (unusual sounding household items). I always check the knick knack and kitchen area out for anything that might have musical potential. So here I am clanking and clunking on things, scraping them, shaking them, etc. People see me doing this, and think I have a bolt loose. But hey, it’s okay, I’ll suffer for percussion.I spotted this old grandpa’s thermos. One of those old aluminum ones with the ribbed sides. I ran a spoon along it, and I smiled with delight at the Santana groove that was waiting there to jump out. The price was three bucks, what a bargain. To them it was barely saleable junk, to me, it was a treasure. These are REALLY hard to find in thrift shops, because they are vintage. You can’t imagine how fun one of these are to play, but more importantly, it sounds fantastic. It gets a lot of laughs when you start jamming on one at a drum circle. I mean, think about it, you’re sitting there playing a djembe, and then you pull out a thermos. People think you are getting a drink or something, and then you start jamming out on it. It is hilarious.
To prepare it for public mayhem, I suggest that you first break the glass out of the inside. I do that by putting a few rocks inside it, put the cap back on. Shake it a few times, or whack it on the ground, and you will hear it break. Then you carefully dump it in the dumpster, whack it a few times to get all the glass out. Then I rinse it out with some water and let it dry out. Put the lid back on, even the cup! All you need then, is to make a scraper for it, or go buy one at a music store, (but it costs more than the thermos!), and you are good to go.
Not only does it make a great sounding guiro, but it also makes a nifty shaker. You can add some plastic beads, rice, popcorn, whatever you can find inside there, and screw the lid back on tight. (I put a piece of tape over it so that people don’t try to open it. Plus, you don’t want that crap all over the floor or something.
My preference for the shaker material is a mixture of stuff, and then you get a nice warm shaker sound. Metal BB’s or something like that is a little bit loud against the aluminum. But if you want a vicious shaker, that will do it.
If you choose not to add shaker materials, you can change the pitch by adding various levels of sand, or some other powered material inside of it. Experiment a little until you get the sound you like.
I had two sizes of these as part of my percussion kit in my gig bag when I played in a few bands back in the day, before back in the day. Now I play them all the time at drum circles, and people are always asking to try it. It looks like fun, and it is. I get a kick out of seeing people playing one. I usually set out baskets of percussion items, and this old thermos guiro is probably the most popular item. Be sure to keep an eye out for other junk percussion treasures. Objects like old brass candlestick holders sometimes have beautiful chime tones, or a thick brass bell can make a great singing bowl. Keep an eye out for washboards. Those are a blast to play with thimbles.
So where to find one of those old thermoses? Thrift stores, yard sales? Sometimes if you are lucky. In places like Ebay, I’ve seen a few for under five bucks. Both the large and small thermoses. What’s plural for that anyway? Thermi? Anyway, try a search with the keywords vintage thermos, or aluminum thermos, and you should be able to find your own Grandpa Guiro.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
15 Free Drum Circle Ring Tones & Mp3's + Drum Circle Finder
Prices are going up, and not everyone can afford even minor music purchases these days. So I wanted to put some drum circle mp3's and ringtones out there free of charge so people can have a little FREE fun. No registering, or signing up for anything is required. You can listen to them, or download them if you want. There are also some full length drum circle mp3's. Check them all out at my drumcircles.net website.
My wife kept asking me to make her a drum circle ringtone, so I finally got around to it. I made 8 different ones from my drum circle CD's. She liked 2 of them, the bellydance jam ringtone, and the hip hop drum circle ringtone, (me to). But, there are 8 uploaded there for you to choose from. Some are a little whacky, but there might be one you like.
I also made 7 single djembe drum rhythm ringtones. Those ain't bad either. Please feel free to give them a listen, pick one out, or snag all of them, then your phone can be Jammin' when you get a call. Or people will think you are a little nuts. But hey, you saved a buck.
Find a drum circle near you: drumcircles.net/circlelist.html
Promote yours: facebook.com/DrumCircleFinder
Drum circle mp3's and ringtones: drumcircles.net (They are located near the bottom of the home page.)
My wife kept asking me to make her a drum circle ringtone, so I finally got around to it. I made 8 different ones from my drum circle CD's. She liked 2 of them, the bellydance jam ringtone, and the hip hop drum circle ringtone, (me to). But, there are 8 uploaded there for you to choose from. Some are a little whacky, but there might be one you like.
I also made 7 single djembe drum rhythm ringtones. Those ain't bad either. Please feel free to give them a listen, pick one out, or snag all of them, then your phone can be Jammin' when you get a call. Or people will think you are a little nuts. But hey, you saved a buck.
Find a drum circle near you: drumcircles.net/circlelist.html
Promote yours: facebook.com/DrumCircleFinder
Drum circle mp3's and ringtones: drumcircles.net (They are located near the bottom of the home page.)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Choosing An Inexpensive But Good Sounding Drum For Your Child
When I was 10 years old, my dad got me an old marching snare drum. I was happy. Many others…were not. I was a hyperactive kid, and it calmed me down a bit. Little did I know that drumming would be the thread that held my brain together for 40 some years.
When I was old enough, I was able to be a high school band geek. (Fortunately it’s more fashionable with the popularity of TV shows like “Glee”). Anyway, music always gave me a place to have a good time and be entertained. A chance to play in fun places, and even earn a few bucks here and there. Sitting in with bands, jamming at drum circles, or just by myself. Sometimes I just want to be comfortably “away”. A drum is good for that, as well as building social skills.
Lots of parents bring kids to family friendly facilitated and public drum circles. For the most part, those kind of drum circles are a safe comfortable place for your child to be able to interact socially with others in a non threatening environment. Keeping in mind that with any public group you are likely to have a few oddballs in there, so it makes sense to supervise them. If it were my children, I would want to visit the drum circle alone just to see the general vibe of it first.
Kids are welcome at most drum circles if they are supervised. Here’s something cool where you can connect, and do something positive with your kids. When you’re at a drum circle just remind them to respect other people’s space while they are playing, and not to run wild, or touch anyone else’s drums without asking first.
You might consider getting a drum for yourself also, that way you can learn how to play together. For about $300 you can get a pretty decent drum for both of you. Learning how to play is easier than you may think. With all the great YouTube videos out there, it’s at your fingertips.
Check out my drum circle finder page and see what’s going on nearby, and perhaps consider visiting one for the first time, or practice and learn a little first. No big deal either way. Drum circles are pretty organic and, for the most part, welcome everybody, regardless of skill level. Most musicians are very supportive, and are happy to offer a few pointers once you have played in the group with them a few times.
So you want to buy your kid a drum. These days, there is an amazing selection of low cost hand drums available. Most music stores have a world percussion section where a kid can just go bang a bongo or two and see what “talks to them”. A first drum is an important choice even for kids. I think buying a full size drum rather than a so called “kids” drum is a better idea, because the price difference is like 20 bucks. Plus it gives your child something to grow into, rather than out of, or needing to upgrade at some point.
Most of the drums designed with kids in mind are not tunable – just a drum head glued on with some decorative ribbon around it or something. A grown up drum that is tunable, teaches them more, and they will get a lot more enjoyment from it. They can learn to customize the pitch to their liking. Kids like personalizing their phones, and designing levels for video games, so I think teaching a kid to tie Mali weave knots and how to tune a drum is great. Tuning a roped djembe is hard, and not easy to do.
You can get a great sounding drum for around $60 - $100 depending on what kind and brand. As far as the head size, I suggest a drum with a 10” or even 12” playable size drum head. They have a better range of bass to tones.
A couple of video games cost $80, and a drum will last practically forever if you take minimal care of it. I suggest getting a drum with a synthetic head on it, rather than a goatskin one because they are harder to break. A djembe drum is the most popular, or a goblet drum, (doumbek). I think bongos are a very good choice also, because it gives them two drums to play. Most of them have thick cowhide heads and are hard to break. Plus, they can be played with hands or drumsticks. Most bongos have 5” and 6” heads on them. There are also 4” and 5” head size sets, I suggest getting them the big ol’ drums.
With bongos, there are two kinds of rims, one is straight down vertical, and the other has a more comfortable curved edge rim. Some call it the comfort curve. It’s a good name, because the fingers can get beat up after a little while on a straight rim. These days, the curved rim can be found on some djembes and now on most conga drums as well. The bearing edge can be a bit rough on the hands without one. A nice comfortable curved bearing edge on a wood shell djembe is particularity important as well.
Recently I wrote an article about buying a drum for adults, but a lot of it does apply to kids, so you might give it a read. It is one of my older posts. I always suggest buying as much drum as possible so your child can grow into it, but still enjoy having fun playing and being a kid.
You can get a very decent synthetic djembe drum, where both the drum body, and head are synthetic for under $100 these days. Get them a grown up drum with an 8, 10”, or 12” head. (Playable size.) Again I stress getting a lug tuned drum because they can easily learn about tuning and pitch. With these kinds of drums, most have synthetic heads. Once they are tuned up, that’s pretty much it. All you need to do, boom. The rope tuned goatskin djembes are more fragile, and higher maintenance. There’s nothing wrong with learning about and respecting a good djembe though.
I mean, don’t get me wrong here. If you have the money to buy your child a really good drum, I suggest doing it. In my opinion, a rope tuned authentic Ivory Coast djembe is the sweetest sounding drum ever. I also like the LP Giovanni, and Meinl Floatune djembes. Both of those are lug tuned. Most of the high end drums cost in the $350 range. The Gio and Float have goatskin heads, yet are lug tunable. And at least with one of these from a major manufacturer, you can buy it new and be assured that it’s not a knock off drum.
Most of these drums are 12” heads, usually solid wood bodies, and they are a bit heavy after awhile. They can weigh about 15 to 18 pounds. So getting a djembe strap might be a good idea, they can stand and play if they want. Otherwise they are stuck playing seated. Most people prefer to stand and play, it feels better. A djembe strap that criss crosses over the back is best, because it distributes the weight better. Get the one that clips on in front to the drum. They cost around 20 bucks. A tie on style becomes a bit more tedious. A shoulder strap tends to hurt after awhile.
You might as well spring for a djembe hat to protect the head, and a padded drum bag to store and transport it in. Might want to consider springing for a djembe drum stand also. That frees up the weight issue, so you can play comfortable standing or seated. Check to see how well made and sturdy it is. Some of them look pretty solid, but when you try to play a drum on it they bounce around like bobble heads. A good one runs in the $80 range. Having fun yet?
The two main problems with getting an expensive djembe is finding one that really is authentic. There are a lot of knock offs out there. For example, the last time I checked, I don’t think the djembe is indigenous to Indonesia. So you need to find someone knowledgeable to get the real deal here. Some of these drums have magnificent carvings and/or artwork on them. The sound is unmatched by any other drum in my opinion. Wood body drums have a warmer, fuller tone to me. The synthetic are lighter, but have a synthetic sound, for obvious reasons. But they are fine for a good all around playable drum that will last.
The other thing is that a goatskin drum head can be damaged pretty easily. One good drop, bump on a door jam, or hit with a drum stick, bye bye drum head. A head replacement can run $60 - $80. Most of it is the labor tying all the Mail weave knots. We’re talking a few hour job here, minimum.
So, drums with synthetic heads that are lug tunable are better suited for kids in my opinion. They’re a little more costly but worth it. Try to get a good brand name drum. ie: Latin Percussion, Toca, Meinl, Remo, Pearl etc. There’s a bunch out there now. Most of the ones with synthetic heads hold up very well. The wooden shell drums tend to be a bit heavy for kids, and now they not only have synthetic drum shells, but lighter polymer, and PVC ones also. Perfect drums for kids.
A goblet shaped doumbek drum is a good choice also. They have a naturally curved rim and are comfortable on the hands. They are easy to hold and play. I like the ergonomic design of them, they are made to fit the natural curve of your hands. I recommend that you get a professional size tunable doumbek. Look for an 8” playable size drum head, and thick cast aluminum on the drum body. Some of them are very thin and the sound sucks. What I mean is, it doesn’t resonate as much, or have the range of pitch. And of course 6 - 8 allen wrench tuning lugs. Cheap drums give you cheap sounds.
The majority of kids seem to like the bongos. They look like more fun to play, and they are what most of the kids I work with gravitate to because there are two drums to play. Two for the price of one. I suggest getting a decent grown up set, as the kids ones are pretty toy like. A drum that is a genuine musical instrument will serve much better, and a pretty decent set of bongos is in the $60 range. The child can set them on their lap and play, or put them on a chair, stool, or table in front of them and jam away. If you are handy, you can build a bongo stand, or buy a collapsible one for about $40. A stand is going to encourage them to play more. Plus hey, it looks cool set up in the corner of the room.
Many drum manufacturers now offer wide selections of drums designed for kids, They are low priced, sound pretty good, but many are not tunable. They are after all, kids drums. They also make grown up drums with 6 and 8 inch heads that are tunable and better suited in my opinion. A little more costly but worth the extra amount in the long run.
The drum selling businesses is so crazy competitive right now, that once you determine what you want, you locate the lowest online price, bookmark it, and most music stores will meet or beat the price. Maybe even ship it free. Most of them do if you spend $100. When I’m looking for a new brand name drum, I research for the lowest price, print it out and go visit my local music store. Most of the time they will match it or come close. I like to support local if I can.
I guess you can also get an old marching snare drum like I did. The schools sell them off from time to time, and I see them on sites like Ebay pretty reasonably priced with the shoulder strap and everything. These days, you can get a rubber practice pad for the kids to drum away on, (it sits right over the drum head, or on a table) for $20. Had they been around at the time, I’m sure my neighbors would have gladly bought me one.
Two sites I have bought from that seem to have the lowest prices, and have matched prices are music123.com and musiciansfriend.com Both also have outlet store pages with some good deals, but they come and go fast. They both carry bongos, doumbeks, and smaller djembes. There are lots of online retailers out there, check for buyer reviews on them before you buy. A simple search on the brand or dealer name + the word “review” will give you plenty of opinions from owners. I like to shop at our local music store for two reasons. Supporting local businesses, and I like to try a drum out before I buy it.
A good drum will bring years of fun and entertainment. It will last a very long time if you take care of it. Playing music is very satisfying alone or with friends.
If you would like to get much more in depth with teaching your children to drum, please consider picking up my 300 page book on hand drumming and drum circles. It’s $10 on Kindle, or physical copies for $18. Purchase it from my website and I include a 75 minute facilitated drum circle CD you can just enjoy, or even play along with. If you do choose to buy it, thanks in advance for helping me out a little bit. With the price of gas going up 35 cents in the last two weeks, entertainment money is a lot tighter. I have 5 full length drum circle mp3’s you can listen to, or download free at my website: drumcircles.net - No registering or signing up for anything is required.
With so many changes going on in the world today, I think that the arts can contribute to our coming together on a global scale. And drumming and dancing are both things that everyone can be a part of with minimal training or skill. They transcend barriers of language, religion, and countries. What better reason to introduce your child to the joy of drumming. You might have a lot of fun together along the way.
Shannon Ratigan
drumcircles.net
Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.
When I was old enough, I was able to be a high school band geek. (Fortunately it’s more fashionable with the popularity of TV shows like “Glee”). Anyway, music always gave me a place to have a good time and be entertained. A chance to play in fun places, and even earn a few bucks here and there. Sitting in with bands, jamming at drum circles, or just by myself. Sometimes I just want to be comfortably “away”. A drum is good for that, as well as building social skills.
Lots of parents bring kids to family friendly facilitated and public drum circles. For the most part, those kind of drum circles are a safe comfortable place for your child to be able to interact socially with others in a non threatening environment. Keeping in mind that with any public group you are likely to have a few oddballs in there, so it makes sense to supervise them. If it were my children, I would want to visit the drum circle alone just to see the general vibe of it first.
Kids are welcome at most drum circles if they are supervised. Here’s something cool where you can connect, and do something positive with your kids. When you’re at a drum circle just remind them to respect other people’s space while they are playing, and not to run wild, or touch anyone else’s drums without asking first.
You might consider getting a drum for yourself also, that way you can learn how to play together. For about $300 you can get a pretty decent drum for both of you. Learning how to play is easier than you may think. With all the great YouTube videos out there, it’s at your fingertips.
Check out my drum circle finder page and see what’s going on nearby, and perhaps consider visiting one for the first time, or practice and learn a little first. No big deal either way. Drum circles are pretty organic and, for the most part, welcome everybody, regardless of skill level. Most musicians are very supportive, and are happy to offer a few pointers once you have played in the group with them a few times.
So you want to buy your kid a drum. These days, there is an amazing selection of low cost hand drums available. Most music stores have a world percussion section where a kid can just go bang a bongo or two and see what “talks to them”. A first drum is an important choice even for kids. I think buying a full size drum rather than a so called “kids” drum is a better idea, because the price difference is like 20 bucks. Plus it gives your child something to grow into, rather than out of, or needing to upgrade at some point.
Most of the drums designed with kids in mind are not tunable – just a drum head glued on with some decorative ribbon around it or something. A grown up drum that is tunable, teaches them more, and they will get a lot more enjoyment from it. They can learn to customize the pitch to their liking. Kids like personalizing their phones, and designing levels for video games, so I think teaching a kid to tie Mali weave knots and how to tune a drum is great. Tuning a roped djembe is hard, and not easy to do.
You can get a great sounding drum for around $60 - $100 depending on what kind and brand. As far as the head size, I suggest a drum with a 10” or even 12” playable size drum head. They have a better range of bass to tones.
A couple of video games cost $80, and a drum will last practically forever if you take minimal care of it. I suggest getting a drum with a synthetic head on it, rather than a goatskin one because they are harder to break. A djembe drum is the most popular, or a goblet drum, (doumbek). I think bongos are a very good choice also, because it gives them two drums to play. Most of them have thick cowhide heads and are hard to break. Plus, they can be played with hands or drumsticks. Most bongos have 5” and 6” heads on them. There are also 4” and 5” head size sets, I suggest getting them the big ol’ drums.
With bongos, there are two kinds of rims, one is straight down vertical, and the other has a more comfortable curved edge rim. Some call it the comfort curve. It’s a good name, because the fingers can get beat up after a little while on a straight rim. These days, the curved rim can be found on some djembes and now on most conga drums as well. The bearing edge can be a bit rough on the hands without one. A nice comfortable curved bearing edge on a wood shell djembe is particularity important as well.
Recently I wrote an article about buying a drum for adults, but a lot of it does apply to kids, so you might give it a read. It is one of my older posts. I always suggest buying as much drum as possible so your child can grow into it, but still enjoy having fun playing and being a kid.
You can get a very decent synthetic djembe drum, where both the drum body, and head are synthetic for under $100 these days. Get them a grown up drum with an 8, 10”, or 12” head. (Playable size.) Again I stress getting a lug tuned drum because they can easily learn about tuning and pitch. With these kinds of drums, most have synthetic heads. Once they are tuned up, that’s pretty much it. All you need to do, boom. The rope tuned goatskin djembes are more fragile, and higher maintenance. There’s nothing wrong with learning about and respecting a good djembe though.
I mean, don’t get me wrong here. If you have the money to buy your child a really good drum, I suggest doing it. In my opinion, a rope tuned authentic Ivory Coast djembe is the sweetest sounding drum ever. I also like the LP Giovanni, and Meinl Floatune djembes. Both of those are lug tuned. Most of the high end drums cost in the $350 range. The Gio and Float have goatskin heads, yet are lug tunable. And at least with one of these from a major manufacturer, you can buy it new and be assured that it’s not a knock off drum.
Most of these drums are 12” heads, usually solid wood bodies, and they are a bit heavy after awhile. They can weigh about 15 to 18 pounds. So getting a djembe strap might be a good idea, they can stand and play if they want. Otherwise they are stuck playing seated. Most people prefer to stand and play, it feels better. A djembe strap that criss crosses over the back is best, because it distributes the weight better. Get the one that clips on in front to the drum. They cost around 20 bucks. A tie on style becomes a bit more tedious. A shoulder strap tends to hurt after awhile.
You might as well spring for a djembe hat to protect the head, and a padded drum bag to store and transport it in. Might want to consider springing for a djembe drum stand also. That frees up the weight issue, so you can play comfortable standing or seated. Check to see how well made and sturdy it is. Some of them look pretty solid, but when you try to play a drum on it they bounce around like bobble heads. A good one runs in the $80 range. Having fun yet?
The two main problems with getting an expensive djembe is finding one that really is authentic. There are a lot of knock offs out there. For example, the last time I checked, I don’t think the djembe is indigenous to Indonesia. So you need to find someone knowledgeable to get the real deal here. Some of these drums have magnificent carvings and/or artwork on them. The sound is unmatched by any other drum in my opinion. Wood body drums have a warmer, fuller tone to me. The synthetic are lighter, but have a synthetic sound, for obvious reasons. But they are fine for a good all around playable drum that will last.
The other thing is that a goatskin drum head can be damaged pretty easily. One good drop, bump on a door jam, or hit with a drum stick, bye bye drum head. A head replacement can run $60 - $80. Most of it is the labor tying all the Mail weave knots. We’re talking a few hour job here, minimum.
So, drums with synthetic heads that are lug tunable are better suited for kids in my opinion. They’re a little more costly but worth it. Try to get a good brand name drum. ie: Latin Percussion, Toca, Meinl, Remo, Pearl etc. There’s a bunch out there now. Most of the ones with synthetic heads hold up very well. The wooden shell drums tend to be a bit heavy for kids, and now they not only have synthetic drum shells, but lighter polymer, and PVC ones also. Perfect drums for kids.
A goblet shaped doumbek drum is a good choice also. They have a naturally curved rim and are comfortable on the hands. They are easy to hold and play. I like the ergonomic design of them, they are made to fit the natural curve of your hands. I recommend that you get a professional size tunable doumbek. Look for an 8” playable size drum head, and thick cast aluminum on the drum body. Some of them are very thin and the sound sucks. What I mean is, it doesn’t resonate as much, or have the range of pitch. And of course 6 - 8 allen wrench tuning lugs. Cheap drums give you cheap sounds.
The majority of kids seem to like the bongos. They look like more fun to play, and they are what most of the kids I work with gravitate to because there are two drums to play. Two for the price of one. I suggest getting a decent grown up set, as the kids ones are pretty toy like. A drum that is a genuine musical instrument will serve much better, and a pretty decent set of bongos is in the $60 range. The child can set them on their lap and play, or put them on a chair, stool, or table in front of them and jam away. If you are handy, you can build a bongo stand, or buy a collapsible one for about $40. A stand is going to encourage them to play more. Plus hey, it looks cool set up in the corner of the room.
Many drum manufacturers now offer wide selections of drums designed for kids, They are low priced, sound pretty good, but many are not tunable. They are after all, kids drums. They also make grown up drums with 6 and 8 inch heads that are tunable and better suited in my opinion. A little more costly but worth the extra amount in the long run.
The drum selling businesses is so crazy competitive right now, that once you determine what you want, you locate the lowest online price, bookmark it, and most music stores will meet or beat the price. Maybe even ship it free. Most of them do if you spend $100. When I’m looking for a new brand name drum, I research for the lowest price, print it out and go visit my local music store. Most of the time they will match it or come close. I like to support local if I can.
I guess you can also get an old marching snare drum like I did. The schools sell them off from time to time, and I see them on sites like Ebay pretty reasonably priced with the shoulder strap and everything. These days, you can get a rubber practice pad for the kids to drum away on, (it sits right over the drum head, or on a table) for $20. Had they been around at the time, I’m sure my neighbors would have gladly bought me one.
Two sites I have bought from that seem to have the lowest prices, and have matched prices are music123.com and musiciansfriend.com Both also have outlet store pages with some good deals, but they come and go fast. They both carry bongos, doumbeks, and smaller djembes. There are lots of online retailers out there, check for buyer reviews on them before you buy. A simple search on the brand or dealer name + the word “review” will give you plenty of opinions from owners. I like to shop at our local music store for two reasons. Supporting local businesses, and I like to try a drum out before I buy it.
A good drum will bring years of fun and entertainment. It will last a very long time if you take care of it. Playing music is very satisfying alone or with friends.
If you would like to get much more in depth with teaching your children to drum, please consider picking up my 300 page book on hand drumming and drum circles. It’s $10 on Kindle, or physical copies for $18. Purchase it from my website and I include a 75 minute facilitated drum circle CD you can just enjoy, or even play along with. If you do choose to buy it, thanks in advance for helping me out a little bit. With the price of gas going up 35 cents in the last two weeks, entertainment money is a lot tighter. I have 5 full length drum circle mp3’s you can listen to, or download free at my website: drumcircles.net - No registering or signing up for anything is required.
With so many changes going on in the world today, I think that the arts can contribute to our coming together on a global scale. And drumming and dancing are both things that everyone can be a part of with minimal training or skill. They transcend barriers of language, religion, and countries. What better reason to introduce your child to the joy of drumming. You might have a lot of fun together along the way.
Shannon Ratigan
drumcircles.net
Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuning A Lug Tunable Djembe, Marking It, & Head Replacement
Lug tuned djembes, doumbeks, ashikos, and congas. My favorite drum is a lug tuned LP Giovanni djembe with a goatskin head. Here's a few thoughts on tuning up a lug tunable hand drum, a little about replacing a drum head, and some different ways to put an identifying mark on your drum.
For the most part, lug tuned djembes are less expensive, and more readily available at music stores, and online, so they are becoming more popular, especially with those that are newer to drumming. With a synthetic head, once it’s tuned, it’s basically tuned for life. You can pretty much forget about it, once you have it sounding the way you like.
Goatskin drum heads are a completely different matter, lug tuned or roped. Going from the heat, into air conditioning can pop a drum head if it’s tuned a little too high. Very cold air has less moisture, and the drum heads get dryer and tighten up. I make it a habit to detune a half crank or two each lug after a gig. I go from outdoors to inside a lot. 5 years ago I discovered a broken head when I took it out of the bag for a gig. lol, not good, so I make it a point to take the time, even though I am too tired to do it…before it goes back into the djembe bag, I detune each lug a little after each use. ¾ of a full crank seems to work fine in most cases. The advantage with this kind of djembe, is you can quickly tune, or detune it in minutes, unlike with a rope tuned drum.
Having said that, to me, there is nothing that really compares to an authentic handcrafted djembe. The sound is unmatched, but they are also very expensive. Another problem is that there is a lot of “knock offs” being sold out there as “an authentic indigenous drum”, and many of them are not. You almost need to know someone reliable, or travel.
When I do have to unfortunately replace a drum head, at least I can do so quickly. I do it like the crisscross change a tire lug pattern: 12 0’clock – then 6. then 3 & 9. Equally all around, from one side to the other. After I slide the head back and forth to get it seated nicely, I hand tighten all the lugs equally first. Then it’s a few tuning wrench cranks at a time, in the back and forth pattern. I hold my finger on the one I just tightened, so I can go across the head and remember the one I just did, and my pattern. Back and forth, crisscross, equal cranks all around as best as I can. An important thing to do afterward is look across the flat plane edge of the drum head, and see if it looks nice and even around the rim. Sometimes I didn’t seat the drum head properly, or over tightened on one side, and it may be a tiny bit higher than the other, so I correct for that. (Do it over again! lol)
Another tip I learned was that when I do replace a goatskin djembe head, or a cow skin conga head, I take a little bit of powdered flour, rub some on my hands and lightly rub a very thin coat along the bearing edge, (top) of the drum body before I place the drum head back on it. I slide it around a little, and this allows it to “seat” better on the drum.
The most important thing for correctly tuning my djembe, is after I have it as even and tight as I want, I tap my finger on the drum head about an inch from each lug, and do so for each lug as I go around the drum in a circular pattern. That’s how I can tell if the drum is equally tuned near each lug. Or just a light flick of your fingernail near each lug. If any one sounds higher or lower in pitch, I correct it so that they all sound the same. This not only lengthens drum head life, but it sounds better. It reduces unwanted ringing, and unwanted off pitch sounding notes. Different sounding tones on different lugs can lead to a dissonant combination. This is more important with djembe heads, because they have thinner goatskin heads than cow skin conga heads. So the djembe head is much more sensitive to tension and evenness, both with goatskin and with some synthetic heads.
For those of you that have drum sets, you probably know most of this stuff already, so please bear with me for those that are new to tuning drums. Many of my suggestions are from others who taught me, band gigs in sleazy bars, and the rest from trial and error. These may not be the “best” way, or the only way to do things, I am a musician sharing information. If you have a few helpful tips to add, that would be much appreciated.
An easy way to quick tune my quinta and conga, or bongos, is to recall the song, “Here comes The Bride”. I tune them to sound like the notes in it. It makes it very simple to do, even in a dimly lit situation. (If it’s just my djembe I’m tuning, it’s to the “Bride” pitched note. Maybe just a tad higher.
Some lug tuned goatskin and synthetic drum heads can have ringing, or a ping like sound. Many joke about it, and call it the “twang”. Trying to dampen that overtone a little with synthetic heads is a real consideration for many of us. Especially at studio recording sessions. To reduce it, I hang a blue painter’s tape tail in the center underside of the head. (The blue tape doesn't leave a sticky residue like regular masking tape, or duct tape can do over time.) I use a long single piece - so it has about a 6 inch tail that is hanging down in the center, and stretching about 6 " in both directions across the drum head. ( ----V----) The V is to help illustrate, I close the V section to it is stuck together and hanging down in the middle. The tape I use is 1" wide blue painter’s tape.
I set the drum on the floor upside down on carpet, and try to place it in there with one arm, because that’s all that will fit. It can be tricky getting it in there, sometimes I have to try 3 or 4 times to get it in there nice and even and flat, so the 6 inch tail can be hanging down in the center. I’ve seen other ways to do this, using just a flat straight piece of tape across the underside of the head, a flat “X” pattern, a square, or a circle, or even a sqiggley. Experiment, because that’s part of the fun of drumming, and see what works best for your drum. However you get to it, hopefully it’s bye-bye ping.
One other thing about placing in the blue tape, on the underside of some drum heads is that it will not stick at first. With some newer heads, the bottom surface of the head can have a light coat of powder on it. The solution is to take several dry paper towels and gently wipe the powder off until it is clean enough so the tape would stick on any part of it. I guess the blue painter’s tape is designed like that so it is easy to come off. Another similar simple quick fix, or test idea is to try putting a few Post-It notes hanging under there.
I make it a habit to replace the tape every 4 months or so just to avoid any possibility of sticky tape residue on the underside of my drum head.
If you have to replace or remove the drum rim for any reason, be sure to put it back exactly the same way it came apart. Otherwise it may not fit quite properly when you put it back on, or a lug might get stripped. This is especially true with aluminum doumbeks, I make sure the head is seated properly, and tighten the lugs up again in a crisscross pattern, a little bit at a time. What I do to mark the spot is put a small piece of painter’s tape on the rim and just below it on the drum shell near a lug, so I can mark the spot.
Then I can put it back exactly as it came from the factory. When I remove the lugs, I line them up in a row the way they came off, so I can put them back exactly where they were. Cleaning and twisting them on an old towel, and oiling them is a good idea when you do this. There’s a special lug oil you can get at most drum shops.
Identifying and/or Marking Your Drum(s)
If you have just one prized djembe, or a kit of 50, marking them, or identifying them is a good idea, just in case. Early on, I used a permanent magic marker and would write my name inside the drum body. Later, I painted a bright line across the bottom, or mid-shell. Then when I had a whole bunch of drums, I went to some paper stickers I made on my PC. They left a glue residue, and looked sloppy after a year or so. But it was better than nothing. About 8 years ago I started to use those 4 x 5” vinyl bumper stickers you tend to see many bands use for promoting, publicity, etc. At many of the drum circles I facilitated or hosted, the public was welcome and some would bring their own drums, so things could get a little confusing as people would come and go, and at the end of the gig.
I needed to be able to identify my drums and percussion quickly and easily, sometimes at night in very dim light. I also wanted to deter them from walking away a little bit, that having unfortunately happened one time, but months later, the drum was anonymously returned to me. So I was glad it had that sticker, and/or my name written inside it. The stickers were inexpensive, easy to see, good for promotion, and they looked pretty cool.
If you get the 4” x 5" size stickers with black and white text only. They are about 10 – 50 cents each depending on how many you order. As a bonus you can also hand them out to clients, participants, add to your press pack, etc. But if you start adding logos, colors, or pics, the price goes up on them pretty quickly.
Most all of my kit is synthetic body drums like Remo, Toca, assorted aluminum doumbeks, etc. so slapping a sticker on the side of them was not really a big deal. For groups I prefer synthetic drums because they are easily washable, and can be sanitized. Add to that, they can take more of a beating than goatskin, they do better in humidity, and they cost less to buy. If I needed to remove one of my bumper stickers for some reason, (after a few years there would be a glue residue on there). A product like De-Solv-It takes it off easily. It’s made for removing wallpaper glue.
Obviously you don’t want to put a band sticker on a nice carved wood djembe, but for most of my drums it was fine, and I could easily see from a distance which ones belonged to me. With wood djembes a few ideas are to paint some sort of bright marking on them, or hang those price tags, or luggage tags with a string on them on the ring with a name written on it. Some even carve, or wood burn a name at the bottom of the shell. At least consider writing your name with a permanent marker inside the drum shell. If you have some aluminum, stainless, or nickel doumbeks, carving, or wood burning obviously won’t do, so a sticker or colorful marking of some sort might be the way to go.
About 10 years ago my drum circle facilitating kit was all wood shell djembes. After you schlep 50 drums in and out for an event, (even with some help) they were too heavy to keep track of, let alone haul around. As I mentioned, I prefer the sound and feel of goatskin heads on a wood drum shell, but after a while, it just wasn’t practical. But at least with some kind of bright looking, or obvious mark on them, they’re easier to identify as being yours, especially if you work in public places. As I mentioned, some people bring their own drums. It can get confusing without it.
If you go with that white vinyl band sticker idea, as far as your design is concerned, most of the sticker companies make it pretty easy to do. Most of them will let you design your sticker in a Word doc, you can use most common fonts and sizes, and you email it to them. Make your sticker short and sweet. For my text, I chose my website DRUMSOME.com I made the .com very tiny, (and away at the lower right), so promotion wasn’t so blatantly obvious, and people are less likely to toss them. It’s kind of cool looking, and the .com was so tiny, people would still put them on car bumpers and so on. People would even ask for a sticker to take home all the time, so it was effective publicity for me in the community, and I could easily identify my drums on a budget.
I hope some of this helps you!
Shannon
drumcircles.net (Got a regular meeting drum circle, or looking for one? Please check out the website. Thanks)
For the most part, lug tuned djembes are less expensive, and more readily available at music stores, and online, so they are becoming more popular, especially with those that are newer to drumming. With a synthetic head, once it’s tuned, it’s basically tuned for life. You can pretty much forget about it, once you have it sounding the way you like.
Goatskin drum heads are a completely different matter, lug tuned or roped. Going from the heat, into air conditioning can pop a drum head if it’s tuned a little too high. Very cold air has less moisture, and the drum heads get dryer and tighten up. I make it a habit to detune a half crank or two each lug after a gig. I go from outdoors to inside a lot. 5 years ago I discovered a broken head when I took it out of the bag for a gig. lol, not good, so I make it a point to take the time, even though I am too tired to do it…before it goes back into the djembe bag, I detune each lug a little after each use. ¾ of a full crank seems to work fine in most cases. The advantage with this kind of djembe, is you can quickly tune, or detune it in minutes, unlike with a rope tuned drum.
Having said that, to me, there is nothing that really compares to an authentic handcrafted djembe. The sound is unmatched, but they are also very expensive. Another problem is that there is a lot of “knock offs” being sold out there as “an authentic indigenous drum”, and many of them are not. You almost need to know someone reliable, or travel.
When I do have to unfortunately replace a drum head, at least I can do so quickly. I do it like the crisscross change a tire lug pattern: 12 0’clock – then 6. then 3 & 9. Equally all around, from one side to the other. After I slide the head back and forth to get it seated nicely, I hand tighten all the lugs equally first. Then it’s a few tuning wrench cranks at a time, in the back and forth pattern. I hold my finger on the one I just tightened, so I can go across the head and remember the one I just did, and my pattern. Back and forth, crisscross, equal cranks all around as best as I can. An important thing to do afterward is look across the flat plane edge of the drum head, and see if it looks nice and even around the rim. Sometimes I didn’t seat the drum head properly, or over tightened on one side, and it may be a tiny bit higher than the other, so I correct for that. (Do it over again! lol)
Another tip I learned was that when I do replace a goatskin djembe head, or a cow skin conga head, I take a little bit of powdered flour, rub some on my hands and lightly rub a very thin coat along the bearing edge, (top) of the drum body before I place the drum head back on it. I slide it around a little, and this allows it to “seat” better on the drum.
The most important thing for correctly tuning my djembe, is after I have it as even and tight as I want, I tap my finger on the drum head about an inch from each lug, and do so for each lug as I go around the drum in a circular pattern. That’s how I can tell if the drum is equally tuned near each lug. Or just a light flick of your fingernail near each lug. If any one sounds higher or lower in pitch, I correct it so that they all sound the same. This not only lengthens drum head life, but it sounds better. It reduces unwanted ringing, and unwanted off pitch sounding notes. Different sounding tones on different lugs can lead to a dissonant combination. This is more important with djembe heads, because they have thinner goatskin heads than cow skin conga heads. So the djembe head is much more sensitive to tension and evenness, both with goatskin and with some synthetic heads.
For those of you that have drum sets, you probably know most of this stuff already, so please bear with me for those that are new to tuning drums. Many of my suggestions are from others who taught me, band gigs in sleazy bars, and the rest from trial and error. These may not be the “best” way, or the only way to do things, I am a musician sharing information. If you have a few helpful tips to add, that would be much appreciated.
An easy way to quick tune my quinta and conga, or bongos, is to recall the song, “Here comes The Bride”. I tune them to sound like the notes in it. It makes it very simple to do, even in a dimly lit situation. (If it’s just my djembe I’m tuning, it’s to the “Bride” pitched note. Maybe just a tad higher.
Some lug tuned goatskin and synthetic drum heads can have ringing, or a ping like sound. Many joke about it, and call it the “twang”. Trying to dampen that overtone a little with synthetic heads is a real consideration for many of us. Especially at studio recording sessions. To reduce it, I hang a blue painter’s tape tail in the center underside of the head. (The blue tape doesn't leave a sticky residue like regular masking tape, or duct tape can do over time.) I use a long single piece - so it has about a 6 inch tail that is hanging down in the center, and stretching about 6 " in both directions across the drum head. ( ----V----) The V is to help illustrate, I close the V section to it is stuck together and hanging down in the middle. The tape I use is 1" wide blue painter’s tape.
I set the drum on the floor upside down on carpet, and try to place it in there with one arm, because that’s all that will fit. It can be tricky getting it in there, sometimes I have to try 3 or 4 times to get it in there nice and even and flat, so the 6 inch tail can be hanging down in the center. I’ve seen other ways to do this, using just a flat straight piece of tape across the underside of the head, a flat “X” pattern, a square, or a circle, or even a sqiggley. Experiment, because that’s part of the fun of drumming, and see what works best for your drum. However you get to it, hopefully it’s bye-bye ping.
One other thing about placing in the blue tape, on the underside of some drum heads is that it will not stick at first. With some newer heads, the bottom surface of the head can have a light coat of powder on it. The solution is to take several dry paper towels and gently wipe the powder off until it is clean enough so the tape would stick on any part of it. I guess the blue painter’s tape is designed like that so it is easy to come off. Another similar simple quick fix, or test idea is to try putting a few Post-It notes hanging under there.
I make it a habit to replace the tape every 4 months or so just to avoid any possibility of sticky tape residue on the underside of my drum head.
If you have to replace or remove the drum rim for any reason, be sure to put it back exactly the same way it came apart. Otherwise it may not fit quite properly when you put it back on, or a lug might get stripped. This is especially true with aluminum doumbeks, I make sure the head is seated properly, and tighten the lugs up again in a crisscross pattern, a little bit at a time. What I do to mark the spot is put a small piece of painter’s tape on the rim and just below it on the drum shell near a lug, so I can mark the spot.
Then I can put it back exactly as it came from the factory. When I remove the lugs, I line them up in a row the way they came off, so I can put them back exactly where they were. Cleaning and twisting them on an old towel, and oiling them is a good idea when you do this. There’s a special lug oil you can get at most drum shops.
Identifying and/or Marking Your Drum(s)
If you have just one prized djembe, or a kit of 50, marking them, or identifying them is a good idea, just in case. Early on, I used a permanent magic marker and would write my name inside the drum body. Later, I painted a bright line across the bottom, or mid-shell. Then when I had a whole bunch of drums, I went to some paper stickers I made on my PC. They left a glue residue, and looked sloppy after a year or so. But it was better than nothing. About 8 years ago I started to use those 4 x 5” vinyl bumper stickers you tend to see many bands use for promoting, publicity, etc. At many of the drum circles I facilitated or hosted, the public was welcome and some would bring their own drums, so things could get a little confusing as people would come and go, and at the end of the gig.
I needed to be able to identify my drums and percussion quickly and easily, sometimes at night in very dim light. I also wanted to deter them from walking away a little bit, that having unfortunately happened one time, but months later, the drum was anonymously returned to me. So I was glad it had that sticker, and/or my name written inside it. The stickers were inexpensive, easy to see, good for promotion, and they looked pretty cool.
If you get the 4” x 5" size stickers with black and white text only. They are about 10 – 50 cents each depending on how many you order. As a bonus you can also hand them out to clients, participants, add to your press pack, etc. But if you start adding logos, colors, or pics, the price goes up on them pretty quickly.
Most all of my kit is synthetic body drums like Remo, Toca, assorted aluminum doumbeks, etc. so slapping a sticker on the side of them was not really a big deal. For groups I prefer synthetic drums because they are easily washable, and can be sanitized. Add to that, they can take more of a beating than goatskin, they do better in humidity, and they cost less to buy. If I needed to remove one of my bumper stickers for some reason, (after a few years there would be a glue residue on there). A product like De-Solv-It takes it off easily. It’s made for removing wallpaper glue.
Obviously you don’t want to put a band sticker on a nice carved wood djembe, but for most of my drums it was fine, and I could easily see from a distance which ones belonged to me. With wood djembes a few ideas are to paint some sort of bright marking on them, or hang those price tags, or luggage tags with a string on them on the ring with a name written on it. Some even carve, or wood burn a name at the bottom of the shell. At least consider writing your name with a permanent marker inside the drum shell. If you have some aluminum, stainless, or nickel doumbeks, carving, or wood burning obviously won’t do, so a sticker or colorful marking of some sort might be the way to go.
About 10 years ago my drum circle facilitating kit was all wood shell djembes. After you schlep 50 drums in and out for an event, (even with some help) they were too heavy to keep track of, let alone haul around. As I mentioned, I prefer the sound and feel of goatskin heads on a wood drum shell, but after a while, it just wasn’t practical. But at least with some kind of bright looking, or obvious mark on them, they’re easier to identify as being yours, especially if you work in public places. As I mentioned, some people bring their own drums. It can get confusing without it.
If you go with that white vinyl band sticker idea, as far as your design is concerned, most of the sticker companies make it pretty easy to do. Most of them will let you design your sticker in a Word doc, you can use most common fonts and sizes, and you email it to them. Make your sticker short and sweet. For my text, I chose my website DRUMSOME.com I made the .com very tiny, (and away at the lower right), so promotion wasn’t so blatantly obvious, and people are less likely to toss them. It’s kind of cool looking, and the .com was so tiny, people would still put them on car bumpers and so on. People would even ask for a sticker to take home all the time, so it was effective publicity for me in the community, and I could easily identify my drums on a budget.
I hope some of this helps you!
Shannon
drumcircles.net (Got a regular meeting drum circle, or looking for one? Please check out the website. Thanks)
Friday, January 14, 2011
Drum Circles, Drumming In Cold Weather & The Elements
If you are a hard core drum circle lover, sometimes we play in very cold weather, and even outdoors in the snow. I’ve done it, and lots of circles go on up north during the winter. It’s easy to pick up a bruise in the cold. The drum head is a lot harder. When I play my Djembe outdoors in extreme cold, it’s usually in a remote location, and often its dark outside as well. Most of the suggestions below are common knowledge, so please bear with me for those that are newer to drumming.
My drum of choice is a goatskin djembe. When I do choose to take it outdoors and play, to protect it a bit more, I take some precautions. The sub-freezing, cold air has less moisture. If you play a goatskin head drum, the drum head will be very dry. Moisten it with whatever oil or butter you would normally use on it, but do so at least a day ahead. Personally, I don’t like to use any oils or anything on my drum head, just the natural oil build up from my hands. It’s a personal preference. Some people put oil on the wood drum body also, I choose not to do that either.
More often than not, I leave my expensive goatskin djembe at home, and use my “beater” drum. When I’m outside I use a synthetic drum like a Remo djembe or something. They sound pretty good even in frigid weather, and even pretty good when you're wearing gloves or mittens while playing them. The cold even makes them sound a little better. I don't like the feeling of synthetic drum heads. They are not kind on the hands, and I don’t care for the sound that is created as much as goatskin. I don’t endorse Remo or any other manufacturer, I am just giving you my opinion on what I like to use, and why.
That Remo djembe of mine is the 12” head size model. Not too heavy to play for hours, yet still has decent range for bass, tones and slaps. I’ve had it for over 15 years and never had to replace a head or anything to it. Of course it has a few signs of wear, some dings, dents, and scrapes, but hey, so do I. I can’t say the same for my goatskin drum, I’ve replaced the head 4 times in 8 years, but that is my drum of choice for session recordings, facilitating drum circles, important gigs, etc. So my beater is my drum of choice to play in hot humidity, dampness, or very cold weather.
The Remo was like $125 to my door used from an online auction site. As far as I know, they still sell new for just under $200. Picking up a used one isn’t really a problem, because you pretty much know what it’s going to sound like. Considering how long it has lasted, it’s a pretty good value for the money. I’ve played the crap out of that drum in all kinds of conditions. On the beach in hot humidity, gotten sand all up in it, in the rain, snow, extreme cold, and it sounds pretty good all around. You could probably play that thing on another planet with no atmosphere and it would sound okay. It’s a decent all purpose drum, and I don’t really need to worry if I let others play it for awhile. But the ping sound of a synthetic drum bugs me a little. A piece of blue painters tape with a 4 inch tail hanging under the head tames it down a bit.
On the up side, that drum has taken a real beating over the years, and I’m told it is made of all recycled materials. (Not exactly sure what that is, it could be soylent green for all I know, but I think it is recycled wood.) They seem to hold their value, rarely need a repair, so in my opinion, they make a fine all weather condition beater drum, that I don’t need to worry about. It’s just my preference.
When I’m out in very cold weather, obviously, you want to avoid gloves entirely if you can, but you'll do a little better using the thinnest gloves you can find. Be sure to check your gloves for any metal clips or plastic clips on them, and take a look at the cuffs of your sleeves of the coat you'll be wearing. Remember to try and not get to hammering away outside in the cold. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, and do some real damage to yourself. Remember to pace yourself, and try to play a little softer than you normally would. Don't expect to be getting all these extreme slaps from your drum, and hurt your hands. Take a break now and then, and let your hands warm up. I keep a few of those heat packs in my coat pockets to warm them up with. Plus it keeps my body warmer. For a coat, I like to stay warm and toasty, but have as much freedom of movement for my arms as well. A snowmobile suit doesn’t quite cut it. I have one of what is called a squall or stadium coat. It has a thin windproof nylon outer shell, and warm micro-fleece inside. It’s not real heavy, yet keeps me warm, and allows freedom of movement.
Outdoor drum circles sometimes can get a bit sloppy sounding because everyone is cold, so an ideal thing to have, or for someone to have, is a decent bottom drum. Even an old floor tom from a drum set works great for this with a soft mallet. Sticks are too piercing and loud. Plus with a bottom drum, that’s all it needs to do is help hold the bottom, or downbeat. It holds the support rhythm to be more solid, and everyone knows that the better the circle sounds, the more fun it is. One common problem is that everyone wants a turn on the bottom drum. That’s fine of course, but many people will overplay a bottom drum, get to whaling away, and leave no space for the other drums to be heard. Less is more, that’s why when I bring one, I bring only one mallet for it. Problem solved.
One guy had a 55 galloon barrel with a thick Taiko style cow head on top. As odd as it sounds, the thing sounded great, and was a blast to play. He had used a hole saw and put 3 two inch holes spread out around the base so the sound could get out, or resonate more. Pretty clever idea. I’ve also seen the big blue plastic water barrels that are like 22 gallons done up like that. A little easier to move, the big barrel guy had to use a hand truck to move that thing from his van to the circle. But it was fun, great sounding, and really held the grooves together.
If you are facilitating a drum circle, or even just a rhythm, musical non-verbal cues become much more important, because all the hats and scarves tend to cover our ears, and muffle things a little bit.
For my hands out in the cold, I've had a fair amount of luck using fingerless knit gloves. The tones lose a little bit but the slaps are intact, since the fingertips are exposed. On a synthetic drum head, the difference isn’t all that much. I want to jam, but don’t want my fingertips to fall off.
When you are jamming outside in the cold, do whatever you can to keep your whole body warm. There is less chance of you damaging your hands through poor circulation in the fingers. Wear thermal, or silk underwear, even that “wicking” material is a good idea, because we do get to sweatin’ sometimes. I wear thick socks, boots, and lots of layers of clothing. This new underarmor stuff seems pretty nice for this. Don’t forget the lid, like a wool hat, we lose a lot of heat through the top of our heads when they are uncovered. Huddle close together if you have to, in order to save some heat.
Bring a thermos full of something warm, like hot chocolate. It’s a good idea to avoid alcohol outdoors while drumming. It dilates the capillaries and makes you feel warm, but in reality, you just losing heat quicker. Instead, eat plenty of good food beforehand, to generate some heat internally. Have some of that soft cloth first aid tape ready just in case anyone gets a cut or a bruise on their finger.
You can get some of those new high tech warm gloves. (The furry ones look the best) I’ve seen some people cut out the palms and finger pads, or just the finger pads. Not only will you still be able to hit all notes, but your hands will stay a little warmer too. One of the bellydancers has some sort of black thin arm length silk material that ended in fingerless glove, it sort of hooked around her thumb. She would dance, and take breaks to drum out in them, I’m not quite sure what it’s called, I think it was “arm warmers”. A search under bellydancing gloves should bring it up. She said it kept her arms and hands pretty warm while dancing or drumming. Pretty clever idea.
After the drum circle is over, consider getting a few people together afterwards, and go to a restaurant, eat some warm food, drink, and hang out a little. Get to know a few new people that might just turn out to be new good friends. It’s a great way to wrap up a fun drum circle. A drum circle wrap party.
If you are playing in the opposite conditions, with high heat and humidity, you need to adjust to that as well. Try to make sure that you and everyone else are in the shade if possible. Ask people in advance to bring bottled water and keep hydrated. Or provide it yourself for everyone if you can. Sunscreen is a good idea, except for the palms of your hands. This is particularly important if you are playing near water, as the sun’s rays can bounce and give you a nasty burn, even if you are in the shade. Wearing a hat, or headband keeps the sweat out of your eyes.
Your drums will also need some extra attention. Goatskin heads, especially, stretch in heat and/or humidity. They quickly become out of tune. This is one situation again where a synthetic head might be a better choice. I don’t want the sand or dirt getting all up in my nice djembe. Even the wood in the body of the drum can be affected over time, and possibly split along the wood grain. Those synthetic djembes, or aluminum Doumbeks can be a much better choice than your expensive wooden djembe in this kind of hot humid weather condition.
My hands sometimes get a bit bruised when I get home, so what I like to do is use a hand lotion that has some lanolin in it. That helps heal them up quickly. Some friends of mine use shea butter, use whatever works for you. But anything with lanolin helps to heal them. Or at least soothes them a little. A nice soothing soak in a hot bath tub with Epsom salts takes it down a little also. Treat your body right. At least when you get home.
This is more for indoor or hot weather drumming, but before and after I play, I wash my hands in cold water. It cools them down a little bit, and the odds are you shook a lot of hands today, and could catch somebody’s cold. So there’s the hygiene thing there also. Bring some of that portable hand sanitizer, for you, and more importantly for them. But mostly, you have just finished what amounts to beating on something like drywall with your hands for hours. So a nice cool down of your palms will help you take care of them. Washing them just before you play, gives them lots more “grab” on the drum head, so you can get cleaner, and crisper sounding notes as well. I hope some of this helps you to say warm, and in the groove!
Shannon
drumcircles.net
My drum of choice is a goatskin djembe. When I do choose to take it outdoors and play, to protect it a bit more, I take some precautions. The sub-freezing, cold air has less moisture. If you play a goatskin head drum, the drum head will be very dry. Moisten it with whatever oil or butter you would normally use on it, but do so at least a day ahead. Personally, I don’t like to use any oils or anything on my drum head, just the natural oil build up from my hands. It’s a personal preference. Some people put oil on the wood drum body also, I choose not to do that either.
More often than not, I leave my expensive goatskin djembe at home, and use my “beater” drum. When I’m outside I use a synthetic drum like a Remo djembe or something. They sound pretty good even in frigid weather, and even pretty good when you're wearing gloves or mittens while playing them. The cold even makes them sound a little better. I don't like the feeling of synthetic drum heads. They are not kind on the hands, and I don’t care for the sound that is created as much as goatskin. I don’t endorse Remo or any other manufacturer, I am just giving you my opinion on what I like to use, and why.
That Remo djembe of mine is the 12” head size model. Not too heavy to play for hours, yet still has decent range for bass, tones and slaps. I’ve had it for over 15 years and never had to replace a head or anything to it. Of course it has a few signs of wear, some dings, dents, and scrapes, but hey, so do I. I can’t say the same for my goatskin drum, I’ve replaced the head 4 times in 8 years, but that is my drum of choice for session recordings, facilitating drum circles, important gigs, etc. So my beater is my drum of choice to play in hot humidity, dampness, or very cold weather.
The Remo was like $125 to my door used from an online auction site. As far as I know, they still sell new for just under $200. Picking up a used one isn’t really a problem, because you pretty much know what it’s going to sound like. Considering how long it has lasted, it’s a pretty good value for the money. I’ve played the crap out of that drum in all kinds of conditions. On the beach in hot humidity, gotten sand all up in it, in the rain, snow, extreme cold, and it sounds pretty good all around. You could probably play that thing on another planet with no atmosphere and it would sound okay. It’s a decent all purpose drum, and I don’t really need to worry if I let others play it for awhile. But the ping sound of a synthetic drum bugs me a little. A piece of blue painters tape with a 4 inch tail hanging under the head tames it down a bit.
On the up side, that drum has taken a real beating over the years, and I’m told it is made of all recycled materials. (Not exactly sure what that is, it could be soylent green for all I know, but I think it is recycled wood.) They seem to hold their value, rarely need a repair, so in my opinion, they make a fine all weather condition beater drum, that I don’t need to worry about. It’s just my preference.
When I’m out in very cold weather, obviously, you want to avoid gloves entirely if you can, but you'll do a little better using the thinnest gloves you can find. Be sure to check your gloves for any metal clips or plastic clips on them, and take a look at the cuffs of your sleeves of the coat you'll be wearing. Remember to try and not get to hammering away outside in the cold. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, and do some real damage to yourself. Remember to pace yourself, and try to play a little softer than you normally would. Don't expect to be getting all these extreme slaps from your drum, and hurt your hands. Take a break now and then, and let your hands warm up. I keep a few of those heat packs in my coat pockets to warm them up with. Plus it keeps my body warmer. For a coat, I like to stay warm and toasty, but have as much freedom of movement for my arms as well. A snowmobile suit doesn’t quite cut it. I have one of what is called a squall or stadium coat. It has a thin windproof nylon outer shell, and warm micro-fleece inside. It’s not real heavy, yet keeps me warm, and allows freedom of movement.
Outdoor drum circles sometimes can get a bit sloppy sounding because everyone is cold, so an ideal thing to have, or for someone to have, is a decent bottom drum. Even an old floor tom from a drum set works great for this with a soft mallet. Sticks are too piercing and loud. Plus with a bottom drum, that’s all it needs to do is help hold the bottom, or downbeat. It holds the support rhythm to be more solid, and everyone knows that the better the circle sounds, the more fun it is. One common problem is that everyone wants a turn on the bottom drum. That’s fine of course, but many people will overplay a bottom drum, get to whaling away, and leave no space for the other drums to be heard. Less is more, that’s why when I bring one, I bring only one mallet for it. Problem solved.
One guy had a 55 galloon barrel with a thick Taiko style cow head on top. As odd as it sounds, the thing sounded great, and was a blast to play. He had used a hole saw and put 3 two inch holes spread out around the base so the sound could get out, or resonate more. Pretty clever idea. I’ve also seen the big blue plastic water barrels that are like 22 gallons done up like that. A little easier to move, the big barrel guy had to use a hand truck to move that thing from his van to the circle. But it was fun, great sounding, and really held the grooves together.
If you are facilitating a drum circle, or even just a rhythm, musical non-verbal cues become much more important, because all the hats and scarves tend to cover our ears, and muffle things a little bit.
For my hands out in the cold, I've had a fair amount of luck using fingerless knit gloves. The tones lose a little bit but the slaps are intact, since the fingertips are exposed. On a synthetic drum head, the difference isn’t all that much. I want to jam, but don’t want my fingertips to fall off.
When you are jamming outside in the cold, do whatever you can to keep your whole body warm. There is less chance of you damaging your hands through poor circulation in the fingers. Wear thermal, or silk underwear, even that “wicking” material is a good idea, because we do get to sweatin’ sometimes. I wear thick socks, boots, and lots of layers of clothing. This new underarmor stuff seems pretty nice for this. Don’t forget the lid, like a wool hat, we lose a lot of heat through the top of our heads when they are uncovered. Huddle close together if you have to, in order to save some heat.
Bring a thermos full of something warm, like hot chocolate. It’s a good idea to avoid alcohol outdoors while drumming. It dilates the capillaries and makes you feel warm, but in reality, you just losing heat quicker. Instead, eat plenty of good food beforehand, to generate some heat internally. Have some of that soft cloth first aid tape ready just in case anyone gets a cut or a bruise on their finger.
You can get some of those new high tech warm gloves. (The furry ones look the best) I’ve seen some people cut out the palms and finger pads, or just the finger pads. Not only will you still be able to hit all notes, but your hands will stay a little warmer too. One of the bellydancers has some sort of black thin arm length silk material that ended in fingerless glove, it sort of hooked around her thumb. She would dance, and take breaks to drum out in them, I’m not quite sure what it’s called, I think it was “arm warmers”. A search under bellydancing gloves should bring it up. She said it kept her arms and hands pretty warm while dancing or drumming. Pretty clever idea.
After the drum circle is over, consider getting a few people together afterwards, and go to a restaurant, eat some warm food, drink, and hang out a little. Get to know a few new people that might just turn out to be new good friends. It’s a great way to wrap up a fun drum circle. A drum circle wrap party.
If you are playing in the opposite conditions, with high heat and humidity, you need to adjust to that as well. Try to make sure that you and everyone else are in the shade if possible. Ask people in advance to bring bottled water and keep hydrated. Or provide it yourself for everyone if you can. Sunscreen is a good idea, except for the palms of your hands. This is particularly important if you are playing near water, as the sun’s rays can bounce and give you a nasty burn, even if you are in the shade. Wearing a hat, or headband keeps the sweat out of your eyes.
Your drums will also need some extra attention. Goatskin heads, especially, stretch in heat and/or humidity. They quickly become out of tune. This is one situation again where a synthetic head might be a better choice. I don’t want the sand or dirt getting all up in my nice djembe. Even the wood in the body of the drum can be affected over time, and possibly split along the wood grain. Those synthetic djembes, or aluminum Doumbeks can be a much better choice than your expensive wooden djembe in this kind of hot humid weather condition.
My hands sometimes get a bit bruised when I get home, so what I like to do is use a hand lotion that has some lanolin in it. That helps heal them up quickly. Some friends of mine use shea butter, use whatever works for you. But anything with lanolin helps to heal them. Or at least soothes them a little. A nice soothing soak in a hot bath tub with Epsom salts takes it down a little also. Treat your body right. At least when you get home.
This is more for indoor or hot weather drumming, but before and after I play, I wash my hands in cold water. It cools them down a little bit, and the odds are you shook a lot of hands today, and could catch somebody’s cold. So there’s the hygiene thing there also. Bring some of that portable hand sanitizer, for you, and more importantly for them. But mostly, you have just finished what amounts to beating on something like drywall with your hands for hours. So a nice cool down of your palms will help you take care of them. Washing them just before you play, gives them lots more “grab” on the drum head, so you can get cleaner, and crisper sounding notes as well. I hope some of this helps you to say warm, and in the groove!
Shannon
drumcircles.net
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Various Drum Circle Rhythm Notations
This is a list of various drum circle rhythms I enjoy playing. It's my interpretation of them. There are a few different ways I like to notate, and/or and vocalize the start of a drum circle rhythm. Print it out if you want to. I like to help people enjoy drumming more. The list might make a good guideline, set list, or just some fun stuff for you and your friends to try out. Here they are:
KC & The Sunshine Band inspired drum circle rhythm:
"That's The way, Uh Huh, Uh Huh, I like It, Uh Huh Uh Huh"
♫♫ Doum ka-tek, ka-DoumDoum Tek, KaDoum ka-tek, ka-DoumDoum Tek ♫♫♫
(I guess that disco era helped me out after all!)
Good start up drum circle rhythm: ♫♫ "Yum Yum Tastes Like Ckic-Ken" ♫♫ (Just like it sounds) - doum doum tek-ka tekka, doum doum tek-ka tekka ♫♫
♫♫ An easy way to get a Clave drum rhythm jamming is to remind people of the beat to songs like "Mockingbird" or "Hand Jive" ♫♫♫
Sly & The Family Stone inspired beat. Boom sha-ka la ka, Boom sha-ka-la-ka
Word association is a great way to get a 6/8 drum circle rhythm going.
♫♫♫ Fol-low-the-yel-low-brick-road-go-do-pa-ta-pa ♫♫♫
The "conga line" rhythm usually turns into a good drum jam. On the Doumbek:
♫♫ doum-ka, doum-ka, tek--tek. ♫♫ Or on the Djembe: gun-pa, gun-pa, go--do ♫♫
or just feel the rhythm vamp to MJ's “Thriller".
Variation of an African drum rhythm Gunazi. ♫♫ Boom sha-ka Boom Boom, shakala, Slap!, Boom sha-ka Boom Boom, shakala, Slap! (or some accented tone at the end) ♫♫
♫♫ Cuckoo! ♫♫ Common commercial jingles make fun drum circle rhythms:
Cuckoo for cocoa Puffs - Shaka-sha-lakaBoom, Shaka-sha-lakaBoom
Drum circle rhythm with a Brazilian flair to it:
♫♫♫ Doum--ka-tekka--Doum--ka-tek-ka,- Doum--ka-tekka--Doum--ka-tek-ka ♫♫
♫ Boom-Boom chakachaka ping ping ping! ♫♫ (gun dun patapata slap slap Slap)
Masmuudii 316 - A fun drum circle rhythm that rolls like a freight train
♫♫ D---D---t-k-T-k-D-tktkt-TktkT-t (repeat 4/4 time) ♫♫
Idol inspired Balloon Boy Drum Circle Rhythm ♫ oom-pah---oom-pah---oom-pahpah__oom-pah---oom-pah---oom-pah-barf ♫ (start with dominant hand, RL,RL,RLR__LR,LR,LRL) Bass, tones, and etc. (Alternate to balance both sides of the body.)
"Bambii" A cool drum circle rhythm -
Doum-tekka-katek-tekka-kaDoum-Doum__Doum-tekka-katek-tekka-kaDoum-Doum Doum ♫♫♫ (It's in 4/4 time, the 3 Doums at the end is what makes this one really groove.)
(Or, try it filled: Dk kT kk Tk kT kk D D)
Nice support rhythm to start at the drum circle:
♫♫ Boom sha La-ka Boom Boom-Cha__Boom sha La-ka Boom Boom-Cha ♫♫
♫♫ Cool drum circle rhythm Karsilama 3, it has a triplet at the end:
D-kkT-kkD-kkT-T-T (2+2+2+3) (Shorthand notation on this one.) ♫♫♫
Addictive drum rhythm that's similar to the rhythm Ayyub ( D k-D t )
On the Doumbek: ♫♫ Doum tek-keh Doum tek (repeats and builds) Or on the Djembe: Gun go-do Gun go ♫
Tootie Fruitie Drum Circle Jam - ♫ Wop-baba-lou-bop__a-wop-Bam-Boom, Wop-baba-lou-bop__a-wop-Bam-Boom ♫♫ (I think Little Richard might dig us drumming to this.)
Sweet drum circle rhythm: ♫♫ Boom - che-boom_che-boom-a-choc_o_late__choc_o_late, (dramatic pause) Boom - che-boom_che-boom-a-choc_o_late__choc_o_late ♫♫♫
Drum to rhymes or phrases to start a 6/8 drum circle rhythm rolling:
♫ You-huff-and-you-puff-and-you-blow-the-Gun-Dun-go-do ♫
♫♫ Saiidi Drum Circle Rhythm - Doum tekka tekka doum doum tekka-Tek ♫♫
Beledi - Zaffah variation, Boom chick-a chick, Boom Boom _ chick-a-chick-a boom.
Gawazi - a great drum circle rhythm for dancers
♫♫ D tkD D tkt tktk, D tkD D tkt tktk ♫
Slower grooving drum rhythm. Usually a hit with beginners & pros -
♫ Boom, sha-La-Ka-Boom-Boom (pause) Boom, sha-La-Ka-Boom-Boom ♫
♫♫ A fun variation of the Chifitelli rhythm (played nice and slow)
Doum, tek-ka tek-ka doum doum Tek (pause) Doum, tek-ka tek-ka doum doum Doum. ♫
Zaffah drum rhythm (As far as I know it's an Egyptian wedding processional in 4/4 time.) D-tkt-t-D-t-t-tt (repeat)
One of my favorite drum rhythms:
Doum tek a tek tek-ka, Doum tek a tek tek-ka, Doum tek a tek tek-ka, Doum Doum Tek. (pause, and repeat)
This drum circle rhythm has kind of a hip hop feel to it. (4/4 time) ♫♪ Doum Doum, kaTek-doum, kaDoum Tek, ♫♪ Doum Doum, kaTek-doum, kaDoum Tek (fun!)
♫♫ Boom ShaLa-Ka BoomBoom (pause) Boom ShaLa-Ka BoomBoom (pause) ♫♫ This drum circle rhythm played nice and slow has a spiritual vibe, it’s good one to get the group in sync. Great for 3 djun djuns.
♪♫♪ A good warm up rhythm, or drum circle starter is the basic drum circle standard Doum Ka-Tek Ka, Doum Ka-Tek Ka, (or) Boom Sha-La Ka, Boom Sha-La Ka in 4/4 time. If played softly at a slow tempo, you can speak to the rhythm and welcome people, etc. It's also great for someone who does spoken word, or even a budding rapper. Makes for some great improvised fun. We had this guy who used to bust out some great rhythms and stories to this one.
An intriging drum circle rhythm in a count of "7" (1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3) Triplet at the end. Sounds like this: Doum(rest) Doum(rest) tek-ka-tek or Doum_Doum_tek-ka-tek, Doum_Doum_tek-ka-tek ♪♪♪ Interesting stuff happens, or you get a train wreck. But that's half the fun, taking a risk.
♫ One of many Native American heartbeat drum rhythms in 4/4 time, mellow bass notes: Boom__boom__boom,boom,boom, - (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) Boom__boom__boom,boom,boom - ♫♫
♫♫ Doum-Tek-Ka Doum-Tek-Ka Doum__Tek, Doum-Tek-Ka Doum-Tek-Ka Doum__Tek, ♫♫ Start with a real slow tempo and it's a trance rhythm. Speed it up and it rocks! ♫♫
A Tabla rhythm, but fun to try on a djembe or doumbek: ♫ da-di ki na doum, da-di ki na doum. ♫
This drum circle rhythm the bellydancers request a lot. It's a Greek line dance in 2/4
♫ Doum-tekkatek-tek, Doum-tekkaDoum-tek. ♫♫ It has a nice groove once it gets going.
Here's a basic Irish beat that sounds like this: Boom-ba-da-ba, Boom-ba-da-ba Boom, Notated in Bodhran speak, it looks like this: 0 \/ /\ \/, 0 \/ /\ \/ 0, - Have fun and add some more beats to it: - Boom-ba-da-ba-da-ba-da, Boom-ba-da-ba-da-ba-da Boom.
Just a little to the North of us is Tarpon Springs, which has a large Greek population. This drum circle rhythm is the same one the Greek national hymn goes to: ♫ Doum-tekkaTek-tek-Doum-tek-, Doum-tekkaTek-tek-Doum-tek ♫
♪♫ This 4/4 drum circle rhythm has a "hand clap" in it, which adds to the fun & creates a new dimension. Doum Tek-Ka, Doum Tek-Ka, Doum Tek Clap, (pause, repeat phrase) I suggest playing it at a slow tempo, and it gets people laughing if you make the hand clap a high five to the person on their right. ♪♫
Speaking of clapping, the clapping beat at the beginning of the song "Car Wash" makes a jovial drum circle rhythm. ♫ doum, doum, doum ka-tek ka tek! (pause) ♫ doum, doum, doum ka-tek ka tek!
♫♫♫♫ Bolero Drum Circle Rhythm in 4/4 time, the accents are in caps:
Doum tekkaTek ka tek ka tek ka, Doum tekkaTek ka tek ka tek ka ♫♫♫♫
♫ Word association is a great way to get a drum circle rhythm going especially with kids: "The people on the train go round and round" ("The" is a whole note, "people on the train" all quarter notes, "go round and round" half notes, and there is a pause at the end. ♫
♪♫♪ ♪♪♪ Another "sweet" drum circle rhythm Agilablanca in 4/4: I-like-to-eat__choc-late-cake, (pause, repeat) ♪♪♪ (the 1st half is all tones, the last half is all bass notes)
A variation of an Egyptian drum rhythm called ♫ Karaatshi ♫ in 2/4 time:
Doum-tekkatek-tekkaDoum-tekkatek-tekkaDoum
Less sometimes really is more. A simple beat can make a great drum circle rhythm starter, (and really please the “players”) : ♫ Doum-Doum (pause) Doum-Doum (pause, repeat) ♫ Or, Gun-Dun (pause) Dun-Gun (pause) ♫
Kind of like the rhythm Ayyub (D k-D t, D k-D t) it leaves plenty of space to add fills, solos, and to improvise.
A good party drum circle rhythm we played at the last Mardi Gras: ♫♫ The roof, the roof...the roof is on Fire! ♫♫ Say it then play it. doum Doum, doum Doum...ka tek-ka Ka Tek! ♫♫
♫♫♫ Interesting yet challenging drum circle rhythm in 6/8 sometimes known as Darj:
D-TkT-D-T
1-+-2-+-3-+-
An Egyptian drumming rhythm called ♫♫♫ Jaark ♫♫♫ in 4/4 time:
D-kkT-tkDDtkT-tk, D-kkT-tkDDtkT-tk
Occasionally after a couple of hours of drumming, people run out of good group drum circle rhythms to start out with. People will look around and say, “Anyone got a rhythm to start out with?” This djembe support rhythm always turns into a good drum jam. It’s in 4/4 time:
Go Do pata padaTa, Go Do pata padaTa (Go and Do are 1 & 2, the Ta is a slap tone)
(I use "da" as a closed tone note, or as a different softer lower pitched sound between "pa" and "ta".)
1, 2, 3, 4, Try tapping your foot on the 4 counts as you play it. Or here is 2 measures, count to 4 twice, D D tk ktT, D D tk ktT
Here’s another djembe support rhythm to try, the gun and dun are all bass and the rest tone notes, in 4.4 time:
Gun pa gun-dun, Gun pa da-pa, (half beat pause and repeat the phrase) Gun pa gun-dun, Gun pa da-pa. If there’s any good soloists, or even djembe cowboys in the house, they will love you for it. lol
Drum circle rhythm WaaHida in 4/4: 1+2+3+4+
♫♫ Doum-tekkatekkaTek-tekkatekkaTek-ka-, Doum-tekkatekkaTek-tekkatekkaTek-ka-,
Drumming out a waltz? It may sound like a bit of a yawner, but honestly, I think the drum circle waltz is a great way to balance the mind, body, and help get people firmly grounded. Once it gets rolling, it can always easily transition to a snappy 6/8 rhythm. It's an especially good rhythm for groups of beginners. Try to get them to alternate hands, R-L-R, L-R-L (Gun-do-go, Dun-go-do) Accent on the 1st bass note. The key to this one is to keep it at a slow tempo for awhile.
Try drumming out "Morse Code" rhythms. Ask someone to suggest 2 letters, or numbers, and put them together to make a new drum circle rhythm. ♫♫ _ _...._ _ ♫♫ A dot is a tone, and a dash, is a bass note. Sometimes they work, & sometimes they don't, that's part of the fun. There’s a Morse Code alphabet chart on my site drumcircles.net
An interesting drum rhythm known in some cultures as Sabamaa. Played in 4/4 time.
♫♫ D-TkTkT-D-TkT-Tk, D-TkTkT-D-TkT-Tk ♫
Again, try tapping your foot as you play. 1-2-3-4
D-TkTkT-D-TkT-Tk
1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a
I dig this drum circle rhythm because of the long pauses. It gives the bass a chance to resonate a little bit. It’s in 4/4 time - ♪♫ Doum---tekkatek-tek-Doum---tek-, Doum---tekkatek-tek-Doum---tek-, ♫♪♫♪
♪♪♪♪♪ A basic yet fun drum circle rhythm sometimes called the Turkish 5. Plenty of room for fills. It's in 5/4 time, all the beats are on the numbers:
1+2+3+4+5+
D k t k t
Fun djembe support rhythm for the drum circle: ♫ Gun Dun godo pa-ta-pa, Gun Dun godo pa-ta-pa ♫♫ (or) Doum Doum tekka ka-tek-ka, Doum Doum tekka ka-tek-ka ♫
"A Drum Circle Rhythm You Can't Refuse" ♫♫ Ba-da Bing, Ba-da Boom, Ba-da Bing_Bang_Boom, ♫♫ (or) Go-do Pa, Pa-ta Go, Go-do Pa_Ta_Pa ♫♫
"Little Drummer Boy" Christmas drum rhythm, if you can hum it, you can drum it!
♫♫♫ Let's All Play Our Drum...Pa - Rum Pa PumPum...Rum Pa PumPum ♫♫♫
Sort of a trance drum circle rhythm. ♫♫ Doum-tek-ka-Doum-tek-ka-Doum-tek, Doum-tek-ka-Doum-tek-ka-Doum-tek ♫♫♫♫
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Sometimes to have a great drum circle rhythm jam, it needs a great ending. Rather than the usual fade out, or rumble ending, try this out. I usually mention the idea to the group, and we quickly practice it in advance before we start, so everyone is ready. Like about a 30 second rehearsal. Then get right to the rhythm you had planned to play. For me, 4/4 time works the best. The end is 9 tones then 2 bass notes. Repeat 6 times with a pause between each rep. As we are still playing, I will holler out, “Okay, here comes the ending! And count them down out loud. “ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 boom boom, (pause) “5 more” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 boom boom, (pause) “4 more times” etc. ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪_♪_♪_
Another fun ending is 5 tones followed by 3 bass notes. A 1 beat pause and repeat them whole thing 6 times. After the rhythm has run it's course, get everyone's attention & say, "ok here comes the ending", and go right into it. 12345_1_2_3 (Again, I count the reps down out loud), "5 more times" and we play, tek ka tek ka tek, doum_doum_doum. “4 more times” etc. ♪♪♪♪♪_♪_♪_♪_
The fun thing about these drum rhythm endings is that they all catch on after the 2nd or 3rd rep. and all end together. On the last one, everyone usually stops in unison, then a big whoosh of silence, followed by smiles claps and pride. It's very cool, and a good confidence builder. To help this work smoother, I usually I quickly practice the ending in advance with the group before we start, and then go right into it, so they are prepared when the time comes.
Bring along a hula hoop to ramp up the fun at your drum circle. It gives people a rhythmic motion to groove to. I was surpised when I saw people of all different ages wanting to get in there and try it. The drum rhythm Beledi is a good one to use. D D tkT D tkT(pause)D D tkT D tkT ♫♫. 4/4 time, it sounds like: Doum Doum tek-ka-Tek, Doum tek-ka-Tek. {One of my dancer friends said the Beledi rhythm is the "Catnip Rhythm" for belly dancers. lol. I like that.)
I hope this list helps you and your friends to enjoy drumming more. I also have this rhythm list in Word.doc format at my website. You can download and print it free. If you are new to drumming, and would like some more in depth info on reading, understanding, and playing transcribed drum circle rhythm notations, please read a few of my older my blog posts for 2010. I put my older blog post list of rhythms together, and added a few more so they are all in one place, and this is it.
If you would consider picking up my drum circle rhythms DVD, I would appreciate that, and it would help out a little bit. Thanks in advance if you do. The 2 hour DVD will show you how to play over 100 diffferent rhythms for $15. Please visit drumcircles.net for the DVD and more.
Shannon Ratigan
drumcircles.net
Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.
KC & The Sunshine Band inspired drum circle rhythm:
"That's The way, Uh Huh, Uh Huh, I like It, Uh Huh Uh Huh"
♫♫ Doum ka-tek, ka-DoumDoum Tek, KaDoum ka-tek, ka-DoumDoum Tek ♫♫♫
(I guess that disco era helped me out after all!)
Good start up drum circle rhythm: ♫♫ "Yum Yum Tastes Like Ckic-Ken" ♫♫ (Just like it sounds) - doum doum tek-ka tekka, doum doum tek-ka tekka ♫♫
♫♫ An easy way to get a Clave drum rhythm jamming is to remind people of the beat to songs like "Mockingbird" or "Hand Jive" ♫♫♫
Sly & The Family Stone inspired beat. Boom sha-ka la ka, Boom sha-ka-la-ka
Word association is a great way to get a 6/8 drum circle rhythm going.
♫♫♫ Fol-low-the-yel-low-brick-road-go-do-pa-ta-pa ♫♫♫
The "conga line" rhythm usually turns into a good drum jam. On the Doumbek:
♫♫ doum-ka, doum-ka, tek--tek. ♫♫ Or on the Djembe: gun-pa, gun-pa, go--do ♫♫
or just feel the rhythm vamp to MJ's “Thriller".
Variation of an African drum rhythm Gunazi. ♫♫ Boom sha-ka Boom Boom, shakala, Slap!, Boom sha-ka Boom Boom, shakala, Slap! (or some accented tone at the end) ♫♫
♫♫ Cuckoo! ♫♫ Common commercial jingles make fun drum circle rhythms:
Cuckoo for cocoa Puffs - Shaka-sha-lakaBoom, Shaka-sha-lakaBoom
Drum circle rhythm with a Brazilian flair to it:
♫♫♫ Doum--ka-tekka--Doum--ka-tek-ka,- Doum--ka-tekka--Doum--ka-tek-ka ♫♫
♫ Boom-Boom chakachaka ping ping ping! ♫♫ (gun dun patapata slap slap Slap)
Masmuudii 316 - A fun drum circle rhythm that rolls like a freight train
♫♫ D---D---t-k-T-k-D-tktkt-TktkT-t (repeat 4/4 time) ♫♫
Idol inspired Balloon Boy Drum Circle Rhythm ♫ oom-pah---oom-pah---oom-pahpah__oom-pah---oom-pah---oom-pah-barf ♫ (start with dominant hand, RL,RL,RLR__LR,LR,LRL) Bass, tones, and etc. (Alternate to balance both sides of the body.)
"Bambii" A cool drum circle rhythm -
Doum-tekka-katek-tekka-kaDoum-Doum__Doum-tekka-katek-tekka-kaDoum-Doum Doum ♫♫♫ (It's in 4/4 time, the 3 Doums at the end is what makes this one really groove.)
(Or, try it filled: Dk kT kk Tk kT kk D D)
Nice support rhythm to start at the drum circle:
♫♫ Boom sha La-ka Boom Boom-Cha__Boom sha La-ka Boom Boom-Cha ♫♫
♫♫ Cool drum circle rhythm Karsilama 3, it has a triplet at the end:
D-kkT-kkD-kkT-T-T (2+2+2+3) (Shorthand notation on this one.) ♫♫♫
Addictive drum rhythm that's similar to the rhythm Ayyub ( D k-D t )
On the Doumbek: ♫♫ Doum tek-keh Doum tek (repeats and builds) Or on the Djembe: Gun go-do Gun go ♫
Tootie Fruitie Drum Circle Jam - ♫ Wop-baba-lou-bop__a-wop-Bam-Boom, Wop-baba-lou-bop__a-wop-Bam-Boom ♫♫ (I think Little Richard might dig us drumming to this.)
Sweet drum circle rhythm: ♫♫ Boom - che-boom_che-boom-a-choc_o_late__choc_o_late, (dramatic pause) Boom - che-boom_che-boom-a-choc_o_late__choc_o_late ♫♫♫
Drum to rhymes or phrases to start a 6/8 drum circle rhythm rolling:
♫ You-huff-and-you-puff-and-you-blow-the-Gun-Dun-go-do ♫
♫♫ Saiidi Drum Circle Rhythm - Doum tekka tekka doum doum tekka-Tek ♫♫
Beledi - Zaffah variation, Boom chick-a chick, Boom Boom _ chick-a-chick-a boom.
Gawazi - a great drum circle rhythm for dancers
♫♫ D tkD D tkt tktk, D tkD D tkt tktk ♫
Slower grooving drum rhythm. Usually a hit with beginners & pros -
♫ Boom, sha-La-Ka-Boom-Boom (pause) Boom, sha-La-Ka-Boom-Boom ♫
♫♫ A fun variation of the Chifitelli rhythm (played nice and slow)
Doum, tek-ka tek-ka doum doum Tek (pause) Doum, tek-ka tek-ka doum doum Doum. ♫
Zaffah drum rhythm (As far as I know it's an Egyptian wedding processional in 4/4 time.) D-tkt-t-D-t-t-tt (repeat)
One of my favorite drum rhythms:
Doum tek a tek tek-ka, Doum tek a tek tek-ka, Doum tek a tek tek-ka, Doum Doum Tek. (pause, and repeat)
This drum circle rhythm has kind of a hip hop feel to it. (4/4 time) ♫♪ Doum Doum, kaTek-doum, kaDoum Tek, ♫♪ Doum Doum, kaTek-doum, kaDoum Tek (fun!)
♫♫ Boom ShaLa-Ka BoomBoom (pause) Boom ShaLa-Ka BoomBoom (pause) ♫♫ This drum circle rhythm played nice and slow has a spiritual vibe, it’s good one to get the group in sync. Great for 3 djun djuns.
♪♫♪ A good warm up rhythm, or drum circle starter is the basic drum circle standard Doum Ka-Tek Ka, Doum Ka-Tek Ka, (or) Boom Sha-La Ka, Boom Sha-La Ka in 4/4 time. If played softly at a slow tempo, you can speak to the rhythm and welcome people, etc. It's also great for someone who does spoken word, or even a budding rapper. Makes for some great improvised fun. We had this guy who used to bust out some great rhythms and stories to this one.
An intriging drum circle rhythm in a count of "7" (1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3) Triplet at the end. Sounds like this: Doum(rest) Doum(rest) tek-ka-tek or Doum_Doum_tek-ka-tek, Doum_Doum_tek-ka-tek ♪♪♪ Interesting stuff happens, or you get a train wreck. But that's half the fun, taking a risk.
♫ One of many Native American heartbeat drum rhythms in 4/4 time, mellow bass notes: Boom__boom__boom,boom,boom, - (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) Boom__boom__boom,boom,boom - ♫♫
♫♫ Doum-Tek-Ka Doum-Tek-Ka Doum__Tek, Doum-Tek-Ka Doum-Tek-Ka Doum__Tek, ♫♫ Start with a real slow tempo and it's a trance rhythm. Speed it up and it rocks! ♫♫
A Tabla rhythm, but fun to try on a djembe or doumbek: ♫ da-di ki na doum, da-di ki na doum. ♫
This drum circle rhythm the bellydancers request a lot. It's a Greek line dance in 2/4
♫ Doum-tekkatek-tek, Doum-tekkaDoum-tek. ♫♫ It has a nice groove once it gets going.
Here's a basic Irish beat that sounds like this: Boom-ba-da-ba, Boom-ba-da-ba Boom, Notated in Bodhran speak, it looks like this: 0 \/ /\ \/, 0 \/ /\ \/ 0, - Have fun and add some more beats to it: - Boom-ba-da-ba-da-ba-da, Boom-ba-da-ba-da-ba-da Boom.
Just a little to the North of us is Tarpon Springs, which has a large Greek population. This drum circle rhythm is the same one the Greek national hymn goes to: ♫ Doum-tekkaTek-tek-Doum-tek-, Doum-tekkaTek-tek-Doum-tek ♫
♪♫ This 4/4 drum circle rhythm has a "hand clap" in it, which adds to the fun & creates a new dimension. Doum Tek-Ka, Doum Tek-Ka, Doum Tek Clap, (pause, repeat phrase) I suggest playing it at a slow tempo, and it gets people laughing if you make the hand clap a high five to the person on their right. ♪♫
Speaking of clapping, the clapping beat at the beginning of the song "Car Wash" makes a jovial drum circle rhythm. ♫ doum, doum, doum ka-tek ka tek! (pause) ♫ doum, doum, doum ka-tek ka tek!
♫♫♫♫ Bolero Drum Circle Rhythm in 4/4 time, the accents are in caps:
Doum tekkaTek ka tek ka tek ka, Doum tekkaTek ka tek ka tek ka ♫♫♫♫
♫ Word association is a great way to get a drum circle rhythm going especially with kids: "The people on the train go round and round" ("The" is a whole note, "people on the train" all quarter notes, "go round and round" half notes, and there is a pause at the end. ♫
♪♫♪ ♪♪♪ Another "sweet" drum circle rhythm Agilablanca in 4/4: I-like-to-eat__choc-late-cake, (pause, repeat) ♪♪♪ (the 1st half is all tones, the last half is all bass notes)
A variation of an Egyptian drum rhythm called ♫ Karaatshi ♫ in 2/4 time:
Doum-tekkatek-tekkaDoum-tekkatek-tekkaDoum
Less sometimes really is more. A simple beat can make a great drum circle rhythm starter, (and really please the “players”) : ♫ Doum-Doum (pause) Doum-Doum (pause, repeat) ♫ Or, Gun-Dun (pause) Dun-Gun (pause) ♫
Kind of like the rhythm Ayyub (D k-D t, D k-D t) it leaves plenty of space to add fills, solos, and to improvise.
A good party drum circle rhythm we played at the last Mardi Gras: ♫♫ The roof, the roof...the roof is on Fire! ♫♫ Say it then play it. doum Doum, doum Doum...ka tek-ka Ka Tek! ♫♫
♫♫♫ Interesting yet challenging drum circle rhythm in 6/8 sometimes known as Darj:
D-TkT-D-T
1-+-2-+-3-+-
An Egyptian drumming rhythm called ♫♫♫ Jaark ♫♫♫ in 4/4 time:
D-kkT-tkDDtkT-tk, D-kkT-tkDDtkT-tk
Occasionally after a couple of hours of drumming, people run out of good group drum circle rhythms to start out with. People will look around and say, “Anyone got a rhythm to start out with?” This djembe support rhythm always turns into a good drum jam. It’s in 4/4 time:
Go Do pata padaTa, Go Do pata padaTa (Go and Do are 1 & 2, the Ta is a slap tone)
(I use "da" as a closed tone note, or as a different softer lower pitched sound between "pa" and "ta".)
1, 2, 3, 4, Try tapping your foot on the 4 counts as you play it. Or here is 2 measures, count to 4 twice, D D tk ktT, D D tk ktT
Here’s another djembe support rhythm to try, the gun and dun are all bass and the rest tone notes, in 4.4 time:
Gun pa gun-dun, Gun pa da-pa, (half beat pause and repeat the phrase) Gun pa gun-dun, Gun pa da-pa. If there’s any good soloists, or even djembe cowboys in the house, they will love you for it. lol
Drum circle rhythm WaaHida in 4/4: 1+2+3+4+
♫♫ Doum-tekkatekkaTek-tekkatekkaTek-ka-, Doum-tekkatekkaTek-tekkatekkaTek-ka-,
Drumming out a waltz? It may sound like a bit of a yawner, but honestly, I think the drum circle waltz is a great way to balance the mind, body, and help get people firmly grounded. Once it gets rolling, it can always easily transition to a snappy 6/8 rhythm. It's an especially good rhythm for groups of beginners. Try to get them to alternate hands, R-L-R, L-R-L (Gun-do-go, Dun-go-do) Accent on the 1st bass note. The key to this one is to keep it at a slow tempo for awhile.
Try drumming out "Morse Code" rhythms. Ask someone to suggest 2 letters, or numbers, and put them together to make a new drum circle rhythm. ♫♫ _ _...._ _ ♫♫ A dot is a tone, and a dash, is a bass note. Sometimes they work, & sometimes they don't, that's part of the fun. There’s a Morse Code alphabet chart on my site drumcircles.net
An interesting drum rhythm known in some cultures as Sabamaa. Played in 4/4 time.
♫♫ D-TkTkT-D-TkT-Tk, D-TkTkT-D-TkT-Tk ♫
Again, try tapping your foot as you play. 1-2-3-4
D-TkTkT-D-TkT-Tk
1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a
I dig this drum circle rhythm because of the long pauses. It gives the bass a chance to resonate a little bit. It’s in 4/4 time - ♪♫ Doum---tekkatek-tek-Doum---tek-, Doum---tekkatek-tek-Doum---tek-, ♫♪♫♪
♪♪♪♪♪ A basic yet fun drum circle rhythm sometimes called the Turkish 5. Plenty of room for fills. It's in 5/4 time, all the beats are on the numbers:
1+2+3+4+5+
D k t k t
Fun djembe support rhythm for the drum circle: ♫ Gun Dun godo pa-ta-pa, Gun Dun godo pa-ta-pa ♫♫ (or) Doum Doum tekka ka-tek-ka, Doum Doum tekka ka-tek-ka ♫
"A Drum Circle Rhythm You Can't Refuse" ♫♫ Ba-da Bing, Ba-da Boom, Ba-da Bing_Bang_Boom, ♫♫ (or) Go-do Pa, Pa-ta Go, Go-do Pa_Ta_Pa ♫♫
"Little Drummer Boy" Christmas drum rhythm, if you can hum it, you can drum it!
♫♫♫ Let's All Play Our Drum...Pa - Rum Pa PumPum...Rum Pa PumPum ♫♫♫
Sort of a trance drum circle rhythm. ♫♫ Doum-tek-ka-Doum-tek-ka-Doum-tek, Doum-tek-ka-Doum-tek-ka-Doum-tek ♫♫♫♫
===========================================================
Sometimes to have a great drum circle rhythm jam, it needs a great ending. Rather than the usual fade out, or rumble ending, try this out. I usually mention the idea to the group, and we quickly practice it in advance before we start, so everyone is ready. Like about a 30 second rehearsal. Then get right to the rhythm you had planned to play. For me, 4/4 time works the best. The end is 9 tones then 2 bass notes. Repeat 6 times with a pause between each rep. As we are still playing, I will holler out, “Okay, here comes the ending! And count them down out loud. “ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 boom boom, (pause) “5 more” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 boom boom, (pause) “4 more times” etc. ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪_♪_♪_
Another fun ending is 5 tones followed by 3 bass notes. A 1 beat pause and repeat them whole thing 6 times. After the rhythm has run it's course, get everyone's attention & say, "ok here comes the ending", and go right into it. 12345_1_2_3 (Again, I count the reps down out loud), "5 more times" and we play, tek ka tek ka tek, doum_doum_doum. “4 more times” etc. ♪♪♪♪♪_♪_♪_♪_
The fun thing about these drum rhythm endings is that they all catch on after the 2nd or 3rd rep. and all end together. On the last one, everyone usually stops in unison, then a big whoosh of silence, followed by smiles claps and pride. It's very cool, and a good confidence builder. To help this work smoother, I usually I quickly practice the ending in advance with the group before we start, and then go right into it, so they are prepared when the time comes.
Bring along a hula hoop to ramp up the fun at your drum circle. It gives people a rhythmic motion to groove to. I was surpised when I saw people of all different ages wanting to get in there and try it. The drum rhythm Beledi is a good one to use. D D tkT D tkT(pause)D D tkT D tkT ♫♫. 4/4 time, it sounds like: Doum Doum tek-ka-Tek, Doum tek-ka-Tek. {One of my dancer friends said the Beledi rhythm is the "Catnip Rhythm" for belly dancers. lol. I like that.)
I hope this list helps you and your friends to enjoy drumming more. I also have this rhythm list in Word.doc format at my website. You can download and print it free. If you are new to drumming, and would like some more in depth info on reading, understanding, and playing transcribed drum circle rhythm notations, please read a few of my older my blog posts for 2010. I put my older blog post list of rhythms together, and added a few more so they are all in one place, and this is it.
If you would consider picking up my drum circle rhythms DVD, I would appreciate that, and it would help out a little bit. Thanks in advance if you do. The 2 hour DVD will show you how to play over 100 diffferent rhythms for $15. Please visit drumcircles.net for the DVD and more.
Shannon Ratigan
drumcircles.net
Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Including Everyone At The Drum Circle
It’s often the case that a drum circle will draw people who have never drummed before. But, there may also be some very advanced drummers, as well as everything in between. Keeping the circle interesting for the advanced without intimidating the beginners requires a bit of a different approach than one often finds. Many drum circle facilitators tailor their programs purely for the beginners. Most people have music in their backgrounds, so it makes sense to not only include and welcome them, but to create an environment where they are free to share their gift with everyone.
I try to keep the drum circle accessible to all skill levels, because many times people will be transitioning in and out of the circle as it’s going on. So my approach to it needs to be a bit different. Most of the time when I’m introducing a new rhythm, I will make up words to go with the beat. For example, “I like chocolate cake.” for doum-doum-teka-tek. People seem to find the combination of words and hearing the beat makes it easier to follow, and the brain can process it faster. I also start the beat very slowly, vocalizing the words as I do. This also makes it easier for me to hear whether everyone is able to follow along.
Once the group is in sync, I can start to slowly speed it up to tempo if people are feeling it. Then we can then add in more complex variations. And I always encourage people to improvise from the beginning. It is, after all, just the support rhythm – it’s just a starting place. Volume is something I address early on. If it’s too loud it’s unpleasant for most people. So during the first few rhythms after it is locked in, I will decrescendo gradually but keep the tempo up. People will have to play softer to hear what’s going on, and this sends the message without having to actually say it. Now they are listening to you play, and everyone else as well.
Somebody has to hold that bottom beat, or support rhythm or you can end up with banging noise chaos, or the rhythm speeding up out of control. People trying to out drum the others. End result – not much fun. It’s true that holding the support rhythm does create a dependency, but until the rhythm is locked in, you kind of need to be there for that. Or somebody does. Train wrecks do happen. Laugh it off, and move on to a slower tempo rhythm to reenergize the fun.
I prefer to facilitate from the side of the drum circle rather than in the center. To me the center is a place for people to explore, and for self expression. Dancing, hooping, etc. By facilitating from the side, I am just a part of the circle, part of the group, rather than an obvious leader in the center conducting something. Plus, I want to enjoy the experience as well, so by going back to my place in the side of the circle I can be a participant, as well as a facilitator. (If that is my role.)
If I have some good drummers whom I know show up, I can count on at least one of them to just hold the bottom beat. This helps newbies to return to the beat if they get a tad lost. Once I sense that the rhythm is solid, once or twice during the evening’s circle I will slowly walk around the interior of the drum circle playing the rhythm near each of the drummers. Not too close, or for too long to make them uncomfortable or get in their space, but just enough so they can hear my saying “hello, welcome, glad you are here”, with my drum. As I do, I listen to skill levels, and watch to see who might be experiencing drum confusion. I’m also enjoying the solid drummers, and/or soloists.
My experience has taught me there is always somebody out there who is a better drummer than me. Often more than one at any given drum circle I might me hosting or facilitating. Rather than being competitive, I would rather have them as an ally, so they can share their gift with the group. I want them on my side. At some point, I welcome them to come stand next to me and let them know I welcome their ability and their talent. I vibe them that it’s cool if they are a better player – hey lets just have some fun making music together. A simple smile as we are playing can send that message clearly.
I’m cool that they can solo, or play better than me. That sets things at ease right away, and that possible alpha male – djembe cowboy thing is never an issue. I will usually just hold a solid support rhythm so they can feel free to solo, or get down on a beat. More often than not, the entire group enjoys it, and the excitement level is ramped up a notch. Offer to let them start out the next rhythm if they wish. Some will want to, some won’t. Let them know it’s cool either way. Offer to let anyone start out a rhythm. It’s taking a risk, but that’s part of the fun, taking chances. It is after all, a drum circle, not brain surgery. After that, the serious players drift back into being an ensemble player, and a solid part of the group.
Another key thing I try to do after a rhythms ends, is acknowledge anyone who stepped up and took a risk. Did some outstanding drumming, some hula hoping, bellydancing, or whatever. It takes some stones to get out there and do that. So at the rhythm’s end after the applause, I make it a point to say, “How about a nice hand for that amazing soloing, or fantastic dancing! By…” etc. I mention their name if I can remember it, or simply ask them what their first name is so I can do it proper. They deserve it, and again the message to the group is hey it’s not all about me, it’s about the group.
When I am making my interior stroll around the interior of the circle, there is a few things for me to consider, and honestly, it comes with experience. The more you do it, the easier it is. It takes time to assess if a person is confused, or if they are just kicking back enjoying things for a bit. It’s important to remember that all those who may be wandering, are not always lost. If I do find someone obviously trying to figure things out, I don’t say anything, but just stand next to them for a few measures, so that they can feel and hear the beat and also see my hands if they want to. I will usually smile or offer a wink hello, but contact is made more with the sound of my drum. I don’t want people to feel uncomfortable, I’m just playing next to you for a few moments to say hello, and help them get a handle on the beat. But I’m also accessing skill levels and offering that basic rhythm if someone needs it.
I rarely make much eye contact, because that tends to make it more obvious that I might be helping someone along. If the person is really struggling, I will do this with just the basic beat, sometimes even just the bottom beat. Once they get comfortable with that, I move on to the next one in the group. I try to stop and play a bit even next to the really good drummers also, so that those who are struggling do not feel singled out, and it seems I am just welcoming everyone the same way. The entire process of my circle wander may take 5 minutes at the most. But this is one of the mechanical things I do at every drum circle I facilitate. Once or twice during the evening at most. The most I will ever say, (Quietly with a smile of course) is “Hey, how’s it going, nice to see you. That sort of thing. But I continue playing, all the time. I want to be a part of the group, and not put anyone on the spot. But if someone wants the spotlight, I offer it to them.
I also want to encourage those people who are in the back perimeter standing around and listening to the music. I like to put a few wicker baskets of percussion “toys” around the space. Some pieces are actual, real percussion instruments. But, a lot are throw away, homemade items. For example, large painted vitamin bottles with macaroni inside (uncooked, LOL) and taped shut makes a decent shaker. I also include inexpensive tambourines, guiros, and maracas. None of these are very loud, so that people can just pick one up and play along without being afraid of messing up the rhythm or drawing attention to themselves. It really increases the fun factor for people when they participate, on whatever level they are comfortable with. It encourages the onlookers, and possibly timid to join in when they feel ready.
I make it a point during the circle to let them know the toys are out there, and to join in whenever you wish. If you are trying to start an ongoing drum circle, you want them to leave wanting to come back for more. They will tell their friends how much fun they had at that drum circle last night, it creates a buzz of talk about it in your area. That’s a key to creating a solid community happening. Word of mouth. Of course Face Book helps to. LOL.
My opinion is that getting people to relax and have fun is what brings the true magic into a drum circle. Most people get something special from it and I feel that this is the true value on the community. Music making that is the essence of drum circles. To me, it is more about the people, rather than the quality of the music. But generally the more fun people are having, the better the musicality is. Check out my book on hand drumming and drum circles. It’s 300 pages jammed with ideas, tips, and suggestions. Pick it up on Kindle for $10. Or a physical copy at my website for $18. I include a free drum circle jam CD if you pick it up from me direct. Thanks in advance for helping an independent musician.
Shannon
drumcircles.net
I try to keep the drum circle accessible to all skill levels, because many times people will be transitioning in and out of the circle as it’s going on. So my approach to it needs to be a bit different. Most of the time when I’m introducing a new rhythm, I will make up words to go with the beat. For example, “I like chocolate cake.” for doum-doum-teka-tek. People seem to find the combination of words and hearing the beat makes it easier to follow, and the brain can process it faster. I also start the beat very slowly, vocalizing the words as I do. This also makes it easier for me to hear whether everyone is able to follow along.
Once the group is in sync, I can start to slowly speed it up to tempo if people are feeling it. Then we can then add in more complex variations. And I always encourage people to improvise from the beginning. It is, after all, just the support rhythm – it’s just a starting place. Volume is something I address early on. If it’s too loud it’s unpleasant for most people. So during the first few rhythms after it is locked in, I will decrescendo gradually but keep the tempo up. People will have to play softer to hear what’s going on, and this sends the message without having to actually say it. Now they are listening to you play, and everyone else as well.
Somebody has to hold that bottom beat, or support rhythm or you can end up with banging noise chaos, or the rhythm speeding up out of control. People trying to out drum the others. End result – not much fun. It’s true that holding the support rhythm does create a dependency, but until the rhythm is locked in, you kind of need to be there for that. Or somebody does. Train wrecks do happen. Laugh it off, and move on to a slower tempo rhythm to reenergize the fun.
I prefer to facilitate from the side of the drum circle rather than in the center. To me the center is a place for people to explore, and for self expression. Dancing, hooping, etc. By facilitating from the side, I am just a part of the circle, part of the group, rather than an obvious leader in the center conducting something. Plus, I want to enjoy the experience as well, so by going back to my place in the side of the circle I can be a participant, as well as a facilitator. (If that is my role.)
If I have some good drummers whom I know show up, I can count on at least one of them to just hold the bottom beat. This helps newbies to return to the beat if they get a tad lost. Once I sense that the rhythm is solid, once or twice during the evening’s circle I will slowly walk around the interior of the drum circle playing the rhythm near each of the drummers. Not too close, or for too long to make them uncomfortable or get in their space, but just enough so they can hear my saying “hello, welcome, glad you are here”, with my drum. As I do, I listen to skill levels, and watch to see who might be experiencing drum confusion. I’m also enjoying the solid drummers, and/or soloists.
My experience has taught me there is always somebody out there who is a better drummer than me. Often more than one at any given drum circle I might me hosting or facilitating. Rather than being competitive, I would rather have them as an ally, so they can share their gift with the group. I want them on my side. At some point, I welcome them to come stand next to me and let them know I welcome their ability and their talent. I vibe them that it’s cool if they are a better player – hey lets just have some fun making music together. A simple smile as we are playing can send that message clearly.
I’m cool that they can solo, or play better than me. That sets things at ease right away, and that possible alpha male – djembe cowboy thing is never an issue. I will usually just hold a solid support rhythm so they can feel free to solo, or get down on a beat. More often than not, the entire group enjoys it, and the excitement level is ramped up a notch. Offer to let them start out the next rhythm if they wish. Some will want to, some won’t. Let them know it’s cool either way. Offer to let anyone start out a rhythm. It’s taking a risk, but that’s part of the fun, taking chances. It is after all, a drum circle, not brain surgery. After that, the serious players drift back into being an ensemble player, and a solid part of the group.
Another key thing I try to do after a rhythms ends, is acknowledge anyone who stepped up and took a risk. Did some outstanding drumming, some hula hoping, bellydancing, or whatever. It takes some stones to get out there and do that. So at the rhythm’s end after the applause, I make it a point to say, “How about a nice hand for that amazing soloing, or fantastic dancing! By…” etc. I mention their name if I can remember it, or simply ask them what their first name is so I can do it proper. They deserve it, and again the message to the group is hey it’s not all about me, it’s about the group.
When I am making my interior stroll around the interior of the circle, there is a few things for me to consider, and honestly, it comes with experience. The more you do it, the easier it is. It takes time to assess if a person is confused, or if they are just kicking back enjoying things for a bit. It’s important to remember that all those who may be wandering, are not always lost. If I do find someone obviously trying to figure things out, I don’t say anything, but just stand next to them for a few measures, so that they can feel and hear the beat and also see my hands if they want to. I will usually smile or offer a wink hello, but contact is made more with the sound of my drum. I don’t want people to feel uncomfortable, I’m just playing next to you for a few moments to say hello, and help them get a handle on the beat. But I’m also accessing skill levels and offering that basic rhythm if someone needs it.
I rarely make much eye contact, because that tends to make it more obvious that I might be helping someone along. If the person is really struggling, I will do this with just the basic beat, sometimes even just the bottom beat. Once they get comfortable with that, I move on to the next one in the group. I try to stop and play a bit even next to the really good drummers also, so that those who are struggling do not feel singled out, and it seems I am just welcoming everyone the same way. The entire process of my circle wander may take 5 minutes at the most. But this is one of the mechanical things I do at every drum circle I facilitate. Once or twice during the evening at most. The most I will ever say, (Quietly with a smile of course) is “Hey, how’s it going, nice to see you. That sort of thing. But I continue playing, all the time. I want to be a part of the group, and not put anyone on the spot. But if someone wants the spotlight, I offer it to them.
I also want to encourage those people who are in the back perimeter standing around and listening to the music. I like to put a few wicker baskets of percussion “toys” around the space. Some pieces are actual, real percussion instruments. But, a lot are throw away, homemade items. For example, large painted vitamin bottles with macaroni inside (uncooked, LOL) and taped shut makes a decent shaker. I also include inexpensive tambourines, guiros, and maracas. None of these are very loud, so that people can just pick one up and play along without being afraid of messing up the rhythm or drawing attention to themselves. It really increases the fun factor for people when they participate, on whatever level they are comfortable with. It encourages the onlookers, and possibly timid to join in when they feel ready.
I make it a point during the circle to let them know the toys are out there, and to join in whenever you wish. If you are trying to start an ongoing drum circle, you want them to leave wanting to come back for more. They will tell their friends how much fun they had at that drum circle last night, it creates a buzz of talk about it in your area. That’s a key to creating a solid community happening. Word of mouth. Of course Face Book helps to. LOL.
My opinion is that getting people to relax and have fun is what brings the true magic into a drum circle. Most people get something special from it and I feel that this is the true value on the community. Music making that is the essence of drum circles. To me, it is more about the people, rather than the quality of the music. But generally the more fun people are having, the better the musicality is. Check out my book on hand drumming and drum circles. It’s 300 pages jammed with ideas, tips, and suggestions. Pick it up on Kindle for $10. Or a physical copy at my website for $18. I include a free drum circle jam CD if you pick it up from me direct. Thanks in advance for helping an independent musician.
Shannon
drumcircles.net
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Drum Circle Benefits – Social, Physical, & Mental?
There have been some recent studies indicating that drumming may be equivalent to some medications. When we are inactive, the hippocampus, the part of the brain that regulates mood, gets smaller. Dancing and drumming actually spurs new nerve growing in this area and relieves and prevents depression. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes in people that had supposedly incurable nerve damage. So what makes dance different from other exercise? Playing or dancing to drum rhythms increases neural transmissions. Drumming also helps to rebuild neuro-receptors. The repetitive physical activity of drumming and dance is soothing to the soul and human body, and the simple repetitiveness of the drum beat pattern has a lot to do with it.
A newer friend of mine spoke with me after a few months of attending a weekly drum circle I facilitated. She had a number of physical and health limitations that were obvious, like nerve damage, and It looked like she was just slowly getting better. I noticed her improving dramatically in both her health and state of mind. Please keep in mind I’m not a doctor, or am I recommending a treatment. This is just what I observed, and what was shared with me.
It seems she became paralyzed from the neck down six years ago following a botched surgery. A blood clot formed in her spinal cord and as it traveled toward the brain, it did extensive nerve damage. She had spent six months in a wheelchair, and another year in a walker. She was also a migraine sufferer, having them as frequently as three times a week. When she was 13, her doctor suggested relaxation therapy, in an effort to try and avert the migraines. So it was then that she first employed music for its healthful benefits, and not just something pretty to listen to. She learned to listen to it differently. To breathe the music.
Then she found our little drum circle. She was seated in the back, and I just held out and offered a drum I brought over to her. She was so surprised, and flustered, that she accepted it and said “I don’t know what to do!” I said, just play whatever you want, whatever you feel like playing, and don‘t worry about it. Just have some fun, and play when you feel like playing. Nobody cares how good you are here, and you are not going to mess anyone else up. Everyone is here just to have fun.
It was one of those light aluminum doumbeks by the way. Those are ideal for beginners I think, because they are light, very comfortable to hold and play, plus most of them are just intriguing looking drums to people. It’s like an immediate, “yeah that looks like fun, I wanna try that”. She kept coming back to the drum circle for weeks after that.
She said it opened up a whole new channel into her inner core. And that the drum casts a spell on anyone who hears it, and more so, on those who play one. Although other music can be equally entrancing, it only has that power if you listen to it, but the drum finds its way into your soul without you even knowing it. Before long, you find the rhythm so familiar, and so comforting, much like the rhythm of the human heart. This, to me, is just the spiritual power of drumming.
Now the more scientific stuff. She been coming to the drum circle for about six months, and when she first started coming, most of her fingers had little to no feeling in them. She felt that when she struck the drum with her hands, the vibrations carried up into her arms. The thinking was that nerves need to be stimulated in order to heal. Over the course of the last two months, she’s actually noticed more increased sensation in her fingers. I can't say for certain if drumming is responsible for the new found sensation, but it's the only thing in her lifestyle she said she had changed over the past several months that could possibly have made a difference. I might add that, according to what her doctor had told her, is that her nerves were "permanently" damaged. They started to improve.
Finally, she added that over the course of many years she had been treated for severe depression. Although she became healthy enough to stop taking medication two years ago, she had continued to suffer periodic short bouts of the depression. Before finding the drum, she would simply "wait it out" and let the spell pass. Sadly, it was usually at the expense of family and friends dragging around for days until something changed and lifted her spirits up. She eventually bought her own djembe drum.
Now, when she feels low, she picks up her drum and begins to play with the mother rhythm or some other rhythms she now knows, just letting the drum and her heart become one. She said once she achieves that, she simply lets her heart take over, and allows her hands to play whatever her heart tells her to play. At the end of the drumming session, she found herself not only deeply relaxed, but, by the same token, reenergized and happy to be alive. It takes her back to a place where she has the deepest appreciation for the smallest of things. It's much more than "just" a drum. It's magical, and that makes you look at everything else with a different perspective.
Aside from that, drumming studies have been done and the results indicate it can help out people that have/had breast cancer. Apparently, that the exercise involved with drumming or dancing, can lower the risk of estrogen related tumors. Just thirty minutes of it a day can dramatically decrease the odds of another tumor occurring. I can believe it after seeing the nerve damage healing in her, and in others.
For those who undergo chemotherapy, aromatase inhibitors decrease estrogen. Estrogen loss speeds up bone loss. Dancing and movement helps slow that loss. Newer studies also indicated that exercise can reduce the symptoms of lymph-edema if it is approached gradually. Belly dancing is particularly beneficial style. All those arm extensions and playing the Zills (little finger cymbals) is a natural way to aid in lymph drainage. And it may even help reduce the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome. And it entices us guys to play better.
Drumming even helps to make you smarter. Doh! Improved IQ scores can now officially be added to the growing list of benefits from playing at the drum circle. A recent study showed that playing the drums improved the IQ scores of some children. I mean, if you think about it, drum rhythms are mathematic in their natural form. (4/4 time, 6/8, etc.) They are drumming, and learning some basic math in the process of having fun.
While many various studies have indicated that musical training can improve a person's literacy and math skills, this is particularly interesting, because it is the first time that a study has shown that just drumming alone, can improve your intelligence level. Playing the drums is unique in that it makes the brain think in such a way that very few other activities can do. Being able to learn and understand drum beats, and figure out how the various drum rhythms go together is actually a very complicated thought process. This kind of thinking exercises your brain, and actually helps make you smarter.
For every hour you are dancing or drumming you can possibly add an extra hour to your life. What a nice added bonus. It was explained to me by a belly dancer one time that the different parts of the body represent different natural elements of the earth in their expression. That the movements in the base and pelvic areas represent earth and grounding. Movements in the belly represent the flow of water. Movements in the upper parts of the body represent the fire. The hand movement represents the air.
Over the course of the years I have seen some fascinating things happen with people. In a regular weekly drum circle, people with all sorts of personal problems and issues. Social difficulties, self consciousness, physical limitations, and numerous other things would slowly start to heal themselves. Relationships slowly developed, people fell in love and found life partners. The introverted slowly started to come out of their shells.
The drum circle is a non threatening environment, so people begin to relax about their social feelings and limitations. We are just there to play music together, the most honest way of getting to know someone there is. People have a real life, and a musical life. I got to know so many of these people so very intimately musically, yet I knew nothing about their real lives. What they did, where they are from, what hobbies they have, and on and on. Many of them were professional people from all walks of life, and all different ethnic backgrounds. I knew nothing about them, but I had been playing music with them for so very long, I had this feeling I had known them my entire life. I felt like I knew them better than any of my best friends. It sounds strange even to write it, but it is true. Of course there were many that I became close personal friends with, but for the most part, I didn’t know a lot of them, except musically. After all, I was busy playing all night, and never got to actually talk to them, except with our drumming. The most honest form of communication is music.
People that had just experienced some recent sadness, or even a tragedy in there life would go there, because they could be around a supportive group of friends who cared about them as a friend, and they would not to have to grieve alone at home. They had a community of friends they could go to. We would all help them deal with it through the drumming. And they knew that people genuinely cared about them. Even the ones who only knew them musically. This kind of thing happens at a regularly meeting drum circle. Happy things got celebrated as well. Birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.
After about a year, this drum circle had become so popular that the media eventually started to wander in and asked me to do interviews about this particular drum circle, and drum circles in general. It was quite a nice article, and lots of credit goes to a wonderful writer. There is a link to it on the main page of my website:
drumcircles.net
Shannon Ratigan
Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.
A newer friend of mine spoke with me after a few months of attending a weekly drum circle I facilitated. She had a number of physical and health limitations that were obvious, like nerve damage, and It looked like she was just slowly getting better. I noticed her improving dramatically in both her health and state of mind. Please keep in mind I’m not a doctor, or am I recommending a treatment. This is just what I observed, and what was shared with me.
It seems she became paralyzed from the neck down six years ago following a botched surgery. A blood clot formed in her spinal cord and as it traveled toward the brain, it did extensive nerve damage. She had spent six months in a wheelchair, and another year in a walker. She was also a migraine sufferer, having them as frequently as three times a week. When she was 13, her doctor suggested relaxation therapy, in an effort to try and avert the migraines. So it was then that she first employed music for its healthful benefits, and not just something pretty to listen to. She learned to listen to it differently. To breathe the music.
Then she found our little drum circle. She was seated in the back, and I just held out and offered a drum I brought over to her. She was so surprised, and flustered, that she accepted it and said “I don’t know what to do!” I said, just play whatever you want, whatever you feel like playing, and don‘t worry about it. Just have some fun, and play when you feel like playing. Nobody cares how good you are here, and you are not going to mess anyone else up. Everyone is here just to have fun.
It was one of those light aluminum doumbeks by the way. Those are ideal for beginners I think, because they are light, very comfortable to hold and play, plus most of them are just intriguing looking drums to people. It’s like an immediate, “yeah that looks like fun, I wanna try that”. She kept coming back to the drum circle for weeks after that.
She said it opened up a whole new channel into her inner core. And that the drum casts a spell on anyone who hears it, and more so, on those who play one. Although other music can be equally entrancing, it only has that power if you listen to it, but the drum finds its way into your soul without you even knowing it. Before long, you find the rhythm so familiar, and so comforting, much like the rhythm of the human heart. This, to me, is just the spiritual power of drumming.
Now the more scientific stuff. She been coming to the drum circle for about six months, and when she first started coming, most of her fingers had little to no feeling in them. She felt that when she struck the drum with her hands, the vibrations carried up into her arms. The thinking was that nerves need to be stimulated in order to heal. Over the course of the last two months, she’s actually noticed more increased sensation in her fingers. I can't say for certain if drumming is responsible for the new found sensation, but it's the only thing in her lifestyle she said she had changed over the past several months that could possibly have made a difference. I might add that, according to what her doctor had told her, is that her nerves were "permanently" damaged. They started to improve.
Finally, she added that over the course of many years she had been treated for severe depression. Although she became healthy enough to stop taking medication two years ago, she had continued to suffer periodic short bouts of the depression. Before finding the drum, she would simply "wait it out" and let the spell pass. Sadly, it was usually at the expense of family and friends dragging around for days until something changed and lifted her spirits up. She eventually bought her own djembe drum.
Now, when she feels low, she picks up her drum and begins to play with the mother rhythm or some other rhythms she now knows, just letting the drum and her heart become one. She said once she achieves that, she simply lets her heart take over, and allows her hands to play whatever her heart tells her to play. At the end of the drumming session, she found herself not only deeply relaxed, but, by the same token, reenergized and happy to be alive. It takes her back to a place where she has the deepest appreciation for the smallest of things. It's much more than "just" a drum. It's magical, and that makes you look at everything else with a different perspective.
Aside from that, drumming studies have been done and the results indicate it can help out people that have/had breast cancer. Apparently, that the exercise involved with drumming or dancing, can lower the risk of estrogen related tumors. Just thirty minutes of it a day can dramatically decrease the odds of another tumor occurring. I can believe it after seeing the nerve damage healing in her, and in others.
For those who undergo chemotherapy, aromatase inhibitors decrease estrogen. Estrogen loss speeds up bone loss. Dancing and movement helps slow that loss. Newer studies also indicated that exercise can reduce the symptoms of lymph-edema if it is approached gradually. Belly dancing is particularly beneficial style. All those arm extensions and playing the Zills (little finger cymbals) is a natural way to aid in lymph drainage. And it may even help reduce the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome. And it entices us guys to play better.
Drumming even helps to make you smarter. Doh! Improved IQ scores can now officially be added to the growing list of benefits from playing at the drum circle. A recent study showed that playing the drums improved the IQ scores of some children. I mean, if you think about it, drum rhythms are mathematic in their natural form. (4/4 time, 6/8, etc.) They are drumming, and learning some basic math in the process of having fun.
While many various studies have indicated that musical training can improve a person's literacy and math skills, this is particularly interesting, because it is the first time that a study has shown that just drumming alone, can improve your intelligence level. Playing the drums is unique in that it makes the brain think in such a way that very few other activities can do. Being able to learn and understand drum beats, and figure out how the various drum rhythms go together is actually a very complicated thought process. This kind of thinking exercises your brain, and actually helps make you smarter.
For every hour you are dancing or drumming you can possibly add an extra hour to your life. What a nice added bonus. It was explained to me by a belly dancer one time that the different parts of the body represent different natural elements of the earth in their expression. That the movements in the base and pelvic areas represent earth and grounding. Movements in the belly represent the flow of water. Movements in the upper parts of the body represent the fire. The hand movement represents the air.
Over the course of the years I have seen some fascinating things happen with people. In a regular weekly drum circle, people with all sorts of personal problems and issues. Social difficulties, self consciousness, physical limitations, and numerous other things would slowly start to heal themselves. Relationships slowly developed, people fell in love and found life partners. The introverted slowly started to come out of their shells.
The drum circle is a non threatening environment, so people begin to relax about their social feelings and limitations. We are just there to play music together, the most honest way of getting to know someone there is. People have a real life, and a musical life. I got to know so many of these people so very intimately musically, yet I knew nothing about their real lives. What they did, where they are from, what hobbies they have, and on and on. Many of them were professional people from all walks of life, and all different ethnic backgrounds. I knew nothing about them, but I had been playing music with them for so very long, I had this feeling I had known them my entire life. I felt like I knew them better than any of my best friends. It sounds strange even to write it, but it is true. Of course there were many that I became close personal friends with, but for the most part, I didn’t know a lot of them, except musically. After all, I was busy playing all night, and never got to actually talk to them, except with our drumming. The most honest form of communication is music.
People that had just experienced some recent sadness, or even a tragedy in there life would go there, because they could be around a supportive group of friends who cared about them as a friend, and they would not to have to grieve alone at home. They had a community of friends they could go to. We would all help them deal with it through the drumming. And they knew that people genuinely cared about them. Even the ones who only knew them musically. This kind of thing happens at a regularly meeting drum circle. Happy things got celebrated as well. Birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.
After about a year, this drum circle had become so popular that the media eventually started to wander in and asked me to do interviews about this particular drum circle, and drum circles in general. It was quite a nice article, and lots of credit goes to a wonderful writer. There is a link to it on the main page of my website:
drumcircles.net
Shannon Ratigan
Copyright © Shannon Ratigan All Rights Reserved.
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