Djole solo phrases

[orlik]

Hello,
Do you know any solo phrases (traditional, if there are any and non-traditional) for djole?

[bkidd]

Hi Orlik,

A common short phrase is to play:

Code: Select all

1 - - - 2 - - - 3 - - - 4 - - -
$ - - t T - $ - - - - - - - - -


where the $ is a flam slap.

Try listening to the following CDs:

Wassolon - Mamady Keita
Fakoly 1 - Fode Bangoura

Another resource would be Fara Tolno's recent djembe Solo Phrases

And finally, you could check out the Akaran Iko Iko DVD, where Mahiri plays a number of phrases to draw inspiration from.

One common thing among Fode, Mamady, and Mahiri is they play a ternary pattern over top the otherwise binary rhythm.

Best,
-Brian

[davidognomo]

I really like the djole on the Percussions de Guinée album (vol. 1). It's played with real sikko drums accompaniment, and the solo by Gbanworo Keita is really nice and hasn't much to do with the common modern solo phrases that I'm used to hear.

[djembeweaver]

Interesting that this has had so few replies.

I find Djole the second hardest rhythm to solo over (the hardest being Macru - Ugh!). Don't know why.

Recently I've improved somewhat though, and this has been a result of alternating between highly swung phrases and playing using 6 subdivisions of each beat. The latter sounds great but is very difficult to pull off outside highly controlled pratice situations.

[orlik]

I find Djole the second hardest rhythm to solo over (the hardest being Macru - Ugh!). Don't know why.

That's interesting, I always percieved djole as rather easy rhytm.

[bkidd]

I agree with djembeweaver that this rhythm is a little tricky to solo over because the dununs are, frankly boring. Maybe I haven't heard enough versions of djole, but the square and driving nature of djole, which makes it great for dance classes and playing with a good deal of energy, also make it easy to wara wara over top of the dununs. I'd say it's harder for me to come up with juicy solo phrases that fit nicely with the conversation and elevate the rhythm, rather than using generic binary phrases that fit into the space. Maybe I'm just not that creative yet.

Best,
-Brian

[djembeweaver]

I agree with djembeweaver that this rhythm is a little tricky to solo over because the dununs are, frankly boring. Maybe I haven't heard enough versions of djole, but the square and driving nature of djole, which makes it great for dance classes and playing with a good deal of energy, also make it easy to wara wara over top of the dununs. I'd say it's harder for me to come up with juicy solo phrases that fit nicely with the conversation and elevate the rhythm, rather than using generic binary phrases that fit into the space. Maybe I'm just not that creative yet.

That's it exactly. That's why I have to resort to fast triplets to sound interesting. In addition it varies only slightly over a 4 beat cycle making it efectively a 2 beat cycle. Also because it's so straight it tends to end up being played very fast. I can easily uninspire myself soloing over djole.

Macru is worse though.

[djembefeeling]

this rhythm is a little tricky to solo over because the dununs are, frankly boring.

I can easily uninspire myself soloing over djole.

this is exactly why I like the "non-traditional" version of Stephan Rigert so much (on the cd that comes with his book -- the first rhythm that got me hooked on djembe!). The solophrases are great, there, as well.
But for the other version I think MK is doing a great job, isn't he?!

cheers, jürgen

[bkidd]

jürgen wrote:
But for the other version I think MK is doing a great job, isn't he?!

I love what MK does, I just find it challenging to imitate a lot of it.

Thanks for the suggestion on Rigert. I'll have to check him out.

Best,
-Brian

[michi]

My experiences matches yours: Djole and Makru are among my least favourite rhythms to solo to. Not sure why that is, seeing they are so simple. But both a played very fast, which means that the usual repertoire of binary solo phrases doesn't work so well because they end up just getting too fast. Also, the perception of beat seems to be different for me somehow with Djole and Makru… I'm gradually getting more comfortable soloing to those rhythms, but I wouldn't jump at a chance to play solo for them.

One of the best recordings of Djole I know of is on Fodé Seydou Bangoura's "Fakoly 1".

You can hear an excerpt here, at 3:20 into the interview. At 3:00 into the track, there is an awesome series of tonpalos too

Cheers,

Michi.