Teaching solos...

[michi]

michi, I think you said something a bit earlier about different styles of learning? (Long thread, I'd need to re-read to be able to quote.)

That's entirely possible, yes, though it is difficult to be sure with the length of my posts

To me, it sounds like that's what we're talking about, for the most part.

For sure, different people learn differently, and the analytical thing will not work for everyone.

Some people really value notation as a memory aid, for example, whereas for me, it just doesn't work. I can of course play something from notation, but it doesn't come naturally to me. Instead, give me a ten-second sound snippet, and I'm fine. I remember things by their melody and, to a large extent, by tactile memory. When I dredge up a rhythm that I haven't played for a while and have trouble remembering it, what I go for is the melody and tactile sensation in my hands (the pattern of movement and impact).

There are definitely many paths to learning a rhythm, and each person is different. That's why I keep advocating for students to have several different teachers, if at all possible. That not only means that they get exposed to more different styles, but also makes it more likely that they find a teacher they mesh with really well and who can bring out the best in them.

btw, the rabid theory fans I referred to earlier are all jazz musicians. Go figure!

Mysterious are the ways of music...

Cheers,

Michi.

[e2c]

Instead, give me a ten-second sound snippet, and I'm fine. I remember things by their melody and, to a large extent, by tactile memory. When I dredge up a rhythm that I haven't played for a while and have trouble remembering it, what I go for is the melody and tactile sensation in my hands (the pattern of movement and impact).

Same here.

[michi]

Hey, thanks for that! I have the first one, but I didn't know that there is a second volume. It's been added to my wish list

I ordered "The Art of Jenbe Drumming Vol. 2" from MovieMars (via Amazon), but just received a message telling me that the order was cancelled because the CD is unavailable. Does anyone know where I might be able to buy a copy?

Thanks,

Michi.

[michi]

I ordered "The Art of Jenbe Drumming Vol. 2" from MovieMars (via Amazon), but just received a message telling me that the order was cancelled because the CD is unavailable. Does anyone know where I might be able to buy a copy?

Ah, managed to track it down. Looks like it's available at http://www.cdandlp.com.

Cheers,

Michi.

[Nodrog]

Hi there everyone,

I don't know how useful my input my be on this particular subject because I am fairly new to the djembe world myself. However, I do have a long history of playing jazz and reggae music,(not as a drummer but mainly bass and guitar and keyboards). I am now 50 years old and approx one year ago had a sudden urge to strip all the trimmings away from music and try to exlpore the roots of rhythm and really raw, not primitive, but honest nitty gritty music.

That is why I bought myself a djembe drum. I have spent a lot of time listening to African music and most of the video clips on this site but I have in front of me a drum and I wanted to hit it in certain ways and get some really good sounds and rhythms but not traditional African pieces.

This is what I'm getting around to saying. I imagine the djembe as a full western drum set. Bass drum, hi-hat and snare to begin with. I know this would be unorthodox for students of African drumming but when soloing, this might be a way of them achieving their own patterns for soloing instead of always starting off with African beats in their subconscious mind. A way to do this is to get a simple beat going and then start to emphasise beats either off beat or in between beats with what I would describe as a timbale type sound by hitting very fast with one finger diagonally toward the outside edge. I use this sound often especially if we are playing a reggae type beat.

Another thing I try sometimes is simply swap around the parts, - bass becomes tone, slap becmes bass, that kind of thing. That does sound simple but it's actually real tricky sometimes but it does achieve a different effect.

Have a great weekend ya'll, Gordon.

[bubudi]

one thing that works for me is to feel the music as a whole: the melody, the sonic textures, etc. then it's easy to play around with that, filling in some gaps here and there, complementing the melody and providing contrasting textures. this applies equally to african music as it does to western music. the only difference here is some of the language of the djembe.

it's important to remember that there is a language in all types of music. even when musicians have their own unique style, there are signature phrases that they come back to which define the style of music they are playing. what makes mendiani mendiani? what makes reggae reggae? there is a structure and language. after you know the structure and language of what is being played, you can improvise around it. sometimes you can stretch the boundaries and that's a beautiful thing. sometimes i improvise with other musicians playing western instruments, even drumkit. i don't find i need to think of my djembe as a kick, snare, etc to play well with it. in fact, if there is already a drumkit player then it's quite more of the same. i let the instrument's identity come out just as my own identity does when i play, all within the structure and language of what is being played. much like someone singing an english song with an exotic accent...

[Nodrog]

Hi there,

Bubudi, I agree with the point you make and I like the analogy of " singing An English song with an exotic accent". As I have stated several times before in different posts, I don't have the knowledge, history or cultural background to class myself as a true djembefola. However, it is still a djembe I play on and in a way it is the opposite of your analogy.

I take the African djembe and using the musical background that I do have, turn out some pretty interesting sounds and rhythms which work really well as a beat to play guitar and other instruments to. I am taking an exotic drum and singing with a British, Celtic, Cuban, Jamaican, all these different accents depending on the piece being played. I find the djembe to be a very versatile drum and is great for this type of thing. As I have said before, my aim is to get a few short 'sketchbook' recordings on here then you will see what I mean. Might not be everyone's cup of tea but I'm getting great pleasure from learning and experimenting with it.

All the best, Gordon.

[bubudi]

looking forward to hearing some of these recordings, gordon!