Which slap?

[Loveablesurfer]

Hi Folks! I'm new to the forum but not new to drumming. I'm a self taught percussionist (mainly from books or watching people), I've been told of three different kinds of slap for the djembe. I'm curious as to which one is actually a proper/traditional djembe slap or does it differ from region to region.

The first variation I learned from a djembe book, it's essentally hitting the rim with the tips of the three middle fingers, with the underside of the top knuckles lining up with the edge of the rim. (Gives a good variety of closed slap sounds depending where the other hand mutes the drum).

The second variation I've learned from watching online videos and is essentially the same as an open tone but with the fingers relaxed and spread. It does make a bit of a different sound but not as distinctive as hitting the rim (as described above).

Finally the third variation (which I always thought was a Conga technique) which is to hit the drum with a curved hand and cup the air as the hand strikes the surface. This definitelt gives the loudest closed slap "pop".

My guess is the second variation is the correct one, but I find it the least distinctive from an open tone. I am aware that my general playing style is more on the cuban style than proper afro style (so I ain't a proper djembe player). I'd just like to learn more about the traditional way of playing it.

[Legba]

I prefer (insert, however I am the last one you should take advice from).
The slap for me is a tone with the fingers relaxed, but not really spread apart.
If you put your hand flat on the desk, this is the tone position from the start of the fingers forward. If you look at the hand with the computer mouse in it, you notice the natural (relaxed) hand is curved and the fingertips are all that would be touching a flat surface, for me this is the slap.
So flat fingers requiring muscle tension for tone, same position without muscle tension resulting in curved hand/fingers for slap.
Hope that makes sense?
Although I tend to find myself moving my hands in slightly when playing a loud slap or emphasizing one slap over the other.

[Loveablesurfer]

I think I'm the last person I should take advice from!

How different is your slap to your tone then? Do you get a slight poping sound or just a slightly higher pitched tone with a bit more ring?

[Legba]

They are both very distinct from each other.

Nevertheless, I must admit that I had little or no problem playing the slap, I instead am one of those weird folks that actually have to spent time and thought on my tone, slap just seemed to come naturally.
I was a Respiratory therapist for 20 years back in the day, and we had a procedure called CPT or Chest Physical Therapy, where we would cup our hands and play rhythmically on the backs and sides of our patients to mobilize their secretions, for anywhere from 5 minutes per side to 20 minutes per side, so this may explain my endurance and the tendency for me to curve my fingers naturaly and easily? It was not unusual for me to spend 1 hour to 6 hours of my day standing over patients percussing their backs.

[johnc]

tone slap hand position same

slap means slap (claque, french spelling?)

tone means "touch the tree" but dont slap (sharp wrist movement)

slap (claque) touch the tree but wrist staight



the above are my basic understaings from my second lesson with Mady Keita when he really worked on my finger, hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder technique. In watching Mady play it is the sound rather than hands that indicate the pe or pa ( his vocalisation)

At school I get the kids to spread their fingers for a slap sound as they often hurt themselves trying to slap.

cheers

[djembeweaver]

Sounds like your 'first variation' is more of a rim shot than a slap. Not widely used as far as I've seen, except in djembe kan (although Famoudou uses every sound available!)

The cupped hand conga pop is used by some (Seckou Keita uses this a lot on djembe and bougarabou, though he uses other slaps too).

The open finger version (or rather relaxed finger version) is the most common, though there are still a million individual ways of acheiving it. This slap, played well by djembe folas, has a high metalic ring that with the tones actually produces a melody.

Mamady has at least two different slaps and can produce a discernable melody with them.

Nansady Keita has a higher pitched slap he throws into roulements too.

If you can't get a big difference using this type of slap that's because you need to play with good djembe folas for several years (I've been working hard on mine for over 10 years and I'm still not quite there)

[BarefootJoe]

My first post on this forum.

Before I played a djembe for the first time, I searched for "djembe" using Google and the video of this "master drummer" called Lamin Jassey kept turning up. Here he is explaining the 3 basic sounds of the djembe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IPoTsqoujM#t=1m14s

He uses the same "rim shot" slap technique as described by the OP. I wonder if this is a regional variation? According to an interview (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/world/onyou ... amin.shtml) he has Senegal and Gambian roots.

[michi]

Before I played a djembe for the first time, I searched for "djembe" using Google and the video of this "master drummer" called Lamin Jassey kept turning up. Here he is explaining the 3 basic sounds of the djembe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IPoTsqoujM#t=1m14s

I don't know where he got the title "master drummer". What I do know is that some master drummers I know would take one look at the guy and tell him "you need to work on your technique". No-one who knows what they are doing plays a slap like that.

Cheers,

Michi.

[freefeet]

Hi BarefootJoe, are you a full time barefooter as well? Good to have you here and welcome

[BarefootJoe]

Hi BarefootJoe, are you a full time barefooter as well? Good to have you here and welcome

Thanks, and indeed I am! Been running barefoot since October or so of 2009 and then going completely without shoes, walking around barefoot since around April of 2010. Always good to see another footwear-free person around.

[freefeet]

Been at it for over 6 years now. My only annoyance is being asked all the time if my feet are cold.

Shoes are a tax on walking!