BEGINNERS DJEMBE : HOMEWORK
Welcome to the Beginners Djembe Homework section!
Here, you'll find essential hints, tips, and exercises to support your Djembe journey.
Explore our resources and enhance your skills as you dive into the world of Djembe playing!
01 Practise Pattern
Applying bass and tone to a djembe practise pattern.
Focus: Technique, stamina and tempo.
Tip: Cruise into meditation...
Be aware of the way you are lifting and dropping the arms...
Feel the bounce in the bass and contact on fingertips with tones.
02 Classic Pattern
Applying bass and tone to a classic djembe pattern.
Focus: Technique, stamina.
Tip: Start with right hand on bass... Bring that same hand back for the first tone (R,R,L,R,R,L,R,R,L,R)
Then start with the left hand!
03 One Handed Clapping
Exercise to get suppleness in fingers.
Focus: Get a free movement happening from fingers.
Tip: Set wrist in a locking position because we don't want the wrists to really get involved in this movement.
04 Slap Technique (without pain)
To get the slap sound we are working around the edge of the drum… The danger zone!
Focus: Technique.
Tip: Position our palms on the edge of the drum in a resting position. Open your fingers out and have them pointing upwards TO THE SKY.
05 Warm Up Exercise
Bass, bass, tone, tone, slap, slap, tone, tone (repeat)
Focus: Stamina and unison… Not speed!
Tip: As you are doing it, think of that sense of gravity for bass and tone... And that suppleness and freedom in the fingers for the slap.
06 Tone & Slap Exercise
When learning slap, it’s important to revert back to the tone so you can check that you are getting contrast between the two.
Focus: Technique... Open and closed finger positions.
Tip: Play around with the two sounds with both hands.
07 Phrasing
Phrasing in music is how a musician shapes notes to convey a musical idea. Similar to how a speaker emphasises words or changes their speed to make a story more interesting…
Using the Kassa Groove, experiment with phrasing: 2 slaps, 2 tones, 2 slaps… 2 slaps, 2 tones, 2 slaps, bass
Elements to consider: Phrasing involves dynamics, articulation, & timing...
Focus: Check out how I applied phrasing to the Kassa Groove to create a different story expression from beginning to end.
Tip: Imagine having a conversation with yourself and explore how you would change expression using phrasing.
08 Ghost Notes
"Ghost notes" on a djembe refer to very softly played notes, almost like a whisper, played in between the main accented beats, creating a subtle rhythmic texture without a strong, defined sound.
Using An Easy Pattern To Jam To: "Peanut Butter Sandwich"
Elements to consider: Essentially, it's a way to add a light, almost "ghostly" presence to the rhythm by hitting the drum with minimal force, often used to fill in gaps within a pattern and enhance the overall groove.
Focus: On ghost notes, phrasing and adding variation.
Tip: These rhythms have alternating hand patterns.
09 Deku Deku
This is the Deku Deku video you asked for in full...
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Elements to consider: Timing is EVERYTHING!
Focus: On the three parts we did in class...
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The Kuku section (call in)... Flam, ta, ta, ta... ta, ta, ta, ta
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The 7's bass section (intro)... 7's and 2's
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Drum roll... 123456... 123