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
10 THE CROSSOVER
This is the perfect pattern to use for meditation and to build on stamina... It has a smooth melodic sound when repeated!​
Once you have mastered the basics and increased the tempo, you can use this pattern to build stories, experimenting with the formation as you wish.
Using An Easy Pattern To Build A Meditative Rhythm: "BTT-BTT-BT...BTT-BTT-BT...BTT-BTT-BTB"
Elements to consider: Start with your dominant hand and follow the hand formation correctly to achieve the correct sound.
Focus: The crossover of hand formation
Tip: Start slow and then increase tempo!
11 Kassa (Part 1)
This is the first part of the Kassa rhythm...
The hits are: S - SS - TTS - BSSBTT
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Elements to consider: We start with our dominant hand.
Focus: On ALTERNATING the hand formation... Literally alternating hands!
S - SS - TTS - BSSBTT
R - LR - LRL - RLRLRL
Tip: Start slow and when you build in confidence, increase tempo!
12 Straight & 332 Beat
The straight beat and the 332 beat are two super important beats because there is a high chance that you'll be able to play alongside most of the songs that people will play e.g. During a jam session.
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The Straight Beat
It only has one bass and one loud slap in it.
Pattern: BTTT… STTT
Focus: On accentuating the base and slap notes.
Tip: Say it to play it: Bass234, Slap234...​
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The 332 Beat
Pattern: BTT… STT.. ST
Focus: On accentuating the base and slap notes and hitting the tones like ghost notes... Adding dynamics for drama!
Tip: Say it to play it: 123, 123, 12...​
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Once you are comfortable with each beat, try mixing them together to tell a story... First try rounds of four and then improvise by moving between beats at your leisure... Have fun!
34 16 Stroke Beat
Have fun playing along to this 16 Stroke Beat video where I break it down into segments for you to easily follow along.
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Elements to consider: Accentuate the Bass and Slap notes, while playing down the Tones (ghosting) to add dynamics.
Focus: Obtaining the correct phrasing.
Tip: Meditate to this beat making it a feeling rather than a thought.
35 Backing Track 98bpm
Have fun playing along to this 98 beat per minute backing track.
Try playing along with each of the three beats: The straight beat, 332 and the 16 stroke beat... When you are comfy doing this with each beat, mix it up!
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Elements to consider: Start with rounds of 8 of each beat before changing to the next beat, then try 4 rounds of each beat and then 2 rounds... Finally tell stories by interchanging the 3 beats at your leisure.
Focus: On the backing track as the foundation and make sure you are playing in time to the track at all times.
Tip: Master one beat play a long before moving to the next!