Djembe help!

[hateater]

I got a nice little djembe for Christmas from my girlfriend, and I was wondering if i could get some posts started here with the basics, such as where i hit to achieve each of the 4 tones, and maybe some patterns to get started with. Thanks in advance.

[hateater]

come on, i thought bassists were musicians- who here can help me?

[Phalex]

Bassists are musicians.

Do you have a question about an instrument?

[Scottgun]

http://www.larryswanson.com/drum-and...-technique.htm


Or find a drummer/percussion forum.




Scott

[ding_man]

Find a percussion forum silly haha.

[MakiSupaStar]

I have one. Some basics. The notes get higher as they the radiate out. Thus lowest thumps is in the middle (try hitting with your palm heel). Outer edge creates nice ringing highs. Some other cool things you could try is to sit it on your lap and stick your hand up the hole. Pull your hand in and out as you hit it and you get a cool flange type effect. Also you can incorporte knocks on the wood into your patterns too. That's always a fun one to throw out there in the drum circle. One pattern that got me started.

Left right left left
right left right right

Emphasize different pieces of it and you can get some trippy beats.

Djembe's are a lot of fun.

[syciprider]

sit it on your lap and stick your hand up the hole.

Cool!

[hateater]

Originally Posted by Phalex

Bassists are musicians.

Do you have a question about an instrument?

Hey phalex, your ignorance is showing...

[bongomania]

Wait, let me get this right. You're in Eugene and you don't have any idea where to get information about djembe playing??? Come on, you can't spit in Eugene without hitting a kid with blond dreds holding a djembe. IIRC, the front steps of that city government building across the street from Saturday Market is one place djembe players gather every Saturday. Also, the music shops and grocery stores in town have djembe circles and teachers posted on their bulletin boards.

If you really want online info, I know there are several Yahoo groups about djembe playing, so go to Yahoo --> Groups --> search "djembe".

[hateater]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Wait, let me get this right. You're in Eugene and you don't have any idea where to get information about djembe playing??? Come on, you can't spit in Eugene without hitting a kid with blond dreds holding a djembe. IIRC, the front steps of that city government building across the street from Saturday Market is one place djembe players gather every Saturday. Also, the music shops and grocery stores in town have djembe circles and teachers posted on their bulletin boards.

If you really want online info, I know there are several Yahoo groups about djembe playing, so go to Yahoo --> Groups --> search "djembe".

Well, it's holiday market time, so no drum circle outside of city hall this time of year.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Wait, let me get this right. You're in Eugene and you don't have any idea where to get information about djembe playing??? Come on, you can't spit in Eugene without hitting a kid with blond dreds holding a djembe.

You bring up some very good points. You being from San Francisco have to have a similar scenario.

[bongomania]

We keep them corralled in a small reservation that centers around the McDonalds at Haight and Stanyan. The drum-holding ones gravitate into the park, and the ones without drums wander up the street begging for change supposedly to feed their dog.

They aren't allowed into the rest of the city.

[iplaybassguitar]

i have a djembe, its by far the coolest drum.

go to a hippy concert like phil and friends or someone and stay there after the show, wait for the sound of drums from the parking lot, and follow your ears to the drum circle, then join right in. you will learn wonders.