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Playing the Djembe

Contents

1.

Getting started ................................................................................................................................................... 2

2.

Beginner ............................................................................................................................................................. 7

3.

Advanced ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.

Master ............................................................................................................................................................. 11

5.

Rhythms to play together ................................................................................................................................. 12

6.

Rhythms to play alone ...................................................................................................................................... 15

7.

Playing Solo ...................................................................................................................................................... 25

8.

Font Legend ..................................................................................................................................................... 26

9.

Choosing a djembé ........................................................................................................................................... 27

10.

Tuning a djembé ............................................................................................................................................... 28

11.

Other instruments, often used next to a djembé ............................................................................................... 44

1.

Getting started

1.1.

Posture and arm movement 

You m ay either let the drum rest on the f loor or you m ay also support it with y our feet all owing it to move along with y our body. K eep the drum tilted or l ift it off t off  the f loor, as it dampens the bass so unds coming from the tube.

Keep your back slightly arc hed, push your chest forward, keep your neck upright and sho ulders low and make sure that the drum is p roperly tilted away from y ou. R emind yo urself  of  the good sitting posture every now and then by l ooking straight ahead, sl ightly upwards.

Image from htt p://etno.net/en/learning_material/online/basic_tec h nique_for_djembe

Avoid tensing yo ur arms s o that your upper arms b ecome rigid and only y our forearms m ove vertically. Do not wear any  jewel ry on your hands or arms as this may hurt you or change the so und of t of  the djembe.

An economic way of  playing is keeping yo ur elbows cl early apart from your sides w it h the elbows and palms moving almost in opposite directions. Wh en the palm moves up and down to the whol e extent, the elb ow moves in the o pposite direction some 5 cm. The arm rotates around an imagined axl e which s tarts from the shoulder and runs through the forearm at a point which is some 5 cm fro m the elbow towards the palm. In the oppo site sides of  the axle, the arm m asses balance each other during the move ment, which makes the

movement l ighter but maintains the speed of  the palm movement.

2

1.2.

Playing while standing

While standing yo u are able to move with the drum more freely. Pass a wide strap (4.5 m in lengt h) as illustrated in the pict ure. Find the right spot for the knot by experimenting.

Image from htt p://etno.net/en/learning_material/online/basic_tec h nique_for_djembe

3

Image from http://etno. net/en/l earning_material/online/basic_tech nique_for_djemb e

4

1.3.

Playing a t one

The fingers m eet the edge of  the drumhead si multaneously covering as l arge an area as po ssible. Th e part of  the fingers that touch the edge of  the drum extend up to the bend at the root of  the proximal ph alanx (fir st finger bone) of the middl e finger , but no f urt her towards the palm.

Image from htt p://etno.net/en/learning_material/online/basic_techniqu e_for_djembe

From the player's perspective the tone looks like this at the time when the hand hits the drumhead:

Image from htt p://etno.net/en/learning_material/online/basic_techniqu e_for_djembe 5

1.4.

Playing a bass

The best sound is produced rig ht in the centre, bu t it is often practical to hit where both hands have room for quick repetition of  bass strokes.

Keep your palm stiff  and f lat and try to make the entire drumhead vibrate so that even the l ow es t frequencies can be heard. Strike firmly but avoid overdoing it: the volume wi ll not grow endlessly by increa sing the striking power. 1.5.

Common Sore

mistakes

thumbs - You may be play too far to the centre of  the drum. There i s also and el ement of  your hand

learning to keep the thumb out to the way. Playing with your hands too parallel instead of  pointing so mewhat inwards. Thi s causes:

1) rotation of  the wrist (causes sore wrists and forearm tendon s, event ually l eading to carpal tunnel syndrome) 2) moves the thumbs towards the rings so you're bound to hit them a l ot of the time. Hitting

harder to make slaps (see A dvanced) - There is slightly m ore speed in a slap, but only b ecause of  your

wrist whi pping on the way down. You do not hit the drum harder for get a slap. The amo unt of force yo u use should be the same and the whi pping occurs naturally.

6

2. Beginner 2.1.

Writing down rhythms With a djembe, y ou can do 4 things: 1.

do nothing

2.

hit it, producing a bass

3.

hit it, producing a tone

4.

hit it, producing a slap (s ee advanced)

These four are seen here:

+bts You can prod uce thes e three tones with your left or with your right hand:

() When you look at one of the easiest rhythms, the Rumba 1, you get:

B+b+ttt+ ) ) )() You read this as: y

play a bass with your right hand

y

do nothing w ith your left hand

y

play a bass with your right hand

y

do nothing w ith your left hand

y

play a tone with your right hand

y

play a tone with your left hand

y

play a tone with your right hand

y

do nothing w ith your left hand

y

and start over

Youll notice that almost every r hythm has 8, 12 or 16 steps like this (counting the do nothing steps). You can download the D jembe Font from http://www.djemb e.net. This all ows you to simply keep yo ur notes in a Word Document.

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2.2.

The call When a lot of  people are playing together, it is impossible to tell them wh en you want to stop. You could tell them that w e will pl ay this rhythm 30 times, but then everybody would have to count them.

That is why we agree on a certain rhythm t hat we use to start and stop. This is the call. After the call is played, ever ybody starts playing at the same time. While palying, l i sten caref ully at the l eader. Wh en he plays the call, you have to sto p at the l ast note of  this call ( although there are a few exceptions).

In the written out rhythms, the call is shown behind the exclamation mark:

! 2.3.

Playing different parts or the same rhythm

Sometimes, players divide themsel ves in several groups, each playing a different rhythm. These rhythms obiously have the same lengt h, and sound well toget her.

In the written out rhythms, the various parts are numbered:

Q1 Q2 The above means that hal f the group will play the first line and the other half the second line.

8

3.  Advanced 3.1.

Playing a slap

In the slap, the hand hits the centre of  the drumhead 1-1.5 cm closer than in the tone. Th e edge of  the drum should be hit with the f leshy part of  your palm whic h is on the same l evel as y our knuckles on the ot her side of  your palm. The bones in yo ur hand arch j ust the o pposite way than the edge of the drum, but try to do it so that as mu ch of  the f leshy part of  your palm as possible can receive support from the rim. F inger s are free to

move and whip the skin even when the palm movement sto ps.

Image from htt p://etno.net/en/learning_material/online/basic_tec h nique_for_djembe

From the player's perspective the sla p looks like this at the time when t he hand hits the drumhead:

Image from htt p://etno.net/en/learning_material/online/basic_tec h nique_for_djembe

9

Even t hough the slap sounds louder, the feel sho uld be lighter than in producing the tone. D o not press yo ur fingers toget her, bu t all ow the fingers to rel ax into a slight curve. Do not spread your fingers too wide apart or straighten them because thi s makes them too tense. K eep your wrist in a slightly l ower position than in the tone to all ow a slightly wider angle where your fingers and the drumhead meet. Remember to keep yo ur thumbs up.

Take care t hat you do not draw y our hand too far away from the drumhead, b ecause doing this m akes y our hand l and on the rim w ith the area between the knuckle and the first  joint of  your finger. Al though yo u may find playing t he slap easier when the fingertips h it nearer to the edge, it w ill hurt your hand and forces y o ur

hand and fingers to partially cancel o ut each other. Th e edge of  the drum will force your finger upwards  j ust when it should be moving downwards. Do not move yo ur hand too far towards the centre of the drum. This focuses the w eight on the fingertips and the slap loses sharpness. This also strains the last joint s of  your fingers.

Avoid making an active movement with your finger s, in other words, snapping the drumh ead surface. Yo u should try to find an ideal tension: not too stiff  which prevents the finger s from touching the drumhead, bu t not overly l oose either. 3.2.

Playing a roll

A roll is a moment in the rhythm where you play at doubl e speed. You could write it down as:

ttt+t+t+ But instead, b ecause we want to s ee that this is very fast, and we dont want it to take up much space, w e write:

 rttt When yo u play a roll, keep y o ur hands low, and do not play hard. Keep y o ur muscles relaxed (I know, its easy to write that, but difficult to get used to).

When you practice thi s, start at normal speed, and speed up to a roll. A contin ued roll should just sound like a drum roll (rememb er the last circus act you have seen)

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4. Master  A true master does not need much explanation. 4.1.

Playing solo

This i s a part that can hardly b e learned, but can only be felt. When you play solo, everyone in the room plays the same repeating rhythm, except you You talk to the rest, using your djembé as your voice, telling your own unique story.

How do you b egin? Just listen to ot hers playing solo, and s teal their ideas. Start with  just a few notes that you throw in. You can start with what the rest is pl aying, but with a bit of  variation: change a tone to a slap from time to ti me, or switch a part to a roll.

Tap your foot to the rhythm that the rest is playing, because whatever you do, y ou have to keep this pace. If  something does not work, dont be shy. We all make mis takes. Just wait a few s econds, and try something else.

Never play the whole time. Leave room for the r hythm t hat the ot hers are playing. This also gives y ou time to think about what to play next. 4.2.

Playing a f lam

A f l am is simply 2 notes played almost at the same time. The key w ord here is almost! They have to be very close together to sound almost as one. Try not to hit your own hands.

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5. Rhythms t o

play t ogether

Name Rumba 1 Ë

Rhythm !

++t+tt+t+tt+ttt+

Q1

) )( ( () )() B+b+ttt+

Remark

) ) )() Q2

ttt+btt+ )() )()

Rumba 2 Ë

!

++ftt+ftt+ttt+++

Q1

[() [() )() B+ttb+t+b+ttb+t+

Q2

) )() ) ) )() ) tt+ttt++tt+ttt++

last note not played last time  join in

() )() () )() Rumba 3 Ë

!

tt+tt+tt+tt+ttt+ )( () )( () )()

Q1

b+t+b+ttb+t+b+tt ) ) ) )() ) ) )(

Q2

B+b+ttt+B+b+ttt+

last note not played last time

) ) )() ) ) )() Rumba 4 Ë

Rumba 5 ËË

!

ftt+ftt+ftt+ftt+ [() [() [() [()

Q1

b++tb+t+b+ttb+t+ ) () ( ) )() (

Q2

tt+ttt++tt+ttt++ () )() () )()

!

++t+tt+t+tt+ttt+

Q1

) )( ( () )() bt+tb+s+btttb+s+ )( () ( )()() (

Rumba 6 ËË

!

++t+tt+t+tt+ttt+ ) )( ( () )()

Q1

t+stbbtt

Q2

) )()()( tt+tttt+

Q3

)( ()() tt+bttt+ )( ()()

Esokoto 12

!

ttt+ttt+ttt+

 join in

fast

Name

Rhythm

ËË

)() )() )() b+t+s+bttts+

Q1

Remark

) ) ) )()() Fankani Ë

!

Q1

+t+tt+t+tt+ttt++ ) )( ( () )() t++tt+b+t+ttt+b+ ) () ) ) )() )

Momonge ËË

Nameless 1 ËË

Q2

tt+ttt++tt+ttt+b () )() () )() )

Q1

rttbttt+

last note not played last time  join in

[()()() Q2

rtt+rtt+ ])( ])(

Q1

ttt+s+b+tbttb+b+ )() ) ) )()() )

Q2

ttt++tt+ttt++tt+

 join in after 2nd s

)() () )() () Nameless 2 ËË

Q1

b++tt+s+b+ttt+s+ ) () ) ) )() )

Q2

tt+ttt++tt+ttt++ () )() () )()

Nameless 3 ËË

Q1

b+tbttb+ttt+ ) )()() )()

Q2

t+stttt+tt++ ) )()() )(

Nameless 4 Ë

Q1

t++tt+b+b+ttt+b+

Q2

) () ) ) )() ) tt+ttt++tt+ttt++

fast

 join in

() )() () )() Pianza Ë

!

++t+tt+t+tt+ttt+ ) )( ( () )()

Q1

bt+t+tt+bt+t+tt+ () ) )( () ) )(

Q2

tt+ttt++tt+ttt++ () )() () )()

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Name Ritme Marocain ËË

Sakajonsa ËË

Rhythm !

rtt+rtt+ttt+ [() [() )()

Q1

ttJtt+ttJtt+ )())( )())(

Q2

b++t++b++t++ ( ) ( )

!

tt+tt+tt+tt+ttt+

Q1

)( () )( () )() b+tt+sb+tttt ) )( () )()(

Shaba Ë

!

ttbr++ttbr++> )()[ )()[ ttbr+tttttt+

Q1

)()[ ()()() t+t+b+t++tttb+t+

Q2

) ) ) ) ()() ) ttttt+t+ttttt+t+

Q3

)()() ) )()() ) tt+tttt+tt+tttt+ )( ()() )( ()()

Yekouma Ë

!

ttt+ttt+ttt+ )() )() )()

Q1

bbttt+btttt+ )()() )()()

Q2

14

ttttt+ttttt+ )()() )()()

Remark

very fast

6. Rhythms t o No. 1. 2.

play alone

Rhythm Measure 4

bsbt ()()  rts+ [()

Remark ËË

ËË

Measure 6 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

b+tbtt ) )()( bbt+ts )() )( bbttb+ )()() bbttbt )()()( bbsst+ )()() btbstt ()()() bt+bs+ )( ()  rr+bb+ [[ () stttt+ )()() tsttt+ )()()

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Measure 8 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

b+b+tbtt ) ) )()( b+bt+btt ) )( ()( b+btb+tt ) )() )( b+t+bttt ) ) )()( b+tb+btt ) )( ()( b+tb+ttt ) )( ()( b+tbttt+ ) )()() b+tt+ttt ) )( ()(

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No. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.

16

Rhythm

bbtbbbtt )()()()( bbttb+s+ )()() ) bbttbbt+ )()()() bbtts+st )()() )( bbttsstt )()()()( bsbtbstt )()()()( bt+bst++ )( ()( bt+btts+ )( ()() bt+tbtt+ )( ()() bttbttbt )()()()( btttbtt+ )()()()  rrtsbtts [[()()()  rtsbtts+ [()()()  rttttb++ ])()() stt+ts+b )() )( ( stttsbt+ )()()() stttstt+ )()()() sttttts+ )()()() tb+ttb++ () )() tbttb+b+ )()() ) tt+bstb+ )( ()() tt+btts+ )( ()() ttbbttb+ )()()()

Remark Ë

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ËË fast, but controll ed ËË

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No. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.

Rhythm

Remark

tts+ttb+ )() )() ttsbttb+ )()()() ttsbtts+ )()()() ttsttsbb )()()()( tttb+tb+ ()() )(

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Measure 12 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65.

b+tb+tb+tttt ) )( () )()( b+tbstb+tts+ ) )()() )() b+tt+tt+tttt ) )( () )()( b+ttttb+tt+t ) )()() )( ( bs+tt+bsttt+ () )( ()()( bs+tttts+tt+ () )()() )( bt+stttt+st+ () )()() )( bt+tt+btttt+ () )( ()()( btbtttbttttt ()()()()()() btt+tt+tt+tt )() )( () )( bttbt+btttt+ )()() )()() ss+tt+ssttt+ )( () )()() t+tt+tt+tttt ) )( () )()( t+tts+bbtts+ ) )() )()() tbstb+ttstb+ )()() )()() tt+btt+ttts+ )( ()( ()() tt+tt+btttt+ )( () )()()

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17

No. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82.

Rhythm

Remark

tt+tt+ttb+tb )( () )() )( tt+tt+ttbbt+ )( () )()() tt+tt+ttstt+ )( () )()() tt+tt+tttts+ )( () )()() tt+tt+ttttt+ )( () )()() tt+ttt++b+b+ )( ()( ) ) tt+ts+tttts+ )( () )()() tts+tt+tttb+ )() )( ()() tts+tts+rts+ )() )() [() ttstt+ttsbt+ )()() )()() ttt+s+ttb+tb )() ) )() )( ttt+ttts+bt+ ()( ()() )( ttttb+tbttb+ )()() )()() ttttsttttts+ )()()()()() ttttt+bbttb+ )()() )()() ttttt+ttttb+ )()() )()() ttttttt+ssbb )()()() )()(

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ËË slow

Measure 16 83. 84. 85. 86. 87.

18

b+b+ttt+b+b+tt++ ) ) )() ) ) )( b+bttbttb+tttttt ) )()()() )()()( b+stts++ttttts++ ) )()( )()()( b+tbt+s+b+ttt+s+ ) )() ) ) )() ) b+tbttb+b+tttttt ) )()() ) )()()(

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No. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110.

Rhythm

Remark

b+tbttb+b+tttts+ ) )()() ) )()( b+tbttttb+tb+btt ) )()()() )( ()( bgttgtsgbbttgtsg )()()()()()()()( b+tt+bstb+ttt+st ) )( ()() )() )( b+tt++ttt+b+t+t+ ) )( )() ) ) ) B+tt+tt+b+ttt+t+ ) )( () ) )() ) b+tt+tttb+tttttt ) )( ()() )()()( b+ttb+s+b+ttt+s+ ) )() ) ) )() ) b+ttb+s+btttbts+ ) )() ) )()()() b+ttbtt+b+ttttt+ ) )()() ) )()() b+ttstttb+b+t+s+ ) )()()() ) ) ) b+ttt+s++t+tt+s+ ) )() ) ( () ) b+ttt+s++tttt+s+ ) )() ) ()() ) b+ttt+s+b+tttts+ ) )() ) ) )()() b+ttt+s+bttbtts+ ) )() ) )()()() b+ttt+s+tt+tt+s+ ) )() ) )( () ) b+ttt+ttb+tttttt ) )() )() )()()( bb++bb++bbssbb++ )( )( )()()( bb+tt+s+b++tt+s+ )( () ) ) () ) bb+tt+s+b+tttts+ )( () ) ) )()() bbt+tb++tt++tt++ )() )( )( )( bbttbtt+btttbtt+ )()()() )()()() bbttt+s+tt+tt+s+ )()() ) )( () )

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slow, deliberate ËË

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19

No. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133.

20

Rhythm

bbttt+stt+stt+s+ )()() )() )() ) bsbtbsbtbsbttttt )()()()()()()()( bstt+tt+bstt+st+ )()( () )()( () bt+bt+bt+bt+bbt+ )( () )( () )() bt+bt+s+tt+tt+s+ )( () ) )( () ) bt+bt+s+tt+ttts+ )( () ) )( ()() bt+bt+s+tt+tttt+ )( () ) )( ()() bt+bt+s+ttttt+s+ )( () ) )()() ) bt+tb+t+bt+tbtt+ )( () ) )( ()() bt+tb+t+bt+tt+t+ )( () ) )( () ) bt+tbbttbt+tb+s+ )( ()()()( () ) bt+tbts+btttnts+ )( ()() )()()() bt+tt+s+tt+tt+s+ )( () ) )( () ) bt+tt+s+ttttt+s+ )( () ) )()() ) bt+tt+s+tttttbs+ )( () ) )()()() bt+ttts+st+ttts+ )( ()() )( ()() btbsbtb+btttbtb+ ()()()( ()()()( btt++btt++bttttt )() ()( )()()( bttbttb+b+ttt+st )()()() ) )() )( bttt+tt+bttt+st+ ()() )( ()() )( btttttstbbttttst )()()()()()()()(  r+ttts++b+tt+bs+ [ ()() ( () )(  rtsrtstt+bs+tts+ [()[()() )( ()(

Remark ËË

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ËË reasonably fast Ë

ËË very fast ËË

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ËË deliberate, but calm ËË fast ËË

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ËË fast ËË

No. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156.

Rhythm

 rttt+b++sttt+b++ [()( ( )()( ( stt+stb+ttt+stb+ )() )() )() )() stt+stt+stttstt+ )() )() )()()() sttts++tstttb+tt )()() ()()() )( stttstt+sbttstt+ )()( () )()()() t+tt+tttt+ttbbtt ) )( ()() )()()( t+ttbbttb+tbttb+ ) )()()() )()() tb+bttb+ttttstb+ )( ()() )()()() tt+bt+t+tt+btts+ )( () ) )( ()() tt+bttb+sttbttb+ )( ()() )()()() tt+bttb+tts+ttb+ )( ()() )() )() tt+btts+ttbbtts+ )( ()() )()()() tt+tb+b+ttt+s+b+ )( () ) )() ) ) tt+tsts+tt+ttts+ )( ()() )( ()() tt+tt+s+b+ttt+s+ )( () ) ) )() ) tt+tt+s+b+tttts+ )( () ) ) )()() tt+tt+s+ttttt+s+ )( () ) )()() ) tt+tt+tt+tt+ttb+ )( () )( () )() tt+ttt++tt+bbt++ () )() () )() tt+tttb+ttbtttb+ )( ()() )()()() tt+tttb+ttt+ttb+ )( ()() )() )() tt+ttts+bt+ttts+ )( ()() )( ()() tt+ttts+tt+tttn+ )( ()() )( ()()

Remark ËË

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21

No. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179.

22

Rhythm

Remark

tt+ttts+ttbbtts+ )( ()() )()()() ttb+tt+tttb+tts+ )() )( ()() )( tts+ttb+tbttb+b+ )() )() )()() ) tts+ttb+tt+bttb+ )() )() )( ()() tts+ttb+ttstttb+ )() )() )()()() tts+tts+ttbbttb+ )() )() )()()() ttsbtb+btt+btb+b )()()( ()( ()( ( ttsbttb+ttstttb+ )()()() )()()() ttsstts+tttttts+ )()()() )()()() ttst+b++tts+b+b+ )()( ( )() ) ) ttsttts+b+ttt+s+ )()()() ) )() ) ttt+st++ttt+s+b+ )() )( )() ) ) ttt+st+bttt+stb+ )() )( ()() )() ttt+stb+ts+tb+b+ )() )() )( () ) ttt+stbbttt+stb+ )() )()()() )() ttt+strttrttttb+ )() )(])(])()() ttt+sts+ttt+st+b )() )() )() )( ( ttt+t+t+ttt+b+b+ )() ) ) )() ) ) ttt+tt+tttt+s+b+ )() )( ()() ) ) ttt+ttb+tt+tttb+ )() )() )( ()() ttt+ttt++tt+b+b+ )() )() () ) ) ttt+ttt+st+b+tb+ )() )() )( ( () ttt+ttt+ttb+tb+t )() )() )() )( (

ËË fast, lively ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

Ë

calm ËË

Ë

Ë

ËË very fast Ë

No. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189.

Rhythm

Remark

ttt+ttt+ttt+b+b+ )() )() )() ) ) ttt+ttt+tttbttt+ )() )() )()()() tttb+tb+tttt+s++ ()() )( ()() ) tttb+ttt+stb+tt+ ()() )() )() )( tttt+st+tttb+tb+ ()() )( ()() )( ttttgtsgbbttgtsg )()()()()()()()( tttts+b+t+tts+b+ )()() ) ) )() ) ttttttb+tttbttb+ )()()() )()()() tttttts+tt+tttt+ )()()() )( ()() ttttttt+tt+bt+s+ )()()() )( () )

Ë

Ë

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

ËË

Ë

ËË

ËË fast

Other measures 190.

191.

192.

193.

194.

195.

bt+tt+btt+t+> () )( ()( ( bt+tt+bt+tt+ () )( () )( btb+bsb+btt+> ()( ()( ()( btb+btttttt+ ()( ()()()( tt+tt+ttttt+> )( () )()() tt+bt+ttttt+ )( () )()() tt+ttts+b+b+> )( ()() ) ) tttttts+b+b+ )()()() ) ) tts+tts+tts+> )() )() )() ttttt+ttttt+ )()() )()() b+ttt+s+b+ttt+s+> ) )() ) ) )() ) b+ttt+s+b+tbttb+ ) )() ) ) )()()

Ë

ËË

Ë

ËË

ËË

ËË

23

No. 196.

24

Rhythm

Remark

b+tt+s++b+ttt+s+>*3 ) )( ( ) )() )

ËË repeat this line 3 times

b+tb+s++b+ttt+s+ *1 ) )( ( ) )() )

repeat this l ine one time

7. Playing T o

Solo

be used as inspiration while playing solo

No. Bas e 1.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Rhythm

Remark

b+b+ttt+b+b+ttt+ ) ) )() ) ) )() tt+tt+tt+tt+t+t+> )( () )( () ) ) tt+tt+tt+rrs++++ )( () )( ]]) t+t+s+s+t+t+s+++ ))))))) tttttts+tts+tts+ )()()() )() )()  rttttts+rts+rts+ [()()() [() [()  rrtttts+ ]])()() ttsstts+ ()()()(  rts+rts+ [() [() ttF+ttF+ (){ (){  rtttts++ ])()() ttstttss )()()()(

25

8. Font Legend Sign Q 

W  % !

 ?

( ) [ ]  { } _ 09

=  > * | g  T P G Sign

s t b -

m w q R  r M  F  f Z X : , ; . y h z l Y J N U

26

Key Q  W % ! ? ( ) [ ] { }

Explanation Djembe Doundoun Bell Signal Shekere Left hand Right hand Roll star ing left Roll star ing r ight Flam starting left Flam starting r ight

 _ -

Note

0-9 = > * | g T P G Key sKH tSL bB + m w q R r m F f  Z X : , ; . y h z l Y J N U

line Support bar  Support Numbers Support Rest Notation line break Lead in break Blank / Non-breaking Tap Bang Barless Bang Lineless Bang Djembe Slap Tone Bass Rest Muffled Slap Muffled Tone Muffled Bass Slap roll Tone roll Bass roll Slap Flam Tone Flam Bass Slap Bass Tone Slap Tone Bass  Any Slap Tone Bass Muffled Slap Tone Bass Muffled

instruments

handing

space

notation line

loudness notes Doundoun Kenkei Sangban Dundun Rest Kenkei Sangban Dundun Kenkei Sangban Dundun  Any Kenkei Sangban Dundun Kenkei Sangban Dundun -

Bell High Low Rest High Low High Low  Any High Low Muffled High Low Muffled

basic notes

muffled notes

roll notes

flam notes

Barless/Lineless

Shuffle notes 6 support bars

Shuffle notes 8 support bars

9. Choosing 12.1.

a djembé

Material

First you should check the skin: y y

y y

it should be clean shaven, and have no rough spots. when you hold the djembé upside down to the l ight, there should be no (small) hol es visible, and no thin patches the edges of the skin sho uld be cut straight. the spine of  the goat sho uld be visi ble as a straight l ine (almost) in the middl e of the djembé.

Check the ropes and knot s: y

y

y

there sho uld be at least 20 knot s around the to p ring. The more knots there are, the finer the tension on the skin can be set. there should not be many horizonta l ropes. The more horizontal ropes there are, the l ess yo u can tune the djembé later on. there should be a long spare rope coil ed around the foot of the djembé

The metal rings: y

they should be perfectly horizontal, b oth above and below.

Then the w oodwork: y y y

y

y

there should be no ri ps or tears in the wood. the inside should be smoot h and f lat. the type of  wood determine s the so und: usually a heavier wood means ol der wood, and better qual ity. when the djembé i s not in use, and j ust standing on the ground, it sho uld not wo bble: the under side should be f lat. colouring and decorations are not very important. Look out for nails or shells that are driven into the wood: these are usually decorative djembés, not to be used for playing. Nails and shells may cause the wood to split.

Dont look for a djembé that scores 100%, unl ess yo ure w illing to pay the price. Th e best djembés cost up to 400 EUR. A decent djembé costs between 150 and 200 EUR. 12.2.

Sound The bass and tone sho uld sound clean, with a quick " deca y" (time it takes for the sound to disappear), and significant distinction in sound between t he bass and tone. If  the head is too loose there is usually an excessive amo unt of  overtone (a higher pitch that accompanies the lower-pitched bass or tone), or "metal ringing".

An in-tune djemb e wi ll h ave a crisp b ass that can be easily heard, that doesn't linger too long, with m inimal overtone.

The tones will als o have a cl ean sound and feel, w ith littl e overtone. The slaps should "po p" and not be too difficult to create in relation to the open tones. The better the djembé, the easier to play, and the more sound it creates without mu ch effort.

27

10.

Tuning a djembé Source:

13.1.

http://www.djembedirect.com/about/tune_djembe.html 

Sound Indicat ors that your djembe needs tuning Regarding so und, the bass and o pen tones sho uld sound clean, with a quick " decay" (time it takes for the sound to disappear), and significant distinction in so und between the bass and tone. If  the skin i s too loose the so und could be described as w obbly, and the bass respons e will be somewhat weak or even non-existent.

If the head i s too loose there is usually an excessive amount of  overtone (a higher pitch t hat accompanies the lower-pitched bass or tone), or "ringing ". An in-tune djemb e wi ll h ave a crisp b ass that can be easily heard, that doesn't linger too long, with mini mal overtone. The tones will also have a clean sound and feel, with littl e overtone. The slaps sho uld "po p" and not be too difficult to create in rel ation to the open tones.

Even tho ugh a djembe may have enough tension, if  that tension isn't applied evenly around the circumference of  the head, the sound will be out of  bal ance. Wh en one side or section of  the djemb e head is tighter t han another, different pitches are created, leaving the so und f l at or muted. By having even tension the skin w ill vibrate at the same l evel all the way around the drum, creating a more f ull, resonant so und. 13.2.

Physical

Indicat ors that your djembe needs tuning

Regarding sight and touch indicators, the feel of the skin, m ovement of t he rope, and level of the rings can all help determine if the djembe sho uld be tuned. The first way to test for proper head tension is by pressing the pad of  the thumb into the center of  the head. The amo unt of  movement in the skin wi ll tell y ou if  the skin is too loose: I f  the skin can be depressed more than slightly, it probably sho uld be tig htened. A drum at proper tension should feel very s olid, almost like pushing into the to p of  a magazine resting on a ta ble. B ear in mind the thicker the skin t he l ess m ovement there wi ll be, even at similar tensions. The tighter the skin, the more

localized the movement will be to the i mmediate space around the thumb (i.e. a l oose skin will show movement of  the skin from the edge to the center wh en pressed, and a taught skin will only m ove in slightly within about 2 cm from where your thumb is pressing into the skin). The vertical ropes on a l oose djemb e can be moved with the fingers, whereas on a tight djemb e the ropes will feel s tiff  and immo bi le. Th e taller the drum the more move ment will b e found in the vertical ropes, but even

so the movement sho uld be limited to 0,5 cm maximum. If  the top rings of  the djembe (where the l oops attach and whic h holds the skin in place) are not even, being dropped lower on one side or the ot her, this is an indication that the tension may not be even on the head. In this case the tension should be undone, and reapplied as evenly as possible, s o the rings maintain a straight line horizontally.

28

13.3. Phase 1: Pu ll the Verticals

Tight 

The fir st phas e of  tuning a djembe i s to pull the vertical ropes as tig ht as possi ble; each downward-f l owing vertical sho uld be pulled - by hand, using a rope puller or dowel, or with a rope pulling mac hine - w ith the

slack transferred around the drum, making t he tai l longer . The tension sho uld then be tied off  s o the verticals don't loosen after you stop pulling on them. The excess vertical rope now becomes your tuning rope for

pulling diamonds. Note: Don't proceed w ith w eave tuning until the vertical ropes have all slack taken out. The tighter the vertical ropes are to start with the more effective the w eave tuning wi ll be.

29

The best way to select which verticals wi ll be used as tuning pair s is to determine where the greatest distance is between pairs near the bottom ring. Th es e distances are determined by how many bottom loops there are , and the size of  tho se l oops. The tuning pairs w ill b e thos e with the greatest distance between them. O n most djembes the choice will be obvio us, but if the distance appears to be more or less the same - as in the pict ure

bel ow - then choo se for pair s those that don't share a loop. The white arrows indicate where the verticals extend upward out of  different loops. The verticals either side of  the arrow should be chosen as the tuning

pairs.

30

The pict ure below shows which verticals will be the tuning pair s, and gives an example of  how to attach a separate tuning rope. Each pair consists of  vertical #1 and vertical #2, which is highlighted in 3 pairs, red, blue, and green. Thi s pattern wi ll continue around the drum, with no verticals being skipped. I f  your drum has an odd number of  verticals then the loops were not done correctly, and you can double up on one pair if  needed.

If  your djemb e doesn't have extra vertical rope that can be used as the tuning rope, you can attach an extra lengt h of rope for tuning. I t is a myth that the tuning rope has to be connected to the vertical rope in order to work. The only reason this would be true i s if the vertical ro pe i s not tied off  with a knot , keeping t he tension locked in. Th e l engt h of  tuning rope you'll need will depend on the size of  yo ur drum and how m any rows of  diamonds y ou'll have to have to achieve proper tension. In genera l it i s a good idea to have enough tuning rope to go around at least twice. F or a standard size djembe you'll w ant about 3' to 4' per row. T o attach the rope, s imply create a knot in one end and slip that underneath the vertical before the pair you want to use as the fir st tuning pair. Of cours e there are other ways to attach the vertical rope; this i s  just one example of  a

simple, effective, clean way to do it.

31

13.4.

Phase 2:

The first row weave

If  your djembe still needs m ore tension after the verticals are pulled as tight as possible yo u' ll need to increa se tension by twisting pair s of  verticals. As described above this process is known by many names,

which all refer to the same weave tuning process. There are many different weave patterns, each of  which i s used to achieve different ob jectives. Again, for simplicity, we only teach the two most common - the S-Weave and the Under -Weave.

Either version can be used at any time, but w e'd recommend using one or the other, depending on the constr uction and tension of  the drum. The S-Weave is sel f -locking so it is better suited for use when the vertical ropes are not to uching the wood or when the verticals are spaced far apart.. Some prefer the finished

look of the S-Weave over other patterns. The Under -Weave i s an easier pattern to weave, and wi ll sometimes allow the knot to be positioned closer to the bottom ring s than ot her versions. Thi s weave tends to come

undone unl ess it is h eld in place by contact with the wood or by tucking the extra tuning rope under the next pair of  verticals. For most djembes w e'd recommend using the Under-Weave for the fir st row of  diamonds, and the S-Weave for additiona l rows if needed. First

Row - S-Weave (A)

The S-W eave consists of  five steps, each of  whic h is explained below w ith the help of  pictures. W e've used a separate yell ow tuning rope only to better illustrate the weave pattern, and to give an example of  how to tie on an extra tuning rope if  needed. A fter determining which verticals are best to use as y our tuning pairs, and

making mental note of  which is #1 and #2, foll ow this pattern: over; between; under ; sl ide dow n; twist. Step

1: O ver - The t uning rope passes over #1 and #2. Position the tuning rope as low as possibl e on the

tuning pair, close to the loops on the bottom ring. This w ill h elp maintain a straight line as t he horizontal row

progresses around the drum, which kee ps the tension levels even. 32

Step

2: Between - The tuning rope passes around and underneath #2, and feeds up between #1 and #2.

Step

3: Under - Th e tuning rope passes around and underneat h #1 and #2, and feeds up to the side of  #2. Be

sure not to pass the tuning rope underneath additional verticals (potentia lly #1 and #2 of  the next pair ). After completing this s tep y ou can see t he "S" shape created by the tuning rope as it weaves thro ugh the vertical tuning pair.

33

Step

4: Slide Down - Pull the tuning rope downward, removing the slack and causing it to pass underneat h

itsel f , inverting the "S" shape. I f  #2 is too tight against the wood to allow the tuning rope to pass u nderneat h it, use a screw driver or other tool to gently l ift #2 so that this step can be completed.

Step

5: Twist - C ontinue pulling the vertical rope downward until the ropes twist. Th e tighter the verticals the

more force will be required to complete this ste p. I f  you don't want to w rap t he tuning rope around yo ur hand to get a solid grip, y ou may con sider using a rope pulling tool, or wrapping the tuning ro pe around a hammer handle or thick wood dowel. Make sure you pull as much w ith the arms and legs as possi ble, and avoid pulling fro m the lower back alone. Continue to monitor the distance betw een the completed weave knot and the l oops; keep that distance as narrow as possible (indicated by white double arrow).

34

First Row - Under-Weave (B)

The Under -Weave consists of three steps, eac h of  which is explained below w ith the help of  pictures. As w ith the S-Weave, we've used a separate yell ow tuning rope only to better illustrate the weave pattern, and to give an example of  how to tie on an extra tuning rope if needed. After deter mining which verticals are best to

use as y our tuning pair s, and making mental note of  which i s #1 and #2, follow this pattern: u nder; between; twist. Note that the pict ure s below show two completed knot s using the S-Weave pattern, marked with a

blue "A". The verticals to illustrate the Under -W eave are marked with a red numbers. Step

1: Under - Th e tuning ro pe passes u nder #1 and #2. Make sure that t he l ine created is straight, and that

it is positioned as close to the bottom loops as possible.

Step

2: Between - The tuning rope passes over #2 and under #1, or between the pair.

35

Step

3: Twi st - Pull the tuning rope downw ard and o utward until #1 and #2 twist, creating a knot , or

"diamond". Thi s knot may have a tendency to undo itself  because of  the pressure on the verticals, so it may be necessary to pass the tuning rope underneat h the next pair in order to keep it twi sted, as indicated wit h the white arrow.

13.4.

Phase 3:

The second row weave

Pick the Pairs - The selection of  tuning pairs for the second row will depend on which vertical pairs were twisted on the first row. The method for selecting is easy: Fir st, you won't be retwisting the same pair you did on the previous row. S econd, S el ect the verticals that are cl osest to each other near the to p loops. Depending on which verticals w ere the tuning pairs on the fir st row, you m ay find yo ur drum l ooks l ike the one on the right, w ith plenty of  space between the verticals. Otherwise, the verticals may already be very clos e together,

which i s no problem;  just pick the two that are cl osest together using the to p l oops as a reference point. Th e color-coded number of tuning pairs in the photo should help solve the mystery.

36

Decide

Which Weave To Use - As explained above, the S-Weave and the Under -Weave each have different

strengths. We recommend the Under -Weave be used for most djemb es for the fir st row of  diamonds, and the S-Weave be used for the second and subseq uent rows. The reason for this is that the S-Weave i s better at

hol ding its twist than the Under -Weave; the ropes on most djembes tend to NOT be to uching the w ood by the time you get to the second or third row, which all ows the Under -Weave to untwist it self easily.

Decide in Which Direction to Weave - Many djemb e tuners wi ll recommend that the direction the weave travels around the drum should alternate from row to row. As long as the distance between verticals is

simi lar, the tension on each vertical before weaving w as si milar, and the rings are positioned evenly horizontally, it sho uldn't matter. However, if  for some reason you find that the drum i s higher on one side than the ot her, or that by continuing in one or the other direction would cause excess tension to one side, then make the rational choice to start the s econd row in the direction that would most likely keep tension or cause tension to become - even distributed around the drum head. Decide H ow

Many Knots You'll Need - As the number of  rows of  diamonds increases, s o does the amo unt of 

tension added per knot twi sted. Bear in mind that you many not need to complete the entire s econd row,

since the tension will b egin to increa se much m ore quickly on t he second row than it did on the fir st row. I f  this applies to your djembe, rather than only complete a portion of  the second row, which w ould l eave one

section tighter than anot her, do yo ur best to guage how many knots you wi ll need to achieve the desire tension, and a pply that number of knot s evenly aro und the drum. Yes, it is okay to ski p tuning pairs, and only

put in a knot every other, or every third, pair, as the case may be. 37

Second Step

Row - S-Weave (A)

1: O ver - The t uning rope passes over #1 and #2. Position the tuning rope as low as possible on the

tuning pair, close to the loops on the bottom ring. This w ill h elp maintain a straight line as the horizontal row

progresses around the drum, which kee ps the tension levels even.

Step

2: Between - The tuning rope passes around and underneath #2, and feeds up between #1 and #2.

Step

3: Under - Th e tuning rope passes around and underneat h #1 and #2, and feeds up to the side of  #2. Be

sure not to pass the tuning rope underneath additional verticals (potentia lly #1 and #2 of  the next pair ). After completing this s tep y ou can see t he "S" shape created by the tuning rope as it weaves thro ugh the vertical tuning pair.

38

Step

4: Slide Down - Pull the tuning rope downward, removing the slack and causing it to pass underneat h

itsel f , inverting the "S" shape. I f  #2 is too tight against the wood to all ow the tuning rope to pass u nderneath it, use a screwdriver or other tool to gently l ift #2 so that thi s step can be completed.

Step

5: Twist - C ontinue pulling the vertical rope downward until the ropes twist. The tighter the verticals the

more force will be required to complete this ste p. I f  you don't want to wrap the tuning rope around your hand to get a solid grip, y ou may con sider using a rope pulling tool, or wrapping the tuning ro pe around a hammer handle or thick wood dowel.

39

Second Row - Under-Weave (B) Step

1: Under - Th e tuning rope passes u nder #1 and #2. Make sure that the line created is s traight, and that

it is positioned as cl os e to the bottom l oops as possi ble. The photo below shows how to add a separate tuning rope as w ell, which passes u nder two pairs of verticals before starting the weave for the first knot .

Step

2: Betw een - The t uning rope passes over #2 and under #1, or between the pair. Be sure not to pass

under verticals that are not part of the i mmediate tuning pair .

40

Step

3: Twi st - Pull the tuning rope dow nw ard and o ut ward until #1 and #2 twist, creating a knot , or

"diamond". Thi s knot may have a tendency to undo itself  because of  the pressure on the verticals, so it may be necessary to pass the tuning rope underneat h the next pair in order to keep it twisted..

Step

4: Admire and Play - The picture bel ow shows an example of  what the compl eted rows l ook like.

Hopef ully the rows are straight and the diamonds are clear, and your drum so unds better as a result.

41

13.5. Fine tuning tips Even

Tension a Must - In order to achieve the best sound your drum is capable of  producing (based on skin

qual ity and thickness, wood type, shell thickness, body sh ape, etc...), the tension must be applied evenly around the head. When there i s an imbalance of  tension so und quality suffers. Throughout the tuning

process y ou sho uld be keenly aware of  kee ping the tension as even as p ossi ble. Yo u can monitor the tension by l i stening to the pitch as it being adjusted, by looking at the level of  the to p rings and the taughness of  the skin, and by touching the the ropes and skin to guage relative tension. The best way to tell of  minor differences in pitch is to lightly tap the rim of  the drum w ith y our index finger (l ike a rim-shot) and listen for the actual p itc h. D o this around the drum and find areas that are lower than others. I t may b e helpf ul to divide the head into quadrants, then tap the center of  each quadrant. Opposite quadrants have a tendency to match in pitch.

Tuning Can't Make Up for Poor Quality Craftsmanship - S ome drums will not be capable of  maintaing a good tune, for one of  the foll owing reasons: the rope is too stretchy, causing uneven l oss of  tension over time; the

skin i s sl i pping between the top two (or three) rings; the rings are incorrectly sized, thus all owing slipping of  the skin or too much f lexibil ity; the bearing edge i s not even; the shape of  the bowl hig hly irregular. In any case, you can help i mprove sound with a good tuning, but yo u may not be able to overcome these

weaknesses simply by adjusting tension. If  you feel your djembe isn't capa ble to sounding as good as you would l ike it too, consider upgrading to a higher quality instr ument. Process vs. Event - Because wood and skin are materials that take up and release water, and because rope,

metal, wood, and skin are mall eable materials that can stretch and bend, the s ound of  your djemb e is l ikely to change with variations in temp erat ure and relative humidity, and as a result of  being play ed or not play ed.

Tuning a djembe is usually not a one time event, but is a process that requires reevaluation from time to ti me. D jembes w ith new skin or rope will certainly need more tuning t han thos e that have had higher tension for l onger. H aving said this, if  the drum is kept in an even cli mate and the stretch h as been taken out of  the

skin and rope, y ou can and wi ll reach a point wh ere the drum is "maxed o ut" - tightened as much as it can be tightened witho ut breaking. The djembe i s then more or l ess in a stable state, and w on't require additiona l

weave tuning. Know When to Skip Knots - If  your djembe al ready h as a fair l evel of tension, bu t yo u want to bring it up  j ust a littl e bit - or if the tension i s a littl e out of  balance and yo u need to bring up a certain s ection - then feel free 42

to  just weave knot s in specific places where tension is required. The tuning rope between the knots can either be fed on the o utside of the verticals, or fed underneath the verticals ( recommended).

Make Use of the Mallet - If  the adj ustment needed to ac hieve even tension i s too small to make use of  additional diamonds, using a mallet to tap t he crown/loop ring wi ll h elp. Be sure to use a rubber or leather

mallet only ( no metal hammers all owed!), make contact only with the ring, not the skin or the rim of  the drum, and don't smack the ring with all y our force. S tart with lig ht taps on the ring, and increase as needed.

Test the pitch after each succession of  hits w ith the mall et. You can use thi s m ethod to increase ttension a little at a time, and to decrease tension by tapping the bottom of the rings, toward the to p of the drum. Most professional djembe drumm ers carry a small rubber mallet w ith them in order to make fine adjustments on an ongoing basis.

Avoid Twisted Tuning Rope - One problem many drumm er have wh en tuning their djembe is the constant twisting of  the tuning rope as it i s pull ed t hrough the verticals. If  you find yoursel f tr ying to untwist the tuning rope, try this ti p: F eed the rope through s tarting at the clos est point , rather than tip-fir st. T ake a l ook at the

pictures b elow to s ee examples of  how thi s i s done. You'll notice that as y ou pull the ro pe through, t he twists in the rope unwind themselves, l eaving you with a cl ean, s traight weave!

43