Djembe

fretie

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I'm getting back into djembe now that summer is here and the drum circles down at the nearby beaches are revving up. I used to do some hand drumming years ago but really wasn't that good at it due to a rather poor sense of rhythm. But I'm hoping that I can hold a basic pattern in the drum circle to provide the backdrop for the amazing soloists in the groups.

Anyone else a drummer here?

Any good forums, similar to UU, for hand drummers out there on the inter webs?
 
Not a djembe player myself, but I love the sound it makes. :)
 
I've messed around with drums since I was a teen. I think incorrect technique may have caused at least some of the arthritis at the base of my thumbs. I participated in a few drum circles, some good, some where a few guys bought the biggest drums they could find and played them so loudly that they drowned out the entire group. I currently have a hand made conga style drum hand made by Indians in Panama and a darbuka, which is easy on my hands and doesn't go flat at the beach.
 
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Although I'm not much of a percussionist, I do have a few percussion instruments but not a Djembe.

I found that wooden instruments from Meinl and LP, including a Cajon, "laptop" conga, and bongos.
 
Have a djembe, plus a darbuka, tar, bodhrain, udu, cajon, cajon bongo, bongos, mini bongos, congas, congitas and the djembe runs with any of 'em and it's just one with a 10" inch goatskin head on a plastic shell with mechanical tuning. Never went to a drum circle, don't know if I would like it but the djembe is a great drum for that, even with a cheap one you can at least hear yourself. I'm more likely to be playing the djembe or my big ol' tar on my patio or on the dock at a fishing camp, serenading all my neighborhood or all of the bayou, it's just my way.
 
I've played djembe over ten years now. It's amazing when you can jam with a group of djemb's and dun's (dununs) and become part of the whole. There's lots of online instructionals which you may have already discovered, but nothing quite compares to live instruction in a group setting. I know Mamady Keita travels around and gives both group and individual lessons from time to time. And there's a facebook group that provides instructional and other information on classes and retreats. PM me if you'd like to know more.
 
Hiya, Peacetrain, sent you a note ...I'm in one local drum group now but always interested in any info on groups or instruction happening in our area!
 
Yes! my brother had a djembe in high school. Really cool sound. Very portable. Fairly inexpensive too.
 
I am a drummer in a Puerto Rican Plena band during the San Sebastian festival.
 
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Maybe 15 years ago now I took a week long course at a summer art school and made an ashiko similar to the one shown. It was a heck of a lot of fun and the days were split between drumming and building. I never progressed much beyond the "mother rhythm" but have long thought of getting back to it. There are some formal (instruction) groups in this area of the island but I haven't heard of any circles.


1224Ashiko.jpg
 
I'm no expert, but I've done a fair amount of percussion playing lately (from shakers to a cajon-based mini drumkit), and I've lend a LOT of acoustic jams augmented by percussionists, and the best advice I can give is this: Do no harm. Keep your eyes and ears open and make sure you are complementing the other instruments and not overrunning them. If you're unfamiliar with a song, don't be afraid to sit or, or play quietly, until you get a feel for the rhythm. The best thing you can do is keep good time. When in doubt, go simple. Nothing kills a jam faster than a drummer or percussionist who doesn't know what they are doing.

- FiL
 
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