You can find all the rhythms that are currently in our performance set here. All are password protected. Please ask Mark or Liz for the password, or send a message to the WhatsApp group.
Fundamental Technique – good to keep checking on this!
Playing Bass, Tone & Slap
Playing Bass Drums
Basic Accompaniments – you can use these with any rhythm
These are very useful for if you can’t remember the djembe solos or the specific accompaniments for a rhythm. As long as you know what time signature the rhythm is in (4/4 time or triple time such as 3/4 or 6/8) then you are good to go with these.
4/4 Time Rhythms:
Bass Tone Tone Slap (B. TT. S.)
If you want to play variations on this you can add an extra slap on the end so it becomes B. TT. SS. Or you can add an extra bass in the gap between the second tone and the slap so it becomes B. TT. BS. You can also have two people playing with one person playing a shifted forward version – so B. TT. S. together with TT. S. B. These sound really funky together.
Slap Slap Slap Tone Tone (S. SS. TT.)
This rhythm is known as ‘Passport’ or ‘Populaire’ and is used throughout West Africa. Drummers call it the “passport” rhythm because if you know this universal pattern, it acts as your entry ticket to play along with almost any 4/4 West African rhythm arrangement.
Triple Time Rhythms (e.g. 3/4 and 6/8 time):
Bass Slap Tone Slap (B. S. TS.)
For a simplified version or a variation you can take out the first bass so it becomes S. TS. which we call ‘Pampy Dam’.
Bass Tone Tone Bass (BTTB.)
I always think of this as the Rhubarb and Custard rhythm.
Rhythms
Bobofoli
Dansa (Bamako Dansa)
Lolo
There are also some brilliant resources from Leicestershire Music here.