This was always a really fun rhythm game….
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SING THIS! It makes playing easy. |
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This is the Home pattern: |
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Bass Slap [ ] Tone Tone [ ] [ ] [ ] |
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Now we add ONE note: |
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Bass Slap [ ] Tone Tone [ ] Bass [ ] |
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And another. Just one note: |
Bass Slap [ ] Tone Tone Bass Bass [ ] |
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Add one bass up front: |
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Bass Slap Bass Tone Tone Bass Bass [ ] |
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And one slap at the end: |
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Bass Slap Bass Tone Tone Bass Bass Slap |
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So sing and play. Singing each line gets it in ya. So to sing is to practice. Once the song is in ya, it can come out of your hands! The base pattern gets stuck in you with all that repetition, and can become a good 4/4 pattern to call up in a song. And you already know how to improvise it into a solo.
You are spectacular, creative musicians…..
Play the base rhythm for a while; slowly and perfectly. Just like that. Don’t worry. Just get the groove. Then after a while when you feel at ease with the pattern, move through the rhythm, adding one new note at a time, then try backing up, subtracting one note at a time. Play each line 4 times before moving on. Maybe throw a little variation in on the last one…..
Handling this pattern: I don’t give much attention to handing most of the time. Guinea teachers will tell you one way, Yoruba teachers will tell you anther. LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR TEACHER TELLS YOU! This is goofing-off style drumming – not traditional! I have found playing hand-over-hand, Guinea style, works best for me with this pattern, but Guinea style is what I am used to. Play the way that is best for you. “If it sounds good, it IS good.” Duke Ellington
The pattern would be played like this if you’re right handed:
Bass Slap [ ] Tone Tone [ ] [ ] [ ]
Bass Slap Bass Tone Tone Bass Bass Slap
Giving the spaces the same hand you’ll play by the last line. It makes it easy to be FAST!
This exercise is from the book, “Have Fun Playing Hand Drums” by Ben James
I have heard that 80%of disagreements are based on semantics. At least!
So as my pals and I are learning to communicate in the language of music, there are ideas we need to understand, and the words that refer to that idea. The word is the finger; the idea, the moon.
This is where we are now:
There is a name we all need to agree on to describe that chunk of patterns that we repeat before we go to the next pattern. We decided the other night to call it a PART [we are an eloquent group, we are]. It is PART ‘A’ or PART ‘B’ in the AABA pattern. Because I am nearing 52 and really new at learning this language, I referred to the “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory” by Michael Miller for this description, and as it turns out, we are not only eloquent, we are brilliant. And correct.
“Most popular and jazz music is based on eight-measure phrases. Your verse might be one eight-measure phrase; your chorus another. We keep track of the different parts of a song by assigning them letters [...which have nothing to do with pitch or notes].
“The very first eight-measure phrase in your song – which is typically the first verse – is labeled ‘A’. If the verse is repeated anywhere in the song, it retains its ‘A’ labeling.
“The second eight-measure phrase – typically the chorus – is labeled ‘B’.”
and on like that….
Many of the rhythms we play are based around groups of four; each group of four beats is called a measure:
|1 2 3 4 | => |b . t t| = one measure
So ‘Part A’ of a drum song we’re making could use this eight- measure phrase:
|b . t t |b . s . | b . t t |b . s . |b . t t |b . s . |b . . . |b . . . | = Part A
If we repeat Part A 4 times and tweek it a little at the end of the 4th line,we have a 32-bar SECTION, that we cleverly call SECTION 1.
|b . t t |b . s . | b . t t |b . s . |b . t t |b . s . |b . . . |b . . . | = Part A
|b . t t |b . s . | b . t t |b . s . |b . t t |b . s . |b . . . |b . . . | = Part A
|b . t t |b . s . | b . t t |b . s . |b . t t |b . s . |b . . . |b . . . | = Part A
|b . t t |b . s . | b . t t |b . s . |b . t t |b . s . |b . . . |. . . . | = Part Av [v=variation]
NOW that we have the nomenclature down, it will be easier to play the solo construction game.
SOLO CONSTRUCTION GAME 1
- Everyone plays SECTION 1 together at room volume
- Everyone continues to play SECTION 1 quietly, while one drummer plays freely, louder than everyone else.
- Repeat step 1, loud and in unison
- Repeat step 2 with a new player
Repetition of the Section embeds it into your verbal and muscle memory. It is now yours forever. Having played the circle of four, your body becomes accustomed to that length of time. It is not too much time, nor too little. New soloists don’t seem to be intimidated when the length of time they are playing is familiar. [And I don't say 'solo'. I ask people to please play louder than everyone else for a bit....]
The dance of structure and improvisation is care and protection. Playing music with others is a love affair.
Talk to me…
[Having said all that, I ask any MUSIC KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE. PLEASE FEEL FREE AND ENCOURAGED TO FIX ANY OF THIS THAT IS WRONG! This is very much like an English speaking person reading a French Language book, then trying to teach French. If I have not understood, it would be good the hear that Help is on the way!]
