Rhythmic Ear Training Video Lesson by Jim Donovan

by Jim Donovan
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The ability to hear a rhythmic pattern and then repeat it is among the most helpful skills you can develop. Refining this skill allows you to not only develop a keener sense of listening, but it also can assist you in learning how to hear something that someone else is playing and be able to immediately react to it in a musical way. This video contains several fun exercises you can use to improve your rhythmic listening and reaction skills...
Have fun!




Get the full DVD here..

34 Easy Ways To Improve Your Drum Circle

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by Jim Donovan
(Special thanks and hi-fives to all of my friends on my Blog, Twitter and Facebook for your contributions to this article!!)

If you're anything like me, you like FUN...and FUN is probably why you decided to give this drumming thing a whirl.
So let's pretend for a moment that you have your drum and you made it to the drum circle...
Now what?

Beyond the stress relief, sense of togetherness, and joy you can get from drumming with others is your ability enhance the overall quality of the drum circle experience by the way you interact with the people around you.

Here are 34 easy ideas that you can use to maximize your fun and improve your drum circles right away. Think of these tips as "drum circle etiquette".

And if you have ideas that aren't on the list, leave them below...
Happy drumming!

34 Easy Ways To Improve Your Drum Circle

1. Remove your rings if you are borrowing someones drum.

2. Turn off your cell phone...and resist the urge to text. (Your Twitter followers can wait...)

3. Listen first, play second.

4. Ask permission to use someone's drum before just picking it up.

5. Resist the urge to play louder than everyone else.

6. Get to know each other after the circle, hang out and chat after drumming.

7. Respect the drums you're borrowing.

8. Space! Leave space for others to play.

9. Make the betterment of the "group sound" be your number one priority.

10. If you are a newbie, pay attention to the more experienced drummers around you and learn from them.

11. If you are an expert, remember the newbies in the group and give them encouragement and guidance from time to time. Remember what it was like when you first started drumming!

12. Worrying about mistakes? Fuughet abahht it!
If you are a beginner, you may feel as though everyone is listening to you and your "mistakes" (even though they aren't!) Be brave and just play.

13. Unless you are facilitating, resist playing faster and louder in an attempt to speed up the group.

14. If you get lost, listen for the downbeat - the main "pulse" of the rhythm to find your way back.

15. Tired of drumming? Just dance!

16. Made a mistake during a session? Just SMILE and keep going and get back INTO the group's vibe!

17. It's okay to not drum sometimes, so that you can really listen.

18. How about some hand percussion? Try a shaker, woodblock, or bell.

19. If playing a bell, make sure there is lots of space in your rhythm. Keep the bell rhythm simple and steady.

20. Keep solos short and sweet and then come back and support the group so others can take a "solo".

21. Drum with joy. Remember how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to make music together. Have fun, you deserve it.

22. Breathe...relax...and open your heart to collective possibility..

23. Most importantly (in drumming or dance or life) drop into your heart. Move beyond the thoughts of *how* to do it, or impressing someone, etc....and into "what deep essence wishes to express through me/the drum in this now moment?"

24. Open up to the healing energy that we create when we drum.

25. Feel the group pulse, as if it were your own.

26. In the words of the late great percussionist Bill Roth:
"It's not just what you play, it's also what you don't play."
"It's not just when you play, it's also when you don't play."

27. Realize that there are many different kinds of drum circles that will lead to different kinds of experiences.  Appreciate the value of diversity and try to be conscious of the group dynamic or you may feel disappointed that "they" didn't play the way you like!

28. Bring your best self! Your energy can positively or negatively impact the circle - let go of negativity, feel the rhythm - listen - drum - dance - be

29. Leave your ego at the door! (Or even in the car...)

30. Listen, feel, listen, breathe, listen..

31. Bringing children to a circle can be a great thing, and it can also be incredibly disruptive depending on how it's approached. Etiquette would mandate that if you bring young children, spend a bit of time with them prior, so they understand what's going on.

32. Understand that some people come to the circle with a different method of "feeling" the music due to disabilities they are triumphing over.

33. Why not turn the circle into an excuse to eat as well? Have a potluck afterwards and get to know each other.

34. Relax.

If you'd like to get my free Rhythm Newsletter with useful articles, updates on workshops, retreats and concerts near you, plus special members only giveaways sign-up here... 

Are you looking for some new grooves?
Check out my play-along learning tool "World Rhythm Seeds CD".

Tips on Djembe Technique

This video clip from the Rhythmic Foundation : Interactive African Drumming for Everyone DVD gives you tips on how to start playing your djembe. In it, Jim covers how to sit, how and where to strike the drum so that you make good sound and how to keep your hands healthy.

Good technique is important and allows you to do a few things:
1. It keeps your hands from getting hurt.
2. It helps you learn to differentiate your tones so that you can begin to learn the language of the drum.
3. It gives you "efficiency of motion" so that you end up using as little energy as possible, thereby making it easier for you to play and learn.

As with anything worth doing, give yourself time with your drum and repeat the exercises often to make better gains in your playing. You'll get back whatever you put into it. Most importantly, infuse your approach to practice with the attitude of joy...

Now go grab your drum!

The Benefits of Hand Drumming

Benefits of Hand Drumming
by Laurie Loeb
Reprinted with permission

The benefits (to Alzheimer/dementia patients) of these rhythm activities, in addition to providing fun, include combating loneliness and isolation; exercising fine and gross motor skills and spacial and temporal relations; stimulating cognitive skills of perception, attention, concentration and memory; exercising creativity; increasing sense of productivity, self-esteem, and empowerment. The residents also find both relaxation and energy through the activities, memories are triggered to become more accessible, and mental alertness and clarity are increased during and immediately following the sessions.

Additionally, staff and residents' families derive much satisfaction from seeing these clients, historically so difficult to engage, joyously participating and positively responding.

The most remarkable aspect of this rhythm program is the high degree of repeated and sustained participation that does not occur with any other on-going activity offered to the residents. For people who suffer from Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia, this level of engagement is both rare and extremely valuable.

And then, for community drum circles:

• The coming together of a diverse group of people previously unknown to one another, to share a common interest and activity, and good feelings.
• A sense of collaboration and belonging, and the promotion of peace and harmony amongst the participants.
• Provision of an intergenerational and family activity in which adults and children can participate together at their own respective levels of ability.
• Provision of inter-cultural activity in which communication and collaboration can occur without words, and strangers can share innate rhythmic sensibilities.
• Accessible to all, regardless of previous experience or lack thereof. All skill levels can participate simultaneously without the need to modify any level.
• Good exercise for cognitive skills such as attention, perception, and memory.
• Gross and fine motor skill exercise, including coordination and mind-body connections.
• Opportunity to be introduced to, learn and play new instruments and musical forms.
• Opportunity for self-expression and creativity.
• Opportunity to produce one's own music, regardless of previous experience, or lack thereof.
• Opportunity for live, active participation rather than passive entertainment (stupification?) by electronic devices such as TV, computer and video games, etc.
• Opportunity for self-discovery and awakening of human potential.
• Fun, fun, fun!!!!!

Common hand-drumming-related injuries and treatments

Common hand-drumming-related injuries and treatments

Common hand-drumming-related injuries and treatments
by Kalani

Injury Treatment

Soreness in hands, wrists & forearms from playing for long periods of time or playing hard. Ice alternating with heat, motrin, traumeel cream, arnica cream, taping the fingers before playing, not playing as hard, changing one's technique, staying relaxed when playing.

Tightness in the shoulders, neck & back from wearing drums with straps and/ or leaning over the drums. Warming up before playing, deep breathing, keeping good posture, yoga, tai-chi, adjusting straps & stands to fit one's body, massage, shea butter.

Ringing in the ears from playing loud or for long periods of time. Wearing ear plugs & not playing as loud.

Blisters & cracks on the hands from playing with sticks and/or bare hands. Using hand lotion, taping the hands,using pumice to reduce the size of callouses & using "new skin" to help heal & prevent blisters. Numbness in hands from playing. Warming up, not playing as loud & rest. Soreness in feet and / or back from standing. Using orthotics (soul inserts to raise the arch of the foot and align the ankle bones with the foot and leg).

Summary:
As a general rule, most percussionists feel that warming up is an important part of practice and performance. Stretching and massage also seem to be good preventative measures for reducing injuries. As treatment, arnica is a popular remedy as is ice & heat.

An ongoing effort to improve one's technique, to stay relaxed and to breath deeply are also important factors in maintaining good health. Quick fixes include ibuprofen (for reducing swelling) and tape to prevent skin injuries.

Notes:
The above information is a summery of the input that was gathered from an internet survey of 45 drummers & hand percussionists. The purpose of the survey was to identify health issues, both injuries and remedies, that are common among hand drummers. This information is part of a growing data base of health related studies that are being conducted and compiled by the Percussive Arts Society - Health and Wellness committee. Kalani is the world-percussion sub-chairman of the committee. Additional comments and input should be addressed to the above address.

How to Get a Good Sound From Your Djembe

Bass tone
The bass tone is the low sound of the djembe. Using the weight of your forearm, strike the center of the drum with your open palm and bouncing your hand off the skin to get the best bass tone drum. Experiment with striking the drum a little off center to see how your particular drum responds. Keep in mind that each drum is unique and has its own "sweet spots".
Each stroke you play on the drum should be with relaxed muscles and motion. While doing this and the following strokes (except for the muted tone), imagine that you have strings attached from the drum to the palms of your hands. As you do this imagine these strings pulling the sound out of the drum. The head on a drum is a vibrating membrane which moves in an up and down motion. By using this imagery you may allow yourself to pull the best sound out of your drum.

Open tone (or just the "tone")
Continuing in a relaxed way, bring your fingers together as you strike the edge of the drum to create an open resonant sound. The edge of the drum should contact the fleshy part of the base of the fingers between the two joints closest to the hand. Be careful to avoid hitting the rim of the drum with the joints in your hands (under your knuckles and in the lines of you palms and hands).

Slap
The slap is a bright, popping tone. Firm your fingers and curve them slightly (you're still relaxed remember), strike the edge of the drum with the fleshy part of the hand, just below the fingers. Watch that your thumbs stay away from the rim of the drum. Let your fingers pop down and quickly bounce off the drum. To really get a strong "popping" slap. your drum head needs to be very tight. you should not be able to feel any "give" in the head if press down on the middle of your drum head.

Muted tone
This stroke is a muted Pa that creates a cracking, dry sound. Mute the head of your drum by resting one hand on it just before and during the strike of your other hand.