Basic Hand Drum Rhythms and Practice Exercises

...in easy notation for djembe, whether beginners or advanced drummers...

Free video lessons (on YouTube) for beginners

Introduction to African drum rhythm notation and basic djembe beats

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Practice Exercises

BREATHING:

40 bpm (beats per minute): 10 times counting:
1-2 (inbreath), 1-2 (out)
5 times counting: 1 2 3 4 (in), 1 2 3 4 (out)

HAND DRILLS:

Paradiddles (176 bpm):

• RLRRLRLL
• RLRLRR LRLRLL
• RLRLRLRR LRLRLRLL

Rumba   (D - g g): 108 bpm. Switch hands (G - d d).

rR lL rR lL : 116 bpm.

4 + 3:  Play four notes, then three in same time span; then both together. Switch hands, vary loudness:

_______
| | | |
R R R R
L  L  L

TIMING: 176 bpm:

_______ _______ _______ _______
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
x - x - x x x x xxx xxx xxxxxxxx

YIN-YANG:

(D, G = left, right bass; d, g = left, right rim)

_____ _____ _____ _____
| | | | | | | | | | | |
d g D G d g D g D g D g
D G d g D G d G d G d G

 

KIDI VARIATIONS, both hands, @ 208 bpm:

_______ _______ _______
| | | | | | | | | | | |
- - x - x - x - - - - -
- - x - - - x - - - - -
- - x x x x x - - - - -
- - x x x x x x - - - -
- - x x - x x - - - - -
- - x x x - x - - - - -
- - x - x x x - - - - -
- - x x - - x - - - - -
- - x - - x x - - - - -

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Basic Rhythms

_____ _____ _____ _____
| | | | | | | | | | | |
G d g D g d G d g D g d    basic 6/8 time: Yanvalo
D g d G d g D g d G d g    (switch lead hand) 

_______ _______ _______ _______ 
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 
D   g g D   g g D   g g D   g g    rumba  

_______ _______ _______ _______
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 
D   g d G   d g D   G   d g d g    Ethiopian walking rhythm


Ethiopian rhythm -  Click for sound:  RealAudio: Track2-17 

_______ _______ _______ _______
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |    Moon Bear: parts
G   g d g d G   P                
G   P   G   P           g   d    
G   P T   P T   G   P   g d      

_______ _______ _______ _______
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |    Duncan: parts
G     P G     P G     P G     P  
G   P   G   P   G   P   P        
g d g   T   P   g d g       P    

_______ _______ _______ _______
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |    Duncan: parts
P T g   P T G   P T g d g d G    
                   (P T P T)     
P T G   P T G   P T G   P T P T  
P     T T     T T     d          

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Order ROOTS JAM: Collected Rhythms for Hand Drum & Percussion

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See lots more rhythm notation and drum lessons in my Roots Jam rhythm books, with optional audio files (CD or mp3). And read my latest tips and insights about drumming: African Drumming Blog. Learn from my early learning experiences as a hand drummer, with the free ebook, Friday Night Jam.