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Hand-held Drums

By typo
in Performance

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Newbie

typo

Posted
Posted

have any of you seriously experimented with hand-held drums like bodhran or djembe? i've been playing a little on a both of those drums (a couple of others as well). i've been playing on and off for years but thought it was about time i did some real work on them as they were never my main instrument, so i've not hugely progressed with them.

if you've got any experience and can give me any tips or insights, or you just wanna talk about playing this kind of drum, i'll be a happy bunny. :)

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Desertrose

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This is something I've been saying I want to learn how to do for ages!

I am clueless though and don't own any drums yet.

Because I am learning belly dancing I want to learn how to play the arabic type drums and rythms but as yet have been unable to find a teacher here in Perth. There are plenty of African drumming teachers but no arabic. :(

I could just sit and listen to that kind of drumming - any drumming really with no other music at all. Love it!

I once went to this weird hippy type thing on a moonlit night on top of a hill in a mud hut where all these drummers got together and played.

It was AMAZING....So hypnotic. The energy was incredible.

There's something very "magic like" about drumming like that.

Good luck with your continued learning. You'll have to let us hear you playing one of these days :)

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Grand Master

john

Posted
Posted

Hey

Out of interest Tracy, when I was in Glastonbury I had lots of fun at night on top of the Glastonbury Tor playing my bodhran, didgeridoo and guitar, though not at the same time. Percussion is great fun at events like that. I was all hippified at the time :)

I think I remember seeing a pagan beats instructional dvd. not on the web. Interesting stuff as it is tartgetted at inducing trance. Why not see if there's an arabic drums instructional dvd?

The djembe is an excellent drum, and you can get a good variation in tone from it, but I haven't played one often. I have to say I prefer the bodhran, but then I like the "join in and jam" attitude of celtic music. I would like a tabla and of course a set of bongos! They are somewhat down my list of gear to get though :(

So far all I've learned has been from listening, experimenting and the odd bit of knowledge handed over. I have thought about using a dvd, but haven't gone and looked yet.

What you can get is drum notation for these instruments, and audio tution to accompany a book. Tracy, why not contact a local arabic culture group (surely there must be one?) and ask them if they can help?

Other than that I'd say to you both , listen to lots of the music, learn how to make the sounds, where those sounds fit etc.

What you could try is running the audio through a beat extractor to help provide drum notation for stuff you are learning. Not perfect maybe but it allows you to slow it down (in midi) and really take the beat apart.

Cheers

John

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Desertrose

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You can play the didj? Serious?

Actually I tell I lie. I DO know of one tabla player here who does lessons.

Only thing is he is the ex husband of my belly dance teacher and I'm not sure I should ask HER for his number. Just an awkward situation kinda.

Something I might think more seriously about in the new year though.

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Grand Master

john

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Hey Tracy

Yup. A bit out of practice now. I struggle with the circular breathing when I don't play regularly. Comes back pretty quick though. To practice circular breathing i use a straw and a glass of water and try to get a steady stream of bubbles. Saves alienating everyone within a mile radius while I get it sorted out! :)

It's actually a remarkably versatile instrument. Some of the notes are just sweet, and when you hit them you can feel your lips or while face vibrating! When you sing you can draw the note from your lips all the way down to your diaphram. With a didge you can draw the note from the didge into your mouth and down, become part of the resonating whole, it's a strange sensation at first but quite amazing. like the instrument becomes part of you.

Cheers

John

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Desertrose

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Hey Tracy

You do know you're meant to blow, not suck? :) How on earth did you end up choking?

Maybe you're right. The didgers' curse somehow knew why you were practising with the straw!

Cheers

John

I could say something but it would end up naughty. :P

Have you got any of your didge playing recorded by any chance? I'd love to hear.

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Grand Master

john

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Hey Tracy

No go ahead, be naughty... :P

Hmmm, now there's a thing. I might have a recording somewhere. Nothing produced though. I'll have a look. If not, I'll try and get myself back to some level of playing and do a quick recording. Now I'll need to dig a straw out for practising. :D That makes me sound very lazy!

Cheers

John

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Newbie

thelevellers

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Personally I LOVE djembes... I used to play them quite a lot, and my dad had one around the house (along with just about EVERY other instrument under the sun) for a few years til it vanished into thin air :(

I have found that any kind of hand drum is excellent to jam with, it always adds to the feel of the song to have a bit of percussion... :)

If I had room in my room I would probably start trying to convince myself to buy one now, lol, luckily I have my new 12-string to fill the last tiny bit of floor space tho, so I'll save the money to spend in Prague :)

Rohan

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