Lesson Tag: Percussion & Rhythm

Module 6 covers:

* Stretching
* Basic Renshu
* Mitsu-uchi and how to practice this in the future (other sticking combinations)
* Soloing an introduction and approach to a fixed number of bars for solos.
* Study the accompaniment to the solo section.
* Solos in 8 beats can be arranged into various groups eg, 2 bars of 4 or 3,3,2 combination or 2,3,3.
* Complete an arrangement of Turbine.
* Intro, Theme A, Theme B, Theme A, call and response, 4’s3’s2, soloing. Theme A, Theme B, Theme A ending/oroshii
* Discuss possibilities for students to create their own arrangement.

Otsukarasamadeshita.

Module 5 covers:

* Stretches
* Renshu with Mitsu-uchi
* Independent stroke using the repetition exercise 1-8-1
* Introducing On and off beat accents in an exercise called 4,2,3’s.
* Applying the above to the composition Turbine
* Cool down

Module 4 covers:

* Stretches
* Taikoz Renshu – 3 speeds
* Introduction the Call and Response – Western technique as a compositional tool (there may be a guest appearance in here too!)
* Review all the material of Turbine to date introduction Theme A, B, A plus add Call and Response

Module 3 covers:

* Stretches
* Taikoz Renshu – alternating Basic Renshu with mitsu-uchi
* 1-8-1 independent strokes
* Study the next theme which is Theme B of Turbine
* Review introduction, Theme A,and Theme B
* Cool down

Welcome Back. Today’s module covers:

• Warm Up Exercises
• Japanese Counting
• Introduction to Nagadodaiko
• Introduction to Bachi
• Basic Stroke: Grip
• Taikoz Classic Renshū
• New Piece: Dirt Rhythm

Module 1 covers:

Introduction to the Djembe
History, context and meaning.
Technique of the Djembe
Bass, Tone and Slap.

Key points:
Djembe, pronounced with a silent ‘d’, means ‘to gather in peace’.
The djembe is always accompanied by the doundouns, they are a family of drums.
The largest is the Doundounba (‘ba’ means big).
The middle Doundoun is the Sangbang.
The smallest is the Kenkeni.
Introducing Charles Wall.
Also know as Bobby Alu, Charles is an amazing musician and a great human. I’ve been teaching Charles djembe and doundoun since around 2005. Check him out on Spotify as Bobby Alu.
Each time you sit down to play it’s important to have a good warm up. Loosen up the shoulders, wrists and hands.
Sit forward in your chair and maintain good posture.

Technique:
Bounce off the drum – strike the drum quickly and bounce straight back up. Imagine you are lifting the sounds out of the djembe rather than pushing into the skin.
Be light and don’t allow your fingers to ‘stick’ to the skin.
The first row of knuckles lines up directly over the rim of the djembe.
Tones are found with your fingers straight and together.
Slaps are found with fingers slightly separated and ever so slightly curled.
At 16 min 53 seconds you could pause the video and repeat that simple rudiment for much longer.
Do the same at 19:57.
Before beginning each new Module I would suggest that you remind the students about the technique and then do the warm up from Module 1.
Start the warm up each day at 20:25 and go up until 23:44.

Module 2 covers:

* Stretches
* Taikoz Renshu alternating with mitsu uchi x 2
* 1-8-1 independent strokes to build on endurance and speed
* Introduction to Theme A of Turbine
* Review of the introduction followed by Theme A,
* Cool down

In these modules we will study various techniques and develop a number of skills to equip students in the basics of wadaiko: the music and practise of the Japanese drum. Students will then apply their technique to my composition called Turbine.

There are a number of levels of complexity within this module. The areas that will be covered are basic renshu, single independent strokes and form or ‘kata’

We will also look at western music concepts including polyrhythms, call and response and soloing in a set amount of time.

Module 1 covers:

* Stretches
* Taikoz Renshu
* An introduction to Mitsu-uchi
* Polyrhtyhms 2:3
* Introduction to Turbine
* Cool down

Module 6 covers:

This module is the wrap up for Zebola, including the High Drum part.
Drum drum speedy faster speedy is the mnemonic for this part.
The complex thing about this rhythm is that it has a different dominant pulse. The best way to come to terms with the difference between the two different pulses is to come to get to know the feeling of ‘2 over 3’. The clapping that we do at the beginning is something you could easily focus on for a great deal of time. It’s worth doing the two pulses between two groups and then also doing the two pulses with your own two hands.

At 15:21 we begin a full run through with this arrangement:
Begin with the song
Call comes and we play the Introduction
Keep singing while simultaneously playing the Low Drum part
Call comes and we move to the Mid Drum part
(The group could split into two groups when I move to the Low Drum part)
Call comes and we move to the High Drum part
– at this point half the group might like to play with Charles on the Low Drum part and then
change with him to the Mid Drum part.
– through this section it would also be great to try and have all three parts represented.
We then bring the doundouns in and return to the Low Drum part.
With a simple count of 4 we change to the Mid Drum part.
Then again, with a simple count of 4 we all change to the High Drum part.

From this point I demonstrate some solo ideas.
This would be a good time to have all three parts played by the group, 1/3 each or some combination of people to have the three parts represented.

Keep in mind that pulling together Zebola as I do in Module 6 is relatively advanced. If the students simply do each Module preceding this Module just once I would not expect great success. The intention is to work on each module for a number of sessions until the rhythms, including the technique, begin to ‘stick’.

Please note that I take the tempo up during this section of the arrangement.

I’d love to think that some keen drummers may try to nut out/transcribe/memorise some of these
solo ideas.

Have fun!

Module 5 covers:

Zebola – continued
In this module I present the Mid Drum part as well as the chant.
The words:
Zebola, Zebola kani Zebola
Aiey aiey (or aioh)
Ok, doing the chant may feel a little awkward. My experience is the only way to make it work is to simply go full throttle and have no shame. Once the awkwardness passes the feeling of singing while drumming is a really powerful thing. Integrating vocalising the chant simultaneously while coordinating the hands to play the rhythm is also a great challenge.
My suggestion is to follow the call and response style that I do with Charles. My fingers are crossed that the kids will get into it.
For those in the group who really take to the chanting I would suggest they might like to try the extra vocal calls that I add once the group is strong.
It’s totally doable to sing the chant and play the Low Drum part at the same time. This would be a great outcome. Once the mid drum is being played the singing will get drowned out, so is a good point at which to let the chanting go.
The main goal of this module would be to play the Low Drum and Mid Drum simultaneously. You might like to separate the group into two and take it in turns to play each of the parts. The trick here is to play the Low Drum slowly so that the Mid Drum is not too fast.