Basic Hand Drum Rhythms and Practice Exercises

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

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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):

• RLRR LRLL
• 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