My fiance and I just bought a new djembe on Monday. He is an AMAZING drummer. Now that we have two of them, I'm learning to play.
We just sat and played for a while and it was so much fun! I kept screwing up and then I just jumped right back in! It's like jumping rope and just rocking back and forth, waiting for your break.
It's all sort of complicated in my head, but when I can get into the groove of it and get my head out of it, it just happens on it's own.
Who else is into drumming? What are you learning from it? How long have you been playing?
We just sat and played for a while and it was so much fun! I kept screwing up and then I just jumped right back in! It's like jumping rope and just rocking back and forth, waiting for your break.
It's all sort of complicated in my head, but when I can get into the groove of it and get my head out of it, it just happens on it's own.
Who else is into drumming? What are you learning from it? How long have you been playing?
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Baton Rouge
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 5:53 AMGood for you! I think its an integral part of learning to be a better dancer.
I can't afford to take drum classes and dance classes, so I practice the masmoodi on my stomach... or on the block at work while watching the masons work. It's lame. But it gives me something to do while I stand there. I wanna learn so badly, I just can't afford it all!
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 6:40 AM"I think its an integral part of learning to be a better dancer. "
I keep hearing this and that's why I want to learn sooo bad! I feel like I'm really missing out on understanding the beats. There's a workshop in July that is going to go over music stuff so hopefully that will help.
But I'm like Basha, I just can't afford everything! :( boo -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 6:50 AMI understand. There are SO many different classes I want to take and there is not enough time or money for them. I'm lucky to have a drummer who is totally in love with me. hehe. It's not easy to learn from him because he is so into it that he goes to fast for me sometimes. In fact, last night was the first time I haven't gotten totally frustrated with it. I'm just going to keep plugging away at it. I've decided to play the beat he taught me last night until I am so sick of it that I learn something new out of self-defense. :)
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 7:06 AMwhen we first started learning to drum, we had -0- money and mostly learned from friends in the sca. The best thing that ever happened for us was to meet a guy named Cormac who'd put together a pretty comprehenisive set of drum rhythms (african and m.e.) into a little booklet,but he also posted the rhythms online -
we were really secluded down here when we first started as far as drumming goes, but we got Billy Woods' and David Kourup's cassettes "Rhythm Rides" which was a freakin awesome starter place...additionally Armando (Uncle) Mafufo has a pretty awesome "25 Essential Rhythms" cd as well.
No money doesn't have to = No learning....there are lots of resources out there, and even if you begin teaching yourself and later find out it was incorrect, at least you've started :) and even *starting* the process of learning to play drums or learning rhythms is a challenging yet AMAZING thing that can lead to so much more :)
Cheers everyone! Happy rhythm hunting!
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 5:28 PMheartbeat of belly dance, with Jenna and Rakuy
www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-.../B000A2ASN2
great breakdowns of the more common beats. i needed a musician to explain it to me again, but that is because i am very rythmically (sp?) challenged ^_^ -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 7:38 PMKristal: that sounds amazing! I would definitely like to take something like that. -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 7:42 PMI'm totally getting the Heartbeat of Bellydance DVD. Well, after I pay for all the festivals I want to attend this year. UGH. AND the FCBD collection. And whatever else is on my growing list of fun stuff I want (or need for work). I need to be independently wealthy. -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 8:56 PMI just sat out on the front porch and played drums with Jeff and our neighbor, who is learning to play as well but is way ahead of me having started some time ago. I can't believe I wasn't freaked out about playing where other people could hear me! (AND see me. lol) I feel like a spaz when I'm trying to play usually, but tonight, every time I screwed up, I just shook my head and jumped back in. It's a big thing for me. I'm feeling pretty freakin' good about it. Jeff says I'm doing really well, and he is definitely not one to blow smoke up anyone's you-know-what. :)
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 7:18 AMI've been playing doumbek for about 2 years. I love drumming as much as I love dancing. Sometimes with a drum circle I'm not sure what I want to do more. lol Its helped my dancing and zilling so much!
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 1:49 PMI'm very into drumming! It's how I found out about bellydance. I played in a professional African percussion ensemble for three years, and every year we attended an event in Seattle called Folklife. Every year I saw these amazing bellydancers, and finally I decided that I wanted to do that, too. I'm just approaching Middle Eastern rhythm, and the style of playing is very different in my opinion - your hands are a lot more subdued. But I love any percussion I can get my hands on.
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Re: who's into drumming?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 5:17 PMI recently started learning drumming (in February) though I've been dancing for years. I recently took a drum class from Karim Nagi (from Turbo Tabla), and it was freakin awesome! He taught not just the rhythms, but also the dance that went with each rhythm. That was the most awesome way for me to learn. I can now picture the dance while I drum. :-) Oh, and the class was only $15.
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Re: who's into drumming?
Sat, May 10, 2008 - 3:43 PMI started drumming about three or four years after I started dancing, when I switched studios, and one of my teachers was extremely knowledgeable about music and played the drums (along with other stuff) and she really inspired me:)
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Re: who's into drumming?
Sun, May 11, 2008 - 5:06 PMI'm a newbie, however, I do have several videos and I've taken one drumming workshop. I loved the workshop and my videos, but dancing has been taking up a lot of my free time to even play. My poor dumbek is sitting on my coffee table calling me, beckoning me, pleading with me, but it's got to wait a little while longer for me to pick it up again.
Azeeza -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Mon, May 12, 2008 - 4:31 AMhey what kind of video's do you have? I really want to pick it up buuuuut, I just don't think I can afford class this go around! I figure maybe if I start with a video I'll at least have something to go off of to get the fire lit! -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Mon, May 12, 2008 - 10:00 AMWe don't have a drumming teacher where I live, so I purchased a couple of videos.
If you don't understand the rhythms, the drumming can confuse you, so it's good to listen to music and try to pick out the rhythm that you hear and with the video you can learn to play basic Arabic drumming. Learnint the different rhythms is very important.
The videos I have are Uncle Malfouf (SP), Todd Roach, Amir Naoum and Michael Beach. Taking one drumming seminar helped me to understand some of the simpler rhythms. And as was suggested to me, say the rhythms out load while playing the drum.
I started to get pretty good with the basic rhythms and I started to add a little more emblishment to the simple ones, but my hand coordination was SLOW, so I couldn't keep up with the fast and complicated rhythms. It takes practice, practice, practice.
Azeeza
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Re: who's into drumming?
Mon, May 12, 2008 - 2:34 PMI've been interested in drumming for a number of years and only recently bought a drum of my own (yay).
I started learning at an S.C.A. event and everywhere I go I take my drum with me (though I don't practice as often as I would like).
Something that helps me when I forget certain basic beats is a website that I was directed to go to:
www.blackroot.org/drumming/drumming.html
I hope this helps out :)
~Blessings
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Re: who's into drumming?
Yesterday, 7:14 AMI've always wanted a djembe, I love the deep rich tones.
I love my doumbek! Even though you'd never know it from the state it was in for the last 5 years, or my lack of practice. I picked up my first drum about 13 years ago at War. Luckily I had (and have) some great teachers, with great patients for a rhythmically challenged person. And actually your phrase "get my head out of it" was the theme of last week's class. I had just found a fabulous circle before I moved, and if my neighbors wouldn't have a heart attack I'd host one myself. :) -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Yesterday, 7:30 AMI sat out on the porch with the guys again last night. I'm still shocked that it doesn't bother me to do this. And I found it's getting a lot easier for me to laugh instead of kicking myself when I screw up. I think our whole discussion about not comparing ourselves to others and not putting ourselves down has contributed greatly to this issue. Funny, I started that to give others a boost and ended up getting one in return! -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Yesterday, 7:59 AMYou didn't screw up! You SOLOED!
And as Shamsi and her fella say, play your "screw up" 3 times and call it jazz.
:)
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Re: who's into drumming?
Yesterday, 8:23 AMI have a djembe. I bought it at Pier One for decoration. A few years ago I ordered a table and when it arrived, the delivery guy noticed my djembe. He asked if he could play it! OF COURSE, HE COULD! It was the first time it was actually used as an instrument and not as decoration! I asked for his name and number to take lessons, but he wasn't interested in teaching. I haven't seen him since, unfortunately. But, he was awesome! My mouth was hanging open!
Azeeza -
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Re: who's into drumming?
Yesterday, 4:22 PMhehe. If I could play the, erm, "solo" three times I probably wouldn't have done that solo in the first place. ;-) I love that idea, though!
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