tarsia Posted April 3, 2002 Share Posted April 3, 2002 Hi ! - I just searched for info & posts on Djembe's got some cool info., I'm actually a Bass player but have branched out into Hand drums etc..., I've also played drums for a few bands ( capable but questionably compentent !) anyway... it seems in my experience that most "drumkit" players aren't too much into hand drums - any comments? I've played in drum circles and have did a few open mic sets with my Djembe and it's COOL as hell !! one of my problems is my drum is fairly loud ( 14"x24" Remo} and when I feel in the groove & comfortable I have to back off to keep a good mix. I've just recently added some dampning we'll see how it works soon. How Do drummers feel about playing with Djembe's / hand drums, I like to play a counter point & accent to the groove. Hope ya have some input here ! I'm Todbass62 on MySpace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted April 5, 2002 Share Posted April 5, 2002 Tarsia: There are some of us here that love hand drumming. I sub for several percussionist in town and look forward to those gigs. I love playing a big djembe. Love getting that deep low out of the drum! That makes folks sit up and take notice. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzman Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 Hi tarsia, I came across a percussion video for African Drumming, by Babatunde Olatunji for $22.98 (VD880)in the interstate Music mag. Here is the web site.... www.interstatemusic.com Hope that this helps....... Jazzman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natty fred Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 hey tarsia, me too, i'm a bassist (of 18yrs) but spent some time living in Senegal, West Africa & I love playing both Djembe & and Mbung Mbung Sabar,... "capable but questionably compentent !" this is me tooo.! I sometimes think of of both of these drums as being like a "one note bass" but the main differences to me are in live and studio situations, are you mainly playing djembe live? from djarettt; I love playing a big djembe. Love getting that deep low out of the drum! yeahhhhhhh...!!!!!!! one note bass!!!!! for a while i had the amazing situation of being married to one of the best (most amazing) drummers/griots in th West Africa, there are no real words to describe this ..... "How Do drummers feel about playing with Djembe's / hand drums, I like to play a counter point & accent to the groove. yeah, me too, what's yo view on tis? I guess this is about "open minded" players as with any instrument.... lurve & peace, natty http://www.theunholytrinity.org/cracks_smileys/contrib/fk/butterfly.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 Originally posted by tarsia: anyway... it seems in my experience that most "drumkit" players aren't too much into hand drums - any comments? one of my problems is my drum is fairly loud ( 14"x24" Remo} and when I feel in the groove & comfortable I have to back off to keep a good mix. I've just recently added some dampning we'll see how it works soon. How Do drummers feel about playing with Djembe's hand drums, I like to play a counter point & accent to the groove. I play drums and percussion; love them both and wouldn't want to have to choose between the two. As far as being too loud, here's a couple of suggestions. Don't mic the djembe from the bottom; if you are. You get lots of low end, but it also conflicts with the bass and kick drum. Djembes are typically a nightmare for sound engineers ... both live and the studio. I'd also encourage you with tuning the drum higher than you think it needs to be tuned. Traditionally the djembe has a VERY tight head. This allows for greater projection, which you don't need obviously, but it's also easier to play ... and play soft. Work with using low hand strokes; don't come off the drum more than a few inches. With the drum tuned high, you should be able to play comfortably and never get more than 8 inches off the drumhead. Lower tuning on the drum means longer low-end decay time (nightmare). Bigger hand strokes means you are moving more air ... which means louder volume. So keep the drum tuned high and keep your hands low to the drum. With this combination, you'll be able to hear everything you are doing and not have the volume issues (hopefully). Certain venues just naturally build the djembe's tone ... all because of the room acoustics. You can also work with the drum placement, such as the angle. When I'm playing drums, I like a good percussionist. As long as your in the pocket and using your ears while you play ... I'd be a happy camper. Shutting off the world and going into a trance is not a good way to make friends with the drummer ... or the rest of the band for that matter! As always .... these are just my opinions Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarsia Posted April 26, 2002 Author Share Posted April 26, 2002 Thanx for the response guyz ! yeah most of the time my Djembe playing is live altho' I've dubbed some tracks for my own stuff recording wise, I have a little shure lapel mic that clips on to the bottom rim ( lack of low freq. response makes it a good choice!) I bought the 1st paulo matolli video and have worked on that, but it's mostly african rhythms which is def. COOL, but I'm digging on some conga patterns and applying them, also coming up with my own stuff as well - does anybody know where I can find anything online regarding the "Clave" or playing tumbao type rhythms? I'm also trying to cop a Reggae feel and it just isn't happenin' - I can fake it pretty good, but I know the dif. !!!! I'm Todbass62 on MySpace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djarrett Posted April 26, 2002 Share Posted April 26, 2002 Hey, Tarsia: Keep on that Paulo video. He is great. Ever been to one of his drum circles? Incredible. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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