I enjoy & value your content ! I'm not a beginner by any means, I was kind of a natural at it, so learning came from feeling & instinct... That said, I really appreciate your content ! You've helped me a few times getting myself out of a rut or reaching new plateaus! 🙏✨️👍
I've been playing with metric modulation in a piece I'm working on. I used 12/8 but this drum groove hits the pockets in the way I was trying. Definitely inspired
Martin Regan Glad to know they of use to people. I try to create videos that would have helped me when I was learning...or to explain things that are generally not well understood. Thanks for the comment :)
Martin Regan Hi Martin. Just thought I'd let you know that my new online djembe learning website is now live at www.djembeweaver.com. Please share it as much as possible! If I get enough subscribers it will allow me to create great new content every month including professional quality videos and much more besides! Thanks for your continued support :)
Thanks Ian. Yes, you heard correctly. Something that sounds complicated in threes will often sound very simple in 4s. Think about it...if you play the 4 pulse when you are hearing the rhythm in 3s then it will sound very syncopated to you, but to someone hearing the rhythm in 4s it will sound very simple (just the pulse in fact)...so being clever often leads you to accidentally play simple things!
***** Actually technically...mathematically...it might be possible to play something that sounds complicated (i.e. syncopated) in both 3s and 4s....that would have to be a phrase that avoids either set of pulse beats. Now there's a challenge: I'll see if I can come up with anything...
a way i sometimes think to get various 3s or 4s happening, is to think of the main pulse, or heart beat under the groove. for e.g. if the main pulse is in 3, 6, 12, or 16 even (whatever the sub divisions between them, with some exceptions) then count 6 instead of three to make the pattern longer, or 12 instead of three (which makes 3x4=12 and so on) and i find counting which foot is on a down beat on the number one in the main count (for eg, if your groove is 3:4 then when you count the 4, take note of which foot or feet land on the floor during the number one of the count, with of course the 3s falling in between each of the 4s)
this is what we did in the class, well explained. Have you tried 5:4 polyrhythm in the same feel 12/8 ? maybe not common in djembe playing but it fits well over the main 4 pulse. It will imply 5:3 as well if someone is playing on the 3 pulse.
Not sure if I understand you correctly. I once wrote an entire rhythm (dudun, sangbang, kenkeni , djembe 1 & 2 + solo and break) based on a 5:3 polyrhythm with a triplet feel (it would be 15/8 expressed as a time signature) but I've never shown it to anyone because it's my own creation and this time signature does not exist in West Africa. It is, however, the next natural polyrhythm after 9/8...is that what you mean?
Hi...the difference between 6/8 and 12/8 is only really relevant if you are scoring the music using the western classical system. 12/8 is basically just the same as 6/8 but twice as long. Because the dunduns usually play 4 or 8 beat cycles it makes more sense to score in 12/8, where there are 4 beats to the bar, than in 6/8, where there are 2 beats to the bar. Back in the real world it doesn't really matter whether you call them 6/8 or 12/8 because technically you could score them either way. Hope that answers your question...
Thanks... crystal clear now. what did you get your Docterate in? you ever been a Teacher or uni Lecturer? Are dununbe rhythms played in a different time signature than 12/8? some videos i have come across recently shot in the villages, I found hard to pin them down, do they signature shift at times?? plus can you do a vid on micro timing how/y it is used in West African Djembe Culture and how it can be utilised in improvisation? Massive appreciation for your Time.
a) Cognitive Psychology; b) Both; c) All 12/8 as far as I know d) Sometimes though it's hard to say without seeing the videos you're referring to. Often it's so fast and syncopated that it's hard to find the pulse. Even West African's can struggle to find the pulse in unfamiliar rhythms...I have seen this several times!
Now reply "d" has brought a bjg smile n a wee chuckle omits from my lips.....I got a long way to go but... theres hope for me yet. once again many thanks for your time.
Nice tutorial. But why isn't Zoe in shot? In my book it is important to see what you are hearing and I feel I would learn more if I could see the Djun Djun being played.
Several reason: First and foremost it is difficult to get everything in shot in a smallish room. Secondly she is playing a ballet arrangement on upright dunduns so it is not 'traditional' in that sense. Thirdly it is very easy to look up the parts to 'Soli'. Lastly in my complete set of tutorials I will have separate videos on dunduns eventually. Thanks for the comment though :)
This is the key to West African 12/8. People who have heard it all their lives feel this automatically but the rest of us have to work at it. If someone had taught me this when I was starting out it would have saved me years of confusion...
I enjoy & value your content ! I'm not a beginner by any means, I was kind of a natural at it, so learning came from feeling & instinct...
That said, I really appreciate your content ! You've helped me a few times getting myself out of a rut or reaching new plateaus! 🙏✨️👍
Wow! I understand this...but, no one has ever put it so directly, or juxtaposed them back n forth, like that!
💫
Such a good teacher and player.
I've been playing with metric modulation in a piece I'm working on. I used 12/8 but this drum groove hits the pockets in the way I was trying. Definitely inspired
I know nothing of polyrhythmic pulses but enjoyed it all the same as it is so well explained and demonstrated.
Well now you do know about polyrhythmic pulses! It's a kind of auditory illusion where you can hear a rhythm in two completely different ways...
Very good especially the solo. I wish l could play like that. Great to hear
That's what you call practice.
Your videos are great and much needed
Martin Regan Glad to know they of use to people. I try to create videos that would have helped me when I was learning...or to explain things that are generally not well understood. Thanks for the comment :)
Martin Regan Hi Martin. Just thought I'd let you know that my new online djembe
learning website is now live at www.djembeweaver.com. Please share it as
much as possible! If I get enough subscribers it will allow me to create
great new content every month including professional quality videos and
much more besides! Thanks for your continued support :)
Thanks Ian. Yes, you heard correctly. Something that sounds complicated in threes will often sound very simple in 4s. Think about it...if you play the 4 pulse when you are hearing the rhythm in 3s then it will sound very syncopated to you, but to someone hearing the rhythm in 4s it will sound very simple (just the pulse in fact)...so being clever often leads you to accidentally play simple things!
Exactly...also the more complicated the phrase is in threes, the more likely it is that it will make simple-sense in fours.
***** Actually technically...mathematically...it might be possible to play something that sounds complicated (i.e. syncopated) in both 3s and 4s....that would have to be a phrase that avoids either set of pulse beats. Now there's a challenge: I'll see if I can come up with anything...
a way i sometimes think to get various 3s or 4s happening, is to think of the main pulse, or heart beat under the groove.
for e.g. if the main pulse is in 3, 6, 12, or 16 even (whatever the sub divisions between them, with some exceptions) then count 6 instead of three to make the pattern longer, or 12 instead of three (which makes 3x4=12 and so on) and i find counting which foot is on a down beat on the number one in the main count (for eg, if your groove is 3:4 then when you count the 4, take note of which foot or feet land on the floor during the number one of the count, with of course the 3s falling in between each of the 4s)
Really interesting! Thanks to share this video.
Really good video. Very helpful. Thanks!
Outstanding!
this is what we did in the class, well explained. Have you tried 5:4 polyrhythm in the same feel 12/8 ? maybe not common in djembe playing but it fits well over the main 4 pulse. It will imply 5:3 as well if someone is playing on the 3 pulse.
Not sure if I understand you correctly. I once wrote an entire rhythm (dudun, sangbang, kenkeni , djembe 1 & 2 + solo and break) based on a 5:3 polyrhythm with a triplet feel (it would be 15/8 expressed as a time signature) but I've never shown it to anyone because it's my own creation and this time signature does not exist in West Africa. It is, however, the next natural polyrhythm after 9/8...is that what you mean?
Brilliant video Djembeweaver. can you explain the difference between 6/8 and 12/8 and show examples on your djembe. Any chance of Dun part videos?
Hi...the difference between 6/8 and 12/8 is only really relevant if you are scoring the music using the western classical system. 12/8 is basically just the same as 6/8 but twice as long. Because the dunduns usually play 4 or 8 beat cycles it makes more sense to score in 12/8, where there are 4 beats to the bar, than in 6/8, where there are 2 beats to the bar. Back in the real world it doesn't really matter whether you call them 6/8 or 12/8 because technically you could score them either way.
Hope that answers your question...
And thanks for the encouraging words!
Thanks... crystal clear now. what did you get your Docterate in? you ever been a Teacher or uni Lecturer? Are dununbe rhythms played in a different time signature than 12/8? some videos i have come across recently shot in the villages, I found hard to pin them down, do they signature shift at times?? plus can you do a vid on micro timing how/y it is used in West African Djembe Culture and how it can
be utilised in improvisation?
Massive appreciation for your Time.
a) Cognitive Psychology; b) Both; c) All 12/8 as far as I know d) Sometimes though it's hard to say without seeing the videos you're referring to. Often it's so fast and syncopated that it's hard to find the pulse. Even West African's can struggle to find the pulse in unfamiliar rhythms...I have seen this several times!
Now reply "d" has brought a bjg smile n a wee chuckle omits from my lips.....I got a long way to go but... theres hope for me yet. once again many thanks for your time.
merveilleusement bien merci
Nice tutorial. But why isn't Zoe in shot? In my book it is important to see what you are hearing and I feel I would learn more if I could see the Djun Djun being played.
Several reason: First and foremost it is difficult to get everything in shot in a smallish room. Secondly she is playing a ballet arrangement on upright dunduns so it is not 'traditional' in that sense. Thirdly it is very easy to look up the parts to 'Soli'. Lastly in my complete set of tutorials I will have separate videos on dunduns eventually. Thanks for the comment though :)
fucking awesome vid man just unlocked some thing i was feeling but couldnt put my finger on
This is the key to West African 12/8. People who have heard it all their lives feel this automatically but the rest of us have to work at it. If someone had taught me this when I was starting out it would have saved me years of confusion...
whats the name of the first rythm?!?! thanks
oh my gawd Im having the hardest time switching to 3! I only hear it in 4!
oooo
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