Village Heartbeat Buzz

Hey folks! following up on my ” list” of Why I drum.
Whether you play often or not, one of the things that I love about drumming is the practice of it. Working on technique than just banging away is essential in my book. And it reaps great rewards!

2. Practicing Drum Technique
With each hand drum there are sounds: bass, tone, and slap.
In Baba Olatunji’ s drum language we call it gun (the bass note), go do ( the tones or middle sound), pa ta ( the slaps or high sounds) and depending on your “axe” there are different ways to learn to play these notes efficiently and ergonomically.
Sitting down to HONESTLY listen to yourself will help improve the consistency of your playing and make you a more confident drummer. Your drum can become a melodic instrument as well as a rhythmic one!
I am a big believer in the 5-minute method. Attend and intend to play with concentration on your bass, tone, and slap 3 times a week for 5 minutes. Really focus on each sound. Work on only one thing for each session: i.e. Tuesday morning is working with the bass note. Listen to the difference with how it sounds and feel to play with your dominant and your non-dominant hand. If you spend less time with more concentration, you will probably want to play more because you LIKE how you sound! Sneaky, huh?

Spend a good amount of time working with your non-dominant hand. Leading rhythms from your weaker side allows you to become stronger and quicker. The difference will be clear in a short time.

Stamina! Have one of your 5 minute sessions include stamina drills! Take a rhythm that is simple and continuous. Practice it slowly. Gradually build your tempo.As soon as your sounds become muddied, slip back to a slower speed. Do this as many times as you can and see if your speed WITH clarity of sounds doesn’t improve. When you get to your top speed hold it as long as you can! Breathe a lot. See if your breath can become more rhythmic. Stay with the rhythm until it drops away from you. And then do it over again.

There are other reasons why practice is advisable.
If you only take out your drum when the jam happens there is a very good chance that A) you may injure yourself or B) you may poop out. Practicing consistently for shorter periods (with concentration) builds greater rhythmic attention. When you are a consistent, grounded center, it is easier playing with those that are beyond your skill level– and there will times when you are the “strong one” for those “younger” in skill level.

2 practice tips: Leave the phone in the other room when you are practicing! The mind hates to focus on one thing. But you KNOW you can make this time sacred for 5 minutes.
Try to find a practice buddy. Even if you can’t always play together, you could remind each other to give attention to your sounds. Also, if you have forgotten a rhythmic pattern, your practice buddy might remember!

Finally, practice can be a meditation on sound. Sing with your drum. Baba always said when you and sing and play simultaneously, the drum becomes a tool for healing. This is truth for me. When I sing and play, all the worries, all the world stuff that gets me, melts– and I am left with a feeling of calm and deep connection to myself.

I hope that this information will serve you!
Peace and love, Zorina