Beginning Djembe

Essential Tones, Rhythms & Grooves.

Learn to play djembe! This hands-on workshop will help you produce a good sound, play with healthy technique, and learn the essential concepts, sounds, and rhythms of West African djembe drumming. Extensive play-along online videos will help you practice every technique in the context of a traditional African djembe ensemble. Teaches: correct, effective djembe playing technique and posture; three fundamental sounds of the djembe: bass, slap and tone; exercises and play-along videos to help you develop good tone, facility, and memorize essential rhythms and their variations; traditional djembe rhythms from different regions: Sofa, Dundungbe, Soli, Guinea, Fare, Kuku, Mane, and Sinte; notated djembe ensemble parts, including for djembes and dunduns; techniques for soloing; historical, regional, and traditional cultural conext of the djembe; how to tune, maintain and care for your djembe; and more! Video clips are accessed online using the unique code in each book.

Sample Score