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About this site

Western djembe teaching method
In the west we have a long history of teaching musical instruments. Piano, guitar, flute, violin... All these instruments have what I call a "teaching method". The teacher knows what to teach, how to teach,in which order to present various challenges. The teacher knows what the student does wrong, if the instrument sounds wrong. The teacher can give specific exercises to correct such mistakes. And so, within say a year, the violin student will progress from someone who can only make scratching noises with the bow, to someone who can make a beautiful tone.

Where is this body of teaching material for djembe? Where are the specific exercises to develop a tone, a slap? The specific instructions and musical exercises to develop from someone who is just banging a drum, to someone who plays musically ? I'll tell you:

It doesn't exist.

The african teachers use a different teaching method than western teachers. And western teachers, the good ones that I have seen, prefer to use the african teaching method of "I play, you copy", no explanation given.

Developing a teaching method
Well, on this site I am trying to develop material that will go towards a "teaching method for djembe". Graded instructions and explanations that will tell you what you do wrong, if the instrument sounds wrong. Conceptualisations. I am trying to develop material that could be theequivalent to "violin-etudes", study-exercises for djembe.

If you have read my page about myself, you will realise that I have played quite a number of instruments. I like to play music. And my biggest frustration with the djembe was not, that what I could play during the first few years wasn't very musical yet, because I had no clear distinction between tone and slap. My biggest frustration was, is, that no teacher, neither african nor western, could give me any real support in the form of understanding, or exercises on how to create a better tone or slap. Other than "practice, practice, practice, and you will discover it at some point". Yea, duh. I love to play percussion. I love the raw energy. But at some point I almost ditched the djembe in favour of the doundouns, because their melodies were so much clearer and nicer than what I could play on the djembe. And when I heard african masters play, and the metal bell-like clarity of their slaps and the wood-like dullness of their tones, my heart longed to be able to play like that.

Instruments are not made to be ditched in frustration. They are made to play music. And the teacher should be able to guide you and help you. So I hope very much that this site will help others over the hurdles, and that you will find both the understanding you need, and the enthusiasm, and the hints and tips to develop your playing, in order to become a great musician!

So if you like my work and this site, please consider making a small donation with the Paypal button on the right! Or send me an email with your comments and ideas, with your hints and tips, your experiences!

Credits
This site contains my own work and my own experiences, based on what I have seen of the djembe "scene" in the Netherlands, and what I have read on email lists and forums around the world. So all material is (C) copyright by me, even if that is not specifically indicated with the(C) sign.

Where I quote other people's work, books, rhythms and so forth, this is clearly indicated, and the copyright is theirs of course. I hope that the extensive links that I give in each credits section, will encourage you to go and visit those sites and buy the books or CD's.

Note that on traditional folk music and folk art, no copyright exists (no maker is known).


 

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