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Basic rhythms * 6/8 rhythms

On these pages you will find an extensive set of rhythms for the djembe.They were all taken from the book by Mamady Keita, A Life for the Djembe.This is one of the standard books, unfortunately without solo patterns.The basic rhythms from Soli I have called S1 and S2. They are the basis of most 6/8 rhythms, and either or both are played with most other rhythms given below. For the exactcombinations, see the book.

Rhythm groups
I have tried to group the rhythms into categories, but in many cases a rhythm could fit in more than one group or even be a category on its own. However, these groups reflect the main stumbling blocks that people fall over when they start playing 6/8 rhythms.The straight rhythms are not too difficult, and neither are the waltz-like 3/4 rhythms. The problem is that African music uses both, preferably within one pattern in alternating bars, or against each other! How you hear it, as 6/8 or 3/4 or even a slow swinging 4/4, is your own interpretation as a listener, and is not inherent in the rhythm! Learning to switch from one type to the other, or even better, to "hear" both at the same time, takes a lot of practice!

The off-beat rhythms form a completely different set of challenges. What may help, is to "visualise" the edge of a forest nearby, from where echo's come back to you, in time with the music. Off-beat rhythms are played so that the echo of your slap for example is in time with the main beat. You "visualise" the echo, or hear it in your mind, as falling on the main beat. This is off-beat on the 3rd pulse. In other cases, you "play the echo" of the main beat. This is off-beat on the 2nd pulse.

MP3 Rhythm files
Jan Fennis has put a lot of effort into creating MP3 files for each rhythm. Thanks a lot Jan! The rhythm files start with a call, and present the rhythm together with a bell pattern, to make it a bit more interesting and to help you keep time. The rhythm is played for 8 times 4 bars (8 patterns) and then a call is played to end it.Click on the rhythm name toplay it!

(C) These MP3 files are copyright by Jan Fennis! They are free for private use only. For any kind of public use,please link to this page instead.

6/8 Djembe basic rhythms

Note: If you see things like 4b.tt4..s. then you must install the Yankadi font in order to see the music!

(*) The Konkoba is a 6-bar rhythm, for thispage I have altered that to 4 bars!
The print-version of this page is compressed to keep everything on one sheet.