How to Play the Djembe Drum : Basic Rhythms & Drum Tones on the Djembe

[benny926]

All right, I concede, This guy really really plays pretty bad, and his rum is terribly out of tune, Actually it hurts my ears.....But hey hes American they think that they are the best at everything...

[djembeweaver]

@benny926 Q.E.D

[1kifuu]

youtube.com/watch?v=AL1xFQBMqY­M

check this guy out, he has some nice beats

[1kifuu]

youtube.com/watch?v=AL1xFQBMqY­M

[babbe001]

This is really bad, sorry.

[JonnyUnion]

I HAVE FOUND THE REASON THIS VIDEO IS SHOCKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's white.

[Hayakanashi]

Learn proper technique, and tune your drum, jeez...

[accesloisirs]

BBBEEEUUURRKKK

[Academic1Researcher]

ghastly!

[mcnich5]

This guy sucks. And his drum sounds horrible. Thanks again, "Expert" Village.

[DJkevvykev]

Got bored with the advert. Skipped to another video

[benny926]

Just play the bloody drum people ans stop bitching about whos whos and whats what.. As long as it makes a sound and your having fun than thats all that counts... You know what... I play the way I want to play I make the sounds I want to make, and I dont care wether its a slap or what.. Shit people a drum can make many many more sounds than Three.. Drum on people..

[djembeweaver]

@benny926 Everything you say is true UP TO THE POINT WHERE YOU POST A VIDEO ENTITLED 'EXPERT VILLAGE HOW TO PLAY THE DJEMBE'. Many people post videos of non-traditional djembe (drum and bass djembe drumming) and that is fine. However, this guy professes to be an expert but his technique terrible. I have been studying under master djembe folas for many years and I wouldn't dare call myself an expert. Slapping like this will damage your hands

[benny926]

@djembeweaver, i NEVER POSTED A VIDEO???? READ MY MESSAGE AGAIN.... kNUCKLE HEAD

[djembeweaver]

@benny926 Er....I never said you never posted a video. Sorry, I shouldn't of used the word 'you' twice. I simply meant that you have a point in that anyone is welcome to play any instrument how they want. However, if you have never been taught to play violin; if you tune your violin incorrectly, hold the bow in a way that will lead to repetitive strain injury, bow down at the nut instead of the bridge and play a nursary rhyme then don't call yourself an expert and don't teach bad technique

[benny926]

@djembeweaver Man you need to chill out... If a man or woman wanted to bang there head on the drum WHO CARES as long as they are having fun... maybe you need to give up music if its not structured enough for you ...ITS ALL ABOUT FEELING GOOD, NOT HOW YOU DO IT.....

[djembeweaver]

@benny926 As I have already explained you are quite right that anyone can play any instrument any way they like. You are also quite right in saying that music should be fun. The problem is simply when someone who can't really play very well calls themselves a teacher or (worse) an expert. If you paid to see a concert and the musicians were terrible you'd feel rightly aggreived and demand your money back. By the way, music is highly structured (from jazz, to classical, to west african djembe)

[berryfloat]

thats not a slap. fail

[berryfloat]

thats not a slap.

[Nebrox]

I think that djembe skin has been on his drum for about ten years!

[spikedbasser5]

too relaxed? ahaha

[mzmayhem333]

lol . . que?

[maurixiom]

PARA QUE LE PONEN UN TRAPO ROJO?? AL DJEMBE ALGUIEN QUE SEPA??

[ofirharlev]

"ok let me show you that one more time" lol

I wouldn't dare call this a rhythm!

[MPedroful]

I have a ceramic djembe like the small one on the floor by his knee. It's fun to play and has a wide range of sound.

[dertyberty]

brother your djembe is talking to you and so are the people and your hand. please learn and teach djembe corectly.

[madisonbigfish]

you're an idiot...learn to play before you try to teach

[gabreton]

I love how putting a worldish shirt and souround him with percussions (he can't play) make him is a percussionist, but they are the one making us look like "the hippie on the dark corner of the stage" asshole.

[gnaed]

i can play this

[zuchinim]

is this a joke???

[jhpable]

The only good part about this - is that it shows how NOT to play Djembe !!...or any other instrument insrument, for that matter. No respect what so ever for his audience, him self or the instrument. Shame.....

[jhpable]

This is so bad....better pulling a tooth...without anestetic. !!

And to you blu2penguin. The same thing strikes me. It is very hard to find stuff that is not utterly CRAP !!!

Please youtube...save us from this plague !!!!

[M4ki]

Take a look at 0:34 when he canges to left hand, afterwards, he gets lost. Maybe he's too much relaxed. :P

[xXdarkStarXx11]

hes actulaly quite good!

[melodel2]

He is simply slapping the drum!! This is not how you play it properly

[joshuainaka]

this is a really poor explanation of how to play a djembe.. he doesn't show how to make a slap or tone sound.. it doesn't come from hitting a different part of the drum, it comes from hitting the drum with different technique

[beppebaggio]

CAGOSO che cazzo vuoi insegnare????

[MillionsofBees]

beautiful sounding drum; average drummer. He's no THAT bad, not good- just deeply average

[646t00er]

Wow - no examples of an amazing beat? C'mon! Prove you are an "expert". I am not convinced. Sheesh...

: - {

[jefffree69]

what a douche!

Of all the great durm circles I've witnessed - I never thought about getting relaxed; must be that cool shirt and beads

[BigCrusher96]

Uh this is..... CRAP!!

[jhpable]

This is awfull, absolutely gastly. Turns my stomack in discust.

[jhpable]

Expert Scott Swearingen should be ashamed of him selves. If he had bothered to listen, and I mean LISTEN to some of the real experts in here, he would have removed all his so called djembe lessons.

[194db]

Why on earth would you call this an expert video? The guys seems like a nice person, but he's not an expert djembe player. Who vets this stuff?

[Pyrofries]

@194db It's just a really sleazy watermark they plaster on the video to try and make it seem legitimate.

[sonicredline]

i have an idea. since everyone including myself hates expert village, lets just flag all their videos =-P

[netabuser]

tf is this crap? expert my arse

[rich991980]

Expert village means crappy village. This video is horrible!! I had to turn it off it was so painfull. Please remove this video.

[northwestmike]

Damn man! Tune that damn drum!

[Uncdomination]

My gosh, tune the damn djembe.

[fernmatic]

tune the damn thing .. christ !

[maximon72]

there is this ringing sound to his drum...annoying.

[analwartz4u]

Hey guys be nice..he's a brother

[mikers3000]

As soon as I noticed that this was a video by Expert Village, I knew it would be crap

[cr34t0r1234]

@mikers3000 its cause you have crap in your head for brain

[mikers3000]

@cr34t0r1234 thank you Mr. Star Percussionist

[candymountainking]

geez people can we please stop the insults i mean come on instraments are universaly human they are reserved for one race or another any one has the right to play an instrament and they should not be criticised for it because of their race or background or where they are from.

[candymountainking]

* are not for one race or another*

[flyinghotwing]

white bread aint got NO rhythm

[juniorjp]

thats what happen when a white fag try to play some drum! fucked it up!

[mikers3000]

what has this got to do with race?

[flyinghotwing]

in this case its bout race cuz the guy said white bread aint got not rhythm...which is true, its not abour race but it is in this case with the criticism, you could also have a black person playing the drum without rhythm too, cuz this guy here has very little clue on styles of drum playing, which gives him little credibilty as a teacher, so okay, such is life

[auranbones]

the whole finger tip thing sounds cool but it's not how you're supposed to play it. I learned that through constructive cricism myself though. it's just because it can damage the fingers unless played right, and you got optimum sound when slapping correctly. cool rhythm..just not played correctly. He's out of his crack house if he thinks he's an expert!!

[analwartz4u]

Very soon you will claim that you invented African drums.

[jointventure78]

no stary coś nie idzie,djembefola to z Ciebie nie będzie

[gutfran]

To prawdziwi profesjonalisci sa przeciez ;)

[mamadykamara]

ha ha

[arunsateeshbacheta]

mate, ur good and all at playing a djembe but the last note u play is wrong u have to bring ur hands in more

[fjeinca]

He's trying to share some knowledge and he's not a bad player, sort of semi-North African sound with that near-edge fingertip technique, but I agree his drum is the pits. Skin is too thin, too loose, etc.

[blu2penguin]

why is it that every last expert village video seems to be made by someone who is not an expert?

[fishbonegaga]

@blu2penguin You're right dude!I would like to know where is that "expertvillage",just to make sure to don't ever go there by mistake... xD

[ashenhooves]

@blu2penguin because it's called Expert Village Not Expert Advice.

[MadameBF]

oh yessss

[DjKelavey]

dude this is garbage! another white lie

[Nebrox]

Djembe Master!

[laneatlileden]

a insecure drummer is a judge of others. the nasty comments tell me there are people playing that shouldnt be playing.

[pidza21]

yes there's crudeness...

This guy is a so called EXpert.

By pretending to be a teacher he teaches people wrong technique and wrong approach..basically misapropriaton of culture. It's not that he's white it's that he shouldn't call himself an expert...it gives the wrong impression for newbies and eventually lowers the standard of 'good drumming' and as well waters down the tradition it came from.

[yasminadede]

Sunds pretty bad to me...

[MrLouisvilleRealty]

it amazes me the people who think they are in a position to teach djembe who have no idea what they're doing.

[becky3598]

oh dear

[Marcusandsuch]

Humm, i know its like a basic lesson..

Perhaps a bit 2 basic? wont take alot of seconds to figure this out by your own.. if you just try hitting the drum?

[becky3598]

Oh dear.

[afrodrumming]

That drum needs tightening Scott my brother. Also the tone is best played with the whole surface of the fingers.

Also try not to look down at your drum when you play. Look straight ahead at the audience, or just above their heads. Looking down makes you look self conscious.

Watch men like Mamady Keita, Famadou Konate and Adame Drame, and see how much they look down... virtually never!

Happy drumming brothers and sisters!

[Laykey]

Im sorry that guy is a frikking djembe NOOB. Have u heard his djembe it sounds like an oildrum. A really good sounding djembe has a much snappier sound.

[gusto68]

This must be a joke!

[gimo80]

Is this a joke?

[heinzie5]

expert village is never very good.

[paulederbardemeister]

@slogroove: i don´t think anyone here meant to attack this "expert" personally and no one will say something against trying to teach new stuff to people. But if (speaking in pictures) someone wants to teach english grammar and misspells every second word of his example sentences, something´s going wrong, aint it?

[slogroove]

Why would you attack anyone who is freely imparting information and attempting to do something positive? To the critics: Where's your video? Oh I forgot, you're prolly too busy sitting on your ass and watching Rush Limbaugh.

[bitsybiron]

listening to this guy made me feel good about my playing......I wouldn't call him an expert

[lorentdenis]

big noob

[sipotrebbetuttiquant]

no comment !!!!!!!!

I get depressed :-(

[nonidentity]

we're not being haters! - we're trying to raise the standards of what is a djembe expert! - playing the djembe requires skill and knowledge, there is a whole virtuosity that is possible - its not just a drum for beginners - this guy does not belong on a site called "expert village," not if he's playing djembe - why is that so hard to understand?

[Laykey]

wahaha his djembe sounds like an oildrum meaning its reaaallllyyy out of tune lol

[nadegesellou]

ce sont de très mauvais conseils!!! ne pas faire ses claqués svp !!! ce ne sont ni des claques, ni des bordures, c'est .... rien! comment peut on prétendre donner des cours quand on en connait aussi peu? mystère....

[PrismConcept]

Oh,God, the sound is so bad it hurts my ears. The rhythm-not bad. The hands-not bad. But an untuned drum ringing-VERY bad

[DrumNBum]

poor guy

[deathdealer262]

so what if hes a little off ...keep im mind thats hes trying to teach begginers ....ppl who have never played before....so back off and let your music do that talking ....so sit a play instead of wasting your time telling us how dumb this dude is ....if you ask me ...your the ones being stupid about it

[Rhaaboudin]

i've been playing djembe professionally since 1986: this is really terrible stuff: don't ever use it to learn this wonderful instrument; expert village sucks

[Edicarlosrr]

uma bela canção!!!

[gnarlyarcher]

you guys are all haters. ok, so you might think that he has some technical issues with his skill but does that give you the right to hate? man be peaceful and appreciate the man for trying to help. he is a good player, as long as you feel the rhythm you will succeed!!

[TGBM187]

first step get your self a pair of really short cargo shorts

[myeducation123]

lol

[oKrissyk]

One more thing his drum need some serious tuning, people if u want to learn dont use this vid

[oKrissyk]

Well he didn't do a bad job, but for all who didn't know u can play with ur finger tips. There is base, tone and tip which produces 3 different sounds. Maybe i should put a video up an teach yall lol

[bezoris2]

Jeez... does anyone here actually know what they are talking about? Talk about a bunch of posers...

Scott Swearingen (the instructor) is a SICK drummer with belaharr out of Austin Texas (I'm not affiliated with him or the group in any way).

Of course he knows the difference between a Djembe and a Dumbeck - he did different series on both drums for expertvillage (which is where I came across him).

Too bad the YouTube grammer-checker isn't filtering out ignorance yet...

[rich991980]

It seems that you are ignorant about what the djembe is and how it is played. This guy knows nothing about djembe, if he did he would not have made this video. He might be a great drum kit player, in which case he should stick with what he knows.

[ferrari884]

You really should validate your argument with reasons. Like why you think he knows nothing about djembe. The old "because I said so" routine, the circular reasoning, doesn't get you very far.

[catmari1963]

please first take some lessons about how to use your hand for different tones. a djembe is not played with your finger tips!!!! don't teach before you know what you're talking about

[Djembist]

Brotha, please learn to play before you talk about teaching! Study first; teach later!

[eventsolutionsltd]

hahahahahaha

[Yosh997]

Sorry man. You can't keep the rhythm...

[washburnbantam]

man im a bigginer. as in i just got my djembe today and i dont know what your trying to teach but it wasnt that good hahahaha

[ilikescreaming]

even if he was just posting a video showing you how to play random beats (non-traditional) this isn't a good video. If you want traditional playing, look up mamady keita. if you want just random playing, then go get your djembe and just play. Thats what i did, its taken two years to get where i am today. Never think of it as "practice". when you sit down say, "Im going to play. And i'll get faster and better as time goes on." And just have fun. Never let someone tell you can't play.

[lookup77]

some village is missing his idiot

[DrumNBum]

i know this is an expert he dosent evn show people how to like hit it or at what timing. i already know how to play drums but i just decided to watch djembe vids any how

[Junique93]

youtube is full of stupid lessons.. good that I don't search youtube when I was begginer.. man, stop doing this or stop calling this vid 'a lesson'... :/

[rhcpeter]

Those are NOT good hand tones. since when is a slap made with just finger tips???

[unbeatableenergy]

By him?

[unbeatableenergy]

Actually, on reflection, that technique he's doing with the tips of his fingers on the edge does look a little painful. Ouch!

I saw a Gambian guy who used to make a slap like that. It was a really nice sound.

[grumpymedicken]

This guy obviously plays the heck out of those drums. I wonder how he's avoided breaking his fingers on his "slaps"!

[DrumWarfare]

Balandugu Kan Djembe Foli Kan

Bolokada Conde

Thione Diop

Mamady Keita

Look up anything with the names above for real Djembe masters. Do not watch this video for any lesson on technique or rhythm. This video will start you down the wrong path and it will be very hard to learn the proper way later.

[miusakamoto]

@ drumwarfare...youre so right!!

[unbeatableenergy]

Thanks for the names and the advice on the teachers. Mamady Keita came to England and he was fantastic.He taught 'Soboninkum' and it was amazing.

To be honest i didn't mind this clip. I thought the guy sounded like a good teacher (maybe i've fallen under his 'magical relaxing' spell). It seemed to me a useful video for people who just want to get started.

However, forever being a beginner myself, I'd be interrested to hear what he is doing wrong.

[deccbi]

how bout you shut up

wit you dat dis dat ..ill dis dat you in da face

[Dreadjembe]

Obviously a hoax

[realpresident1]

dude fuck you you cant play the katah drum

[aquapics]

It's good instructions for basis starters on the djembe.

Pity that his head has been cut of at the end of the tape.

[Freddino83]

the worst djembe video ever seen, if he's a master expert player what could we say about Mamedy keita....

[fredbobjohn]

WOW! a guy teaching the Djembe, initial impressions seem somewhat positive, then you hear him! he says in his clip something like, 'just relax with the music' isn't that what yoga lessons are for?! the only thing relaxing about his music is that it makes you fall asleep!...I hope people wanting to play the marvelous percussion instrument of the Djembe do not take this clip seriously as it will leave a bad scar!

[petereisen]

maybe one of the most terrible Djembeplayer on youtube..........reminds me the guys sitting around the fire in a park smoking some joints and thinking:"oh yeah, i play great..."

[marisabellas]

I this page, great stuff going on here. Tell me what you think of my percussion solo.

[liefselootje]

I'm playing the djembé already for five years. I practise approximately two hours a day. It's very simple what he's doing. Oh and pidza, He's not hurting his hands. If you're used to playing the djembé you can't hurt your hands. I can put a pair of compasses in my hand without feeling it.

[deccbi]

n how can u play da djembe like dat with ur dry hands if dat drum could talk it would tell u to use some drum dis ent no white drum we africans treat our drums with respect

[banyon11]

Dat really, da dis dat?

[sfdjembeman]

Ah .. the internet .. mine of disinformation and mediocrity. For djembe get an teacher, an African or someone who has studied with an African or at least a teacher who's teacher learned from an African and buy DVD by Mamady Keita and also by Michael Taylor .. he has a great DVD .. 'Remembering How To Drum' .. this is clip will not teach you anything except bad habits.

[spiritryder]

I have just bought my first DJEMBE,, ok so I don't know how to play or even what a good drum is, but I figure I got to start somewhere, and that vid looked ok to me , a complete learner. I have a small set of bongos that I like to "bang" but again I don't have a teacher, have never been to a drumming session, am trying to teach myself.

[justgottalaugh]

spiritryder, if this clip gives you new musical ideas or new sounds you like and allows you to enjoy playing more, that's great, i applaud it and you. but please consider that the djembe is capable of so much more than this teacher brings. trad djembe goes to a far different place than this does; i hope you won't rule it out.

[belgopsokken]

Oh boy....

[fasillah]

My friend you need to go to Africa.

[drummerinn]

Waddafuck..

[brainsandgravy]

Sure, the guy's a little stiff, but he obviously knows what he's talking about. Didn't you notice all the drums around him? Plus he's barefoot and wearing a real African shirt and necklace with an African tapestry hanging on the wall. This is the real deal.

[Kablam79]

LoL

[pidza21]

yikes..you'll damage your hand like that.

stop teaching!!!!

[Kablam79]

Though he seems enthusiastic about playing, poor technique puts limits on how much fun he'll be able to have. Start off on the right foot: to produce the tone, strike the head with your fingers tips and pads, and pretend these are fused together as a single unit, like a paddle. Put you're whole forearm into it. For the slap however, the power comes from your wrist action -- use just your finger tips, and pretend your hand is a whip. The sound should be 'crisp'.

[Giovmatt]

open the fingers for a dull note inbetween sharp slaps. Flat finger roll snaps are fun

[deccbi]

ogini ki melu wit dis oyibo man wat is he doin u cant play da djembe fool

[Quinodermo]

patetic.

Mexico.

[doggieluver007]

bad is all I can say to this. bad.

[numofan]

The placement of the hands - especially for the slap - is all wrong. Better to watch West African players, and there are many good dejmbe videos here on YouTube.

[OriginalToranaDave]

I'm not an expert, but I have to agree with the other comments here in saying this sounds all wrong.

I tried the one mentioned by blorbin "Ibrahima Boka Camara Djembekan". That is a great video!

[avesian]

that a robotic rythm

[keinproblemo]

jesus... stop teachin

[blorbin]

Wow...I've been studying West African percussion for 6 years with master drummers from Guinea and Mali and all I can say is: Please stop teaching this as Djembe technique. This is not African drumming. Check out: "Ibrahima Boka Camara Djembekan" on youtube.

This will show you what a master drummer sounds like. I don't mean to be rude, but this watered down interpretation of West African Malinke drumming is, from a cultural perspective more harmful than helpful.

[numofan]

I have to agree with blorbin; this is very watered-down and far from West African traditional playing. No offense meant, but this is not true djembe technique.

[kimono47]

a demonstration, not a lesson.

[hiyokuobrand]

wow!!!! this is all wrong!!! lol

[AlMandingo]

Mmmh.

You don't know what are you doing!

all is wrong here, don't follow that idiot!

[AmericanLayman]

nice, i like it. I'll keep that in mine when i start playing.