Drummers who dance

[Duvet]

Occasionally when I turn up at a workshop, or people see me dressed up at an event, they ask “Oh, are you here to drum?” (obviously a man couldn’t possibly be here to dance!:lol I have taken a few Arabic drum lessons over the last couple of years, with limited success and I'm far, far away from vacillating over which activity to take up at an event.

Are there any drummers on this site who started to dance first, or came to dance after drumming? How has the experience of both drumming and dancing changed your view of one or the other, or both?

I certainly appreciate the drummers more, having tried to do what they do. I also find it more comfortable dancing in front of drummers, as I understand a bit more of what is going on between us. The best experience was having some musicians compliment me on my dancing, which was only because I felt more relaxed in front of them.

Learning to beat the rhythms also made them more 'visible' to me - I'd been dancing them for years, and kind of picked them up by feeling the music, but actually creating the noise myself brought them into sharper focus. I'm not sure that actually helps me dance better, but I now have a clearer picture of what I'm doing and why.

 

[Duvet]

So, I’m going to comment on myself here, in case anyone’s interested (or have I missed a thread?)

I’ve been having regular darabukah/doumbek drumming lessons (in a group) since the last post, and I’m finding it very useful having already danced.

I know what the rhythms sound like (although I’m still getting confused with the names!), I know where they can develop to, and I find it easier to hear the structure and where any in-fills could be. In fact I’m finding it hard not to put the in-fills in. The teacher is trying to teach the basic underlying beats, but my ears miss all the flowery embellishments that make the music so interesting to hear and dance to, and my hands get carried away and try to play what my ears want to hear. But I don’t have the ability to carry it off and I end up fumbling - Trying to run before I can walk.:naghty: And the noise is dreadful (all too dull).

I play djembe too, so co-ordination at speed is not too unfamiliar. But I’ve found my Arabic drumming lessons are improving my African drumming. Maybe I’d been in too much of a rut with it, but the connecting cycle of drum-ear-hand-drum on the doumbek seems to have improved my djembe soloing noticeably.

Does dancing make drumming easier? Anybody else got drumming experience?

 

[Zorba]

Occasionally when I turn up at a workshop, or people see me dressed up at an event, they ask “Oh, are you here to drum?” (obviously a man couldn’t possibly be here to dance!:lol

Oh yea, I've had this happen to me!

As for drumming - I've "done it", although I can't really say "I'm a drummer". I find a djembe *MUCH* easier to play than a doumbek.

 

[khanjar]

I am trying to learn Djembe at the moment in an attempt to sort out my co-ordination and timing also remembering rhythms as I know it can be sorted out, it is just a case of keep practicing until it clicks. In the djembe classes the tutor has discovered I learn differently from everyone else, she teaches two methods none of which work for me, so I have translate her method to what works for me, which is numerical, so despite being in a class, I am teaching myself.

But darabuka lessons, like wow, nothing like that around here and another reason for the djembe, get used to rhythms and then maybe I can teach myself the darabuka from an audio class I have. So the djembe rhythms, not having a djembe, I practice on my darabuka and I even invested in a metronome for timing.

But what the drumming is all about for me, is the dancing, understand the music side, then perhaps the dance side will fall into place and vice versa.

 

[Manuela]

Are there any drummers on this site who started to dance first, or came to dance after drumming? How has the experience of both drumming and dancing changed your view of one or the other, or both?

Yesss, drumming is great! Well, dancing is like drumming with your whole body, so I suppose it's even better :dance:

I started playing djembe several years ago. But with all the bellydancing, I wanted to try out Middle Eastern rhythms too, and finally started playing the darbouka a few months ago (mostly learning from an online course).
The darbouka is definitely more difficult than the djembe, but I like a challenge
And also, I'd like to drum for bellydancers someday, that should be great fun!

I can't say yet if there is any influence on the dance. I've had some aha-moments with the zills though... and I am getting a clearer view of how rhythms can be ornamented and varied, how different rhythms are related, how to switch from one rhythm to the other, and how drum solos can be structured. So I do think it will help to add musicality to the dance, and to improvise more easily to live or unknown music.

 

[Duvet]

I'm glad to hear, Zorba & Manuela, that you think djembe is easier than darabouka. I feel the same way, though I would never tell my djembe teacher that. (Who, unfortunately doesn't teach any more - he's moved onto Native American Flute, on which he's very good).
For me, I wonder whether it's because I've never heard full on proper dance speed djembe played very often, unlike hearing lots of the complicated darabouka solos. Therefore I might think its easier only because I don't really know how hard it could get. You can make all the same types of noises on a djembe that you can on a darabouka, so I assume you could play it in the same way. But the way you hold the instrument may make the djembe easier - its central, & gravity means you don't have to think half the time.

 

[khanjar]

Yes, at the djembe class I was during the interval holding the djembe like a darbuka and playing the only oriental rhythm I have any idea of on it, (Masmoudi Seghir), it can be done in the same way, but the sound is slightly different and quieter, the drum skin being a bit tougher. But some of the audio darbuka tuition I have says one can hold the darbuka under the arm or between the legs, whatever way one finds the most comfortable. Between the legs and sitting would be okay, but standing, for me is a recipe for a bad back, mind the djembe drummers that teach have a sling for the thing so the legs aren't supporting the drum's weight.

But of the two drums, I much prefer the darbuka to the djembe and that because it is a ligher drum, it does not hurt the hands as much wacking the thing, and my first lesson with the djembe resulted in bruised thumbs for a couple of weeks. Also the under the arm way of supporting the darbuka, I have rigged mine with a sling so standing it can be played, the sling is such that the drum is not forced backwards by the strikes and it just sits comfortably in position to be played, if I could play it that is.

 

[Duvet]

I know the feeling of bruised thumbs and cracked hands (djembe really dries the skin out). We always used to pass a pot of body butter or hand cream around the class. Our teacher would tell us not to whack the drum - the idea is to think of the up movement not the down (gravity takes you down, you only have to think of the up. & the drum skin is red hot etc. - I'm sure you've had all this). It helps.

I find I get carried away with the djembe - can get a bit trancy. And I'm a distraction as I tend to dance while I drum, particularly with my arms and upper body.

 

[khanjar]

That's the other reason I am learning djembe, to get over my inhibition about making noise, as it is the darbuka has a towel stuffed up inside it to quieten it down. The only off putting thing about the class is not only does it teach the drumming and not only djembe's, but it also teaches West african songs, so singing to, but perhaps that is something else I have to get over the inhibition for doing.

Perhaps readers can guess I have lived an inhibited low impact life, but naughty forties now, time to wake up and annoy people if they don't like my getting out there and doing it instead of keeping a low profile to not cause attention. I wasn't always totally like this, yeah confidence issues I always suffered, but my loudness of my youth often got me into a lot of trouble I didn't understand the reason why, what I was doing that was so wrong, so I retreated into myself. Belly dance has over the last three years brought me out.

 

[Manuela]

I’ve been having regular darabukah/doumbek drumming lessons

Lucky you! Darbouka workshops seem to be quite rare over here. I've found a good online course though, by a guy called Matt Stonehouse.

...I'm glad to hear... that you think djembe is easier than darabouka. I wonder whether it's because I've never heard full on proper dance speed djembe played very often... You can make all the same types of noises on a djembe that you can on a darabouka...

Well...djembe can get pretty crazy too :shok:
For me, it's the asymmetry of the darbouka that makes it new. Not only the way of holding it, but also the concept of separating the right hand from the left hand (which I don't think exists in djembe drumming): the right hand playing mainly the "core rhythm" while the left hand's job is the ornaments, or even a solo of its own. Crazy stuff, I'd have to tie a knot in my brain to do that :lol:

..the audio darbuka tuition... says one can hold the darbuka under the arm or between the legs ...

Hmm, I don't think it makes sense to hold a darbouka between the legs like a djembe, because of the different techniques and the "asymmetry" mentioned above. You can put the darbouka on your left leg like this guy does...
Darbuka Lesson 1 - position & strokes - YouTube
...or while sitting cross-legged, like Raquy does... Raquy and Natalia Doumbek Piece - YouTube

naughty forties now, time to wake up and annoy people

Yippiee, go for it! :dance:

 

[gisela]

I wouldn't call myself a drummer either, but I can play several rhythms with a bit of ornamentation. That is- a bit more than just the core rhythm. 10 years ago I took a weekly djembe class, and I think it has helped quite a bit when learning to play the tabla now. As Khanjar, I play to broaden my knowledge for dance, and because it is fun. I have no intention of becoming a "real" drummer.

 

[Duvet]

Thanks for the links Manuela.
How does Raquy manage to drum with those finger-nails without chipping them?!

One thing I find - Darabouka drummers are okay with drums made out of non original materials (metal and plastic as opposed to clay and fish skin) but no djembe teacher I've met will accept anything less than wood and goat skin.