About the Djembe Guide

The Djembe Guide is a resource book for anyone involved with the djembe, from novice players to the leaders and members of intermediate level groups.The Djembe Guide assumes no prior knowledge of the djembe, or of music, but guides the reader carefully on a deliberate course of learning, from the first steps and simple exercises, through easy patterns for small groups, and on to playing genuine West African multi-part rhythms in a drumming ensemble.
Rhythms and exercises are presented in a clear, easy to understand system, developed specifically for this book, combining elements of oral tradition and simple tableture, so you don't have to read musical score.
It includes chapters on the background to this fascinating drum, and it's recent rise to popularity outside the homelands of West Africa, and gives advice on finding, tuning and maintaining a drum of your own.
The Djembe Guide is the culmination of 5 trips to Africa and more than twelve years drumming experience by the author, in community groups, performance groups, in public classes, and in education. With it's enclosed CD, simple tabulature, and profuse illustrations, The Djembe Guide really works, to get you drumming, and is the next best thing to a personal tutor.

The Djembe Guide - List of Contents:

PART (I) - BACKGROUND

Chapter 1   What is a Djembe?
Chapter 2   The Djembe in Africa
Chapter 3   The Djembe leaves Africa

PART (II) - BEGINNING TO DRUM

Chapter 4   Playing positions and basic strokes for the djembe
Chapter 5   Simple practice rhythms for your djembe
Chapter 6   Playing the djundjun and accompanying instruments

PART (III) - GROUP DRUMMING

Chapter 7   Easy multi-part rhythms for beginners' groups
Chapter 8   Twelve West African rhythms for intermediate groups
Chapter 9   How to progress to solo playing and improvisation

PART (IV) - FINDING AND MAINTAINING A DRUM

Chapter 10  How to choose an African djembe
Chapter 11  How to tune an African djembe
Chapter 12  How to take care of your djembe

APPENDICES

Appendix (I)   Sources of exercises and rhythms
Appendix (II)  Further study material and resources
Appendix (III) List of recordings

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Carabali - 'Rhythms from the Djembe Guide' CD

Original arrangements of traditional African drum compositions performed by the Carabali drumming ensemble (not the CD included with the Djembe Guide book).

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The Djembe Guide Book Two

Now available!

'The Djembe Guide Book Two: Further Rhythms' is the natural follow on from The Djembe Guide.
More than 25 new rhythms are presented using the well established Gun/Dun, Go/Do, Pa/Ta wording, embedded in the popular tablature developed exclusively for The Djembe Guide by Ianto Thornber. The Djembe Guide Book Two also contains notes on learning and teaching rhythms, a discussion of swing, and notes on race and cultural issues.

Contents:

Review of hand positions.
Notes on learning rhythms.
Notes for teaching rhythms.
12 further rhythms in fours.
A brief discussion of swing-time.
13 further rhythms in threes.
Should I be doing this?- a discussion of cultural issues when playing
African rhythms outside Africa.

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