Drums

[Ocean11 0]

Anybody here into a bit of drumming?

 

I bought a djembe in the autumn and I've been going to a monthly drum circle from this year. It's good fun sitting around with complete strangers from all walks, laying down some riddims.

 

Trouble is, I've come to realize that the djembe I bought is a piece of crap - a bad Indonesian knock-off an African drum. Too bad I didn't check it out before I purchased.

 

If you happen to be familiar with places that sell real African djembes, please give me a shout.

[veronica 2]

What kind of drum is that, I have never heard of it before. I always fancied the idea of drumming.

[indosnm 0]

Started playing when I was ten and played almost everyday for 10 years. Of course, Japanese houses aren't really made for people with kits. so i am waiting till my return home

[Ocean11 0]

 

You can sit on a chair and hold it angled away from you to play, or you can squat on it if it's big enough. The edges and centre make different tones so it sounds quite melodic. You can adjust the sound with the weave of the cords.

 

This one would cost about 60,000 yen...

 

Have a look online for drum circles. There may be one in your area.

[sunrise 0]

For those in Tokyo just go down to Yoyogi park on a Sunday for drumming circles.

 

For buying drums try some of the major music shops - Ishibashi I think have them. They carry one made by a known percussion maker in the States (possibly Remo?) who makes one with adjustable nuts rather than just string - I know an African guy (very nice drummer) who uses one. Far easier to tune, of course....

 

A quick websearch showed up a Tokyo based djembe mailing list (all in nihongo). You could join and ask there too:

djembe-tokyo-owner@yahoogroups.jp

 

Returning to drumming is on my to do list for this year. I'm a closet hand drummer and have taken some lessons here and there, but nothing substantial. I have one of those cheapo Indoesian djembes, which isn't all that great, as well as a cute small hybrid ceramic drum which is a kinda cross between a djembe and a darabuka, and a darabuka and dumbek.

 

Actually, awhile back a friend was selling his djembe. I'll see if he's still got it.

[farquah 0]

I play every week in a local Taiko group. It`s wicked, a great form of exercise as it is really tiring and the sound of a load of Taiko being thumped away at is awsome. HArdwork but awsome and also can be a good form of stress relief!!

[Ocean11 0]

Wow, drummers falling out of the closet all over the place!

 

sunrise, I've got half an eye on one of those Remo nut jobs. I borrowed a Remo kids djembe the other day at a fleamarket jam sesh and though half the size, it was far better than my current one. Please let me know if your friend is selling, whatever it is!

[sunrise 0]

I've emailed him.

How much do those Remo's go for?

[animal 0]

I've been playing the drums since I was a kid. Pretty good, if I say so myself. Rock n'roll style for me!

[Ocean11 0]

I just went to my local music shop and picked up a leaflet.

 

There's a list of prices here;

http://www.y-m-t.co.jp/remo/products/pro002.html

The music shop said they'd discount the prices by about 20%.

 

Somebody at my drum circle has that little one on the right in the top picture - it makes a great sound.

[NoFakie 45]

There are three or four concerts on every winter in Hakuba. The main group is Tam Tam Japonesia. I think they're from Nagoya.

[sunrise 0]

Ocean:

 

A friend has that little Festival Djembe in the middle of the second pic - he uses it on stage sometimes, but his main one is bigger. Actually it might be one of those brown ones in the top pic that he has. The small festival one has quite a cool little sound, making for a nice little portable (lightweight) drum. But maybe not the best choice for humid climates.

 

The African drummer I know uses the orange multicolored Djembe in the top pic on the far left. That little one on the right that your fellow-drummer has looks very cool. If I were buying one myself I might go for something like that, since I'm not a giant bloke with mega muscles... (ie easier for me to carry around on trains).

 

My friend wrote back and said his percussionist friend had borrowed that djembe he was selling, and will give him first dibs on it, but if he doesn't want to buy it I'll let you know (it's a decent one, don't worry...). It's a traditional African one with all the strings, etc...

[BagOfCrisps 24]

Ocean, what sort of sounds do you "drum to" then?

[kintaro 0]

I play a trap set. My father taught me. He is still in a band. Annoying to others, I constantly tap my fingers to the rhythms going on in my head. It used to drive elementary school teachers crazy and cause me a bit of trouble.

[Ocean11 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by BagOfCrisps:
Ocean, what sort of sounds do you "drum to" then?

Nothing. The drumming is the sound.

If you hear a skilled djembe player (which I am not), or probably any other drumming for that matter, you wouldn't think of asking what they're drumming to as the whole thing just sounds so good.

At a drum circle, everybody hammers away to a rhythm started almost at random. Then those who have the confidence to do it break in with cross rhythms. You can actually achieve the same sort of effect using office furniture - meeting room tables are often a good place to start.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

I love drum circles - there was a wicked one at Fuji Rock several years back. The beats, style, and ambiance that comes outta it rocks. Then add a didgeridoo(s) to that and its just wicked. Love it.

 

Id like to learn how to play a didgeridoo

[sunrise 0]

I just ordered a book called The Healing Power of the Drum.

[Ocean11 0]

Whether in pill or pessary form, achieving the correct dosage can be very difficult.

[sunrise 0]

I thought that any dosage was purported to be beneficial. Where did you get that information?

[sunrise 0]

Actually, my darabuka teacher (in the few lessons I had awhile back), who's from Tunisia told me that doctors 'prescribed' drumming to people with heart problems over there.

[Ocean11 0]

Is that so?

 

Maybe it's similar to the curative effect purring is thought to have for cats, or shaking strain for recovery of damaged joints.