Introduction

This instruction booklet and cassette are based on an approach to Rhythm and Drumming which I have developed from my Rhythm, Percussion and Drumming workshops.

The purpose is:

1) to enable you to understand the basic principles of Rhythm;

2) to give you the means of understanding Rhythms you listen to;

3) to create your own Rhythms, individually or in a group, using hand drums or other percussion.

Approach

This approach to drumming. has several different aspects:

a) developing equal control in both hands;

b) exercises useful for individual or group work;

c) working as a group;

d) time cycles which are unusual in Western music;

e) devising your own rhythms;

f) developing interesting cross-rhythms;

g) developing a balance between intuitive and mental faculties while playing;

h) sustaining rhythms for long periods of time.

It is very exciting to learn to play rhythms from African and South American countries. When one learns and/or analyses African and Indian rhythms, it becomes obvious that the rhythmic parameter in Western music is, by contrast, underdeveloped. This is perhaps why we tend to draw on the rhythms from other countries and cultures. It is important that if we play rhythms from other cultures we keep an awareness that those rhythms and the instruments used have a different meaning in their cultures of origin, concerning context, location, who the instrumentalists are, function and role of music, etc. There is no reason why we should not apply this awareness to our own playing, which is what this approach to creating exciting rhythms yourself does.

The approach used in this booklet and cassette starts from scratch by assuming that you have no musical experience whatsoever. If you already play an instrument, or have an understanding of music, you can skim the parts you already know.

Although a decent hand-drum (bongos, congas, djembe, Moroccan drum, etc.) is more satisfying, you can play the exercises on your lap or on a tabletop.

Instruments

Many standard instruments developed from found materials, such as steel drums out of discarded oil drums, cabasas using ballbearings, calabashes out of gourds and beads; so use your imagination. I composed a percussion piece using as instruments only items from my kitchen. I did allow myself proper percussion malletts and a violin bow, and subsequently discovered that I was not the first to attempt such a piece. In recent years there has been increased interest in making instruments from discarded and found materials, including scrapped cars. The Bow Gamelan Ensemble from London makes and welds instruments wherever they are performing. Plymouth-based "Weapons of Sound" make wonderful instruments out of discarded materials such as waste pipes. So be adventurous, and really listen to the sound you get.

Drumatrix example 8 preview in Real Audio

Drumatrix example 20 preview in Real Audio

Drumatrix example 23 preview in Real Audio

Drumatrix examples are copyright © 1995 Rosemary Schonfeld - All rights reserved

Drumatrix comprising book and 30 minute cassette,
explaining Rosemary's unique and original approach to playing and creating new and unusual rhythms

£13.00

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