Course description

This is a intermediate hand drumming class open to students which have previously taken MUSI 2340 or students who have had prior drumming skills and a knowledge of fundamental rudiments. The course requires that students have a hand drum of their own. Congas, djembes,and  doumbeks are appropriate. The class will focus on hand drumming technique that incorporates double strokes and paradiddles along with singles stroke rolls to articulate claves and and other syncopated patterns. The course will follow my book Learn To Groove.

Learn to Groove is designed to help musicians achieve fluency with syncopated patterns that are associated with dance rhythms from West Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil, and the United States.

The fundamentals are focused on the three most common rudiments, the single and double stroke roll and the paradiddle. The two measure phrases are based on the 3/2 and 2/3 Son and Rumba clave patterns found in Afro-Cuban and Caribbean music as well as the Bossa clave from Brazil. These patterns are also found in Rock and R+B. Polyrhythms and 6/8 grooves are drawn from African dances and Swing. The goal is to flow freely from one rudiment and one pattern to the next, subdividing in eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenth notes.