Djembe Drum Paradise

I am back with a vengeance!!!!

2011-07-24T09:38:00.001-07:00

Hi there,

I have been very quiet over the last year or more building up my business, am now the proud owner of a very successful drumming business!

For more info please contact me on 078 295 8482 or email daniel@djembeman.co.za

WATCH THIS SPACE - Lots of very new and very interesting things coming up!!!!

Daniel

Djembe drum lessons at Afrovibe Backpackers

2009-07-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is my drum lessons:

We get together at Afrovibe Backpackers in George every Sunday night from 5h00PM
And I teach some rythms.

Here are some pics from last sunday....

keep checking...more to come soon!!!!

My Sister Tiffany

2009-06-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

My sister showing off her rythm...

Love ya tiffs

new base rythm

2009-06-23T08:32:00.001-07:00

try this at home

Bev, her son-in-law and I

2009-06-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

playing 2 djembes at the same time

2009-06-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

yup I seem to have managed to get these rythms right...

Bev's rythm

2009-06-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

My friend Bev...jamming at her house in East London

jam session

2009-06-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

I had a kiff jam session with my brother and a friend.
I didn't have a drum with me so I ended up playing a coffee tin....

Richard Pipe

2009-06-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

My good friend and drumming mentor is Richard Pipe from East London
reskinned my djembe for me with a senegalise goatskin

This clip was taken in front of Macdonalds in George

and more....

2009-06-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

We met this Great musician, a operatic singer, Evan.
We didn't know the songs he could sing so we ended up just randomly singing notes,but it sounded o.k

more Monks clipz

2009-06-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

playing more than one djembe at a time

2009-06-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

This is at a party at Monk's in Wilderness.

My brother and a friend have formed a band...the next time I have a chance I will upload some mp3 tracks,for now though here are some vidz

Monk's party with my brother

2009-05-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hi There....

Recently I had an amazing jam session(turned into party) at Monk's in Wilderness, South Africa.

It was Myself,My Brother Cole and a long time friend,Auret Van Heerden.
Me on my Djembe's,Cole on Guitar and Auret on bass....Tho we all had a turn to jam each others instruments.

I apologize for the quality of the video's but I'm using a small 2mp Nokia camera phone(If anybody wants to donate a cheap digital camera to the website, it would be greatly appreciate it)

Hi to all.....

2009-05-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I am sooooo sorry that I have been neglecting my site for a while...been away to eastern cape(photies coming soon)

Here's a few new updates......

Drum Lesson....in the car!

2009-03-15T07:52:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I like to sit in my car with the windows rolled up...

The base of the drum resonates sooo nicely in such a small space.
I also find that teaching yourself to play in such a limited space gets your wrists to naturally do what you want them to do...

Try it, and let me know if you get the same effect.

P.S
Forgive the sound just a little bit...vid was taken with my cellphone

Drumming at Cactus,South Africa

2009-03-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed playing a couple of rythms at Cactus,a mexican restuarant and pub in George,South Africa...unfortunately the owner didn't enjoy it as much as the rest of the people there, so I had to can it after a couple of rythms...

Muhammid....Sorry it took so long!!!

2009-03-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

This is Muhammid.

He was at Zanzibar(Club in South Africa) when I bumped into him.

All the way from Egypt, heres Muhammid

Drumming at Zanzibar club in S.A

2009-03-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

I LOVE my drums...I take them wherever I go.
As you can imagine, lots of other people love them too...so I get to play in all sorts of places.

This is a club in George,South Africa called Zanzibar...here are a couple of clips for you(Hope to see you there sometime...)

AND SUM MORE...

2009-03-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

This clip has got My brother Cole(guitar) My friends Dane(guitar) and Auret(guitar)
Jamming at the Botanical Gardens in George.

You may not believe this but we had never even played together before...we all just jelled so gr8 tho.

Hi all, I managed to get a cable for my phone so heres a few clips I would like to share with you...

2009-03-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

This is my buddy Dane, we were just chillin...note the slippers... and jamming along.

I loved this tune so much it is currently my cellular phones ringtone.

KEEP WATCHING THIS SPACE...NEW STUFFS COMING SOON!!!

2009-03-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

Hello to all, and a heartfelt thenx for your patience.

I have not got a digital camera anymore and that has been a real bad loss as I am struggling to upload new clips.

Hopefully I have managed to arrange a data cable for my Nokia 6600 cellular phone, and next week Sunday I will be uploading all sorts of stuffs from my phone.

Once again...please feel free to e-mail me pics and vid clips and I will only be too happy to share them with the rest of us fellow drummers...or send it to me via facebook, just look for "danmish"

Thankyou
Daniel Nicholson of "djembedrumparadise"

I MISSSSSS HAVING A COMPUTER

2009-02-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

Hi there to all....

I apologize that I have not added anything to this blog in a while....don't worry tho' cos I have not forgotten it, I have just had a temporary setback.

Please bear with me until further notice.

And please remember to e-mail me clips or pics of you doing your thing, and I will post them up as well.

Thankyou again....keep posted
Daniel Nicholson

Drum Circle with Master Drummer

2008-08-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

I am Really Sorry about the quality of these clips, but the sound is great...
I hope you enjoy it....

Master Drummer at Play1

2008-08-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is Peter, a Master Drummer from the Wilderness area, with his Band.
His brother,Eugene, is playing on the Kit drums.
Peter's Djembe is miked up and sounds amazing.

Master Drummer at Play

2008-08-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is Peter from the Wilderness area(Garden Route)

It was absolutely amazing to drum along with you, and thank you for the awesome Vibe You and the Band brought to us on Sat.(Big Blu,Mosselbay,S.A)

I hope we get some more clips from you.
Daniel

Reggae Band at Big Blu

2008-08-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

This Brilliant reggae drum band was brilliant...
They played at a bar in Mosselbay called Big Blu, in fact that is where our weekly Drum Circles are held, so all the Drummers came together and jammed with the band.

The two in the centre of the last pic are brothers,both drummers and their other brother(Also a drummer) makes and sells Djembe Drums...my Drum comes from him!!!!

Drum Circle in Mosselbay,S.A

2008-08-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

DRUM CIRCLE AT BIG BLU IN MOSSELBAY,SOUTH AFRICA

We have a Drum Circle at a bar right on the beach in Mosselbay, called "Big Blu"
We play every second week on a Sunday or Saturday...

Anyone is always welcome to join us.

Drum Circle in East London,S.A

2008-08-15T14:50:00.001-07:00

These are all photo's from one of our weekly Drum Workshops, held by Richard in East London,S.A at a pub called "Imbizo". As you can see the pub has a very African vibe to it which is perfect for Djembe Workshops.

There are a few Experienced Drummers at this particular event. The Lady playing the Big Djembe is also a Master Drummer,(and my very best friend) Beverly.
As you can also see we even have a regular Rastafarian(Bra Gift Watchman).
This Djembe was carved and skinned by Richard,Please e-mail me if you are looking for a drum made by him...his drums are of awesome quality, so good in fact, that some of his drums have even been exported to Germany.
...And of course, no Drumming event would be utterly complete without my BEAUTIFUL Wife with her GORJIS smile(I'm scoring points folks,hehehe).

Master Drummer in East London,S.A

2008-08-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is my good friend Richard...A Master Drummer from East London,S.A.

Richard has a weekly drum circle at a pub called "Imbizo" or you can find him at "Sugar Shack Backpackers" on the East London Beachfront.

If you ever DO go and introduce yourself to him, tell him I say "Hi"

Caught Free-stylin by my Wife

2008-08-11T23:45:00.000-07:00

My Wife caught me jamming my Djembe to a track on my Hi-fi,(Max Normal - Hazel's Joint)

This is a great way to learn and memorize new rhythms for yourself.
Enjoy

Interesting fact about neckline

2008-08-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Interesting story:

The Africans often believe that a skin on a Djembe Drum(which is a real animal) carries on the spirit of the animal.

That line is the neckline of the animal, usually the piece directly above the heart.

A Djembe that has been skinned correctly will have this line as close to the center as possible.

Thus when you play on left and right of the heart, the animal can sing out to the nature it remembers.

Interestingly enough...if the animal was weak or sickly,the drum will have a flat small sound.
If the animal was a big,strong and healthy one,the drum in turn sounds loud and good.

Hand Placement on a Djembe Drum

2008-08-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

HAND PLACEMENT:
(REFER TO CLIP OF 3BASIC NOTE ON A DJEMBE DRUM)

Here are 3 pictures that show you where to hit the drum for each of the three basic notes.

Here is a pic of a base note:

Hit the drum in the center, with a cupped hand.
Don't be afraid to hit the drum hard, but listen so that it doesn't begin to become just noise.

The Middle Note:

Hit the drum just off center(left/right,doesn't matter which)
The best note will come from a spot between the centre and edge of the drum.

The Treble Note:

Hit the drum on the outer edge,
I get the best sound by smacking my hand on the side of the drum and letting my fingers bounce on the skin...you a very loud "Twang" sound.

Djembe Drum Paradise: Caught Free-stylin by my Wife

2008-08-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

Djembe Drum Paradise: Caught Free-stylin by my Wife

Free-style drumming on a small Djembe

2008-08-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to have a break from teaching....hehehe,I'm a fussy guy and had to re-take these clips quite a few times to get the angle right...

Here is a couple of rhythms played together...

Tribal Rhythm2

2008-08-11T05:20:00.000-07:00

This is the Tribal Rhythm that My friend Bev taught me....it comes straight from the Transkei in South Africa. Its a typical African Tribal rhythm found in far apart villages.

If you want to know more about the Transkei go to www.wildcoast.com.

I hope this clip is easy to understand.
Dan

Tribal Rhythm1

2008-08-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

This is a tribal trance rhythm I learnt from my 61yr old friend(Beverly) in East London...

The trick of this rhythm is to keep playing the same rhythm without any change for as long as possible...its quite easy to get lost in the rhythm as I hope you will find out.

In my next clip I will give more detail in how to play this Awesome rhythm.

Kids having fun2

2008-08-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how young kids have a natural rhythm in their souls.
These two have never touched(or even seen) a Djembe Drum before, but look how easily they synchronize their rhythm and tempo.

Kids having fun

2008-08-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

These kids had a blast learning to play the Djembe Drum, and so did I.

I especially want to thank their Moms, who gave me permission to post photo's of their children on my blog.
Ek së biae dankie dat "Die Mama's" my permissie gegee het om hierdie fotos of my blog te sit.

Ek hoop Julle kry dit reg om die fotos van julle eie rekenaars af te laai. Die maklikste is net "Copy and Paste!"

Ek hoop dat Julle die fotos geniet.
Daniel

Giving an impromptu lesson with some kids

2008-08-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

I met these Kids at random while putting together some Video Clips and I decided to give them an unplanned lesson.

Drumming is GREAT for kids, not only is it FUN, but it is also:

1) Good for hand eye co-ordination skills
2)Right and left brain motor skills development(but only if they play for a long time,as in months or more)
3)It promotes creativity
4)Calms any children with hyper active related problems
5)Improves rhythm and music sense

Ta-ka-doem-ta African Drum Rhythm Rounding Off

2008-08-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is a quick tip how to play the African "Ta- Ka- Doem- Ta" Rhythm, with a nice rounded off sound.

This method of "Rounding Off" can be used with any rhythm you play, in fact you will see it many many more times on this blog.
It has a nice whole sound, and really fills up the space between the notes that you play.

I hope this video is explained well, Enjoy.

Ta-ka-doem-ta African Drum Rhythm

2008-08-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

This Rhythm is a traditional African rhythm which I learnt from a Master Drummer in East London,South Africa.(His name is Richard)

He holds drum lessons at lovely venues called "Imbizo", and "SugarShack Backpackers".

This is one of the 1st rhythms that many drummers learn. It is called "Ta - Ka - Doem - Ta"

Djembe Basic Notes Rythm

2008-08-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

On the last clip I showed the 3 basic notes found on a Djembe Drum,

This is the actual rhythm that you can play using only those 3notes.
I have added a couple of tones here and there but you will get the idea.

Don't worry if you are not as fast in the beginning, the point isn't speed, as long as you are consistent in playing the CORRECT rhythm.

Djembe Basic Notes Introduction

2008-08-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

These are the 3 basic notes found on a Djembe Drum...Base,Middle and Treble.

As you get better you will learn to get more sounds and notes out of your drum, but even the most experienced drummers need to come back to these 3notes every now and again.

My Favourite Place to Drum

2008-08-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite place in the George area to play drums,
The Garden Route Botanical Gardens(www.botanicalgarden.org.za/)

Most of my drum clips will be from this garden...please go check out their website to find out more!

My first clip of me playing djembe

2008-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a very short clip of me jamming a couple of very short rythms on a Djembe drum,
Please don't be too critical it is late in the evening and the lighting is not so good...tommorrow I will put a whole bunch of new clips on for you...

How to hold a Djembe Drum when playing it....

2008-08-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

Always remember that however you hold a Djembe, the most important is that its comfertable for you.

However here are some basic rules to follow:
The base of the drum must be angled off the ground at 45 degrees or more. This is so that the sound can escape the funnel of the drum and be amplified out nicely, otherwise the drum doesnt go BOOM, only Thump.

I put a strap on my drum so that I can carry it over my shoulder whilst playing, allowing me to keep my back straight and my posture upright...this is good so that you don't put strain on your lower back.

To your right...............................---------------->>>>>>>
is an example of how to sit so that you don't hurt your back,
notice the strap around the midsection of my back, and the angle that the base of the drum is off the ground.

Enjoy my Blog...

2008-08-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hi to All,

I am so glad you have decided to check out my blog.

As you can clearly see...I hope...I am deeply impressed with the Djembe Drum.
The Djembe is an African Drum(Althogh I think it is firstly from Senegal,back in the day)
It is carved from a tree stump, the harder, heavier the wood...the better quality drum you get.
The skin on the drum is usually goatskin, pigskin or a modern plastic-ee-leather(Which is terrible to play on)

On this blog I will be posting vid clips and pics of various styles of playing and rythms that you can maybe learn and use...I hope that I can impart some useful knowledge to you!

Enjoy, and please spread the news of my blog and lets see just how many other drummers are blogging along with you and I.

Daniel Nicholson