The drum circle item

Mar 23 14:23 UTC 1996

OK, I went to oneof those "drum circle" things recently.  It was pretty
interesting, but a little disappointing.  For one thing, it was crowded and
loud, with an almost high-school dynamic about the loudest drumming having
the most influence on the rythms.  And it was also rather simple, mostly 4/4
with a little 6/8.

I didn't have a drum, so I borrowed things like shakers and claves, which
turned out to be quite a bit of fun since I was almost the only one playing
those. Clave in particular (claves being wooden stcks that make a loud
high-pitched click) were interesting, since they cut thru and let me work
rythms that were somewhat opposed to the main "thump thump thump" rhythms.
I know that the main thing to do at these drum circles is to be a part of the
main rhythm, with is rather hypnotic, but I couldn't resist working a bit in
opposition to it.  Nothing really off, but I might do triplets over a 4/4
feel, which sounded sort of odd (and was pretty hypnotic in a different way)
but not out of place.

I'd be interested in doing smaller, more ambitious drum circles, with emphasis
on more difficult rhythms like 5/4, 7/8, etc.  Also, the drum circle I went
to (the one at Gallup that is listed in the Observer) seems to have a
religious (Rasta for white folks?) component I was a little uncomfortable
with.

Anybody interested in doing just-for-fun drum/rhythm groups?  I'd like to try
something with small numbers and quiet, (cheap!) drums and other little toys,
even didjeridus.

response 2 of 11:

Mar 24 18:28 UTC 1996

OK, here's your 5/4 exercise:  Tap your left hand once, right hand once, left
hand once, right hand twice, all the same time apart... repeat endlessly. 
I've been doing it for a while, and it helps learn odd meters.  

response 4 of 11:

Mar 26 12:08 UTC 1996

It doesn't take a lot of talent to slap your knee, though.  

response 6 of 11:

Apr 4 15:42 UTC 1996

A five over four polyrhythm . .
actually I would think of it as bars of 5 with 4 superimposed . .
are great fun.

response 8 of 11:

Apr 13 13:21 UTC 1996

You can pick up a nice loud set of claves for about $5 at Music Mart, upstairs
on State Street.

I also figured out that I could put some BBs into a closed length of PVC pipe
(now why would I have that lying around? ;) ) to make a really loud shaker.

response 10 of 11:

Apr 14 11:58 UTC 1996

5" of 1.5" PVC, 2 end caps, and 2 tubes worth of 4.5mm BBs makes a *great*
shaker!  I got it done last night, and it's plenty loud and still fairly quick
(you can get fast rhythms out of it).