These exercises will guide you through a fusion of African and American elements. On the American side, we have shuffle and shuffle-funk. On the African side, we have the rhythms from Cameroon known as mangambe and bikutsi. Playing these exercises will strengthen your groove, provide you with an understanding of the three-against-four polyrhythm, give you an awareness of the second partial of the triplet, and introduce you to a fresh new way to hear and feel music. The first thing we need to address is the three-against-four polyrhythm, which is crucial to many African rhythms. In the exercises, hearing the rhythm is as important as, if not more important than, actually playing the patterns. Let’s learn to hear the three-against-four polyrhythm. Play the following triplet exercise on the hi-hat. Be sure to use a metronome or external sound source. Start at a tempo of 80 bpm. As you’re playing this […]

June 2021 Issue