Teaching solos by traditional masters

[Marc_M]

Can anyone suggest a list of teaching resources, either video or book by traditional masters, that has solos for particular rhythms? I need something to get me up to speed until I am able to pick them up off CD's.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

M.

[bubudi]

this has already been answered in this thread:
help/recommended-resources-for-beginning-intermediate-players-t557.html

[Marc_M]

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear.

I was looking for resources to TEACH the solos. I have A Life for the Djembe by mamady keita & uschi billmeier but it has transcriptions for the rhythms and is a resource primarily for the rhythms. Yes, there are accompanying solos on tracks where all the phrases are played together, but as I say, I am not up to that level yet. If the other resources you mention are similar, then this is not what I am looking for. Perhaps such a thing doesn't exist, but I was just curious.

Any resources fulfilling my specs would be greatly appreciated.

[bubudi]

your first post was very clear. try the videos in the list. those can be slowed down if you have any trouble following. before you get into learning solos, make sure you can play the dunun parts and djembe parts to the rhythm you intend to learn the solo to. you can play each of those along with the video and again with the performance track. that knowledge of the rhythm will keep you grounded and the solos will be less likely to go over your head.

[Marc_M]

Cool, Bubudi. Thanks a mil.

[Marc_M]

I also checked out some of the teaching CD's by Mamady Keita at the Rhythm Traders site. By the sound of the sound clip they posted, the solos sound a lot slower than the "Ballet" style CD's I've been listening to. They seem to be a lot easier to pick up.

[bubudi]

yea you get all the dunun plus 2 djembe accompaniments, then several traditional solo phrases given at different speeds. not as good value as the dvd though which gives you a much wider range of rhythms and plenty of solo phrases. you'll be forking out around $200 for the whole set of 12 rhythms on cd while you get the 3 dvds with about 20 rhythms for a good deal less. if you want it slower on dvd you need to manually slow it down but that's pretty easy to do with most dvd players. also note the backing tracks on the cd were created electronically, whereas it's a real ensemble on the dvd.

[Marc_M]

[quote=" ...also note the backing tracks on the cd were created electronically...[/quote]

Wow, that is surprising. That will influence make my choices.

Thanks for the info bubudi.

[bubudi]

no problem. another good thing you get on the dvd is some cultural background on each rhythm. often you get a little footage or pictures on a ceremony as well. there are some rhythms that are in the cd series that are not in the dvd series though. you can get those individually later down the track.

[Onetreedrums]

Greetings,

For anyone interested in expanding their soloing ability and achieving a better understanding of the traditional djembe and dunun "vocabulary" of specific rhythms, Abdoul Doumbia's voluminous instructional book and CDs are essential material. Volume 1 of "Anke Dje, Anke Be" covers 12 traditional Malian rhythms. Includes history and complete tablature of djembe and dunun breaks, accompaniment, and complete solos from Abdoul Doumbia for Birea Dansa, Dansa, Didadi, Domba, Goï, Jondon, Komo, Keredjouka, Madan, Sandia, Sigandi, and Woloso - everything is notated with what I believe is the most evolved notation style for the djembe and dunun yet. Additionally, everything is captured on two CDs (included). This book will keep you busy for some time. You can purchase "Anke Dje, Anke Be" here:

http://shop.onetreedrums.com/index.php? ... ucts_id=25

Ankata djembefo!

[bubudi]

yea you might have noticed the book is one of the recommended resources on the link i posted. in the end it wasn't appropriate for where mark's at right now. wasn't that meant to be a 3 part book series? it has been a while since the first book came out. time for the 2nd, don't you think?

[Onetreedrums]

Yes, volume two and three are in the works ...

[bops]

I love Anke Dje Anke Be. My one request, if you speak with Matt, is to include more text. To me, the value of the book is the text and the CDs. I don't really learn from transcriptions. I learn by listening. I know there are others out there who learn from transcriptions, but I would think that those students would benefit more from having several key phrases pulled out of the solos and transcribed (as well as the breaks and accompaniment parts).

That's my 2 cents... I know unsolicited advice is the worst

[Onetreedrums]

Thanks for the tips and insight, Bops. I "hear" ya ... I too learn best by listening. Your feedback will definitely taken into consideration.

All the best!

[Dugafola]

I love Anke Dje Anke Be. My one request, if you speak with Matt, is to include more text. To me, the value of the book is the text and the CDs. I don't really learn from transcriptions. I learn by listening. I know there are others out there who learn from transcriptions, but I would think that those students would benefit more from having several key phrases pulled out of the solos and transcribed (as well as the breaks and accompaniment parts).

That's my 2 cents... I know unsolicited advice is the worst

i agree with Bops...more text and background information would be great for the Mali rhythms...and especially from someone like Abdoul. I love that type of stuff.

the only other resource i've found that has cultural information, history etc etc for Mali rhythms is the Mali Kan stuff.