Practice Beats

Beats

Grief Ritual

Composer
Malidoma Patrice Somé
Source
YouTube – Private
  1. 1
    Grief Ritual Groove
    R-R- L-R- -LR- L-RL
    B-B- T-B- -BB- T-tt
  2. 2
    Grief Ritual Fill
    R-R- L-RL -RL- R-LR
    B-B- T-TT -TT- T-TT
  3. 3
    3 Grooves + 1 Fill – Repeat

Samba

Composer
Unknown
Source
Drum Circle Loops
  1. 4
    Samba 1
    RL-L R-RL R-RL RL-L
    BT-T B-TB B-TB BT-T

Common Vocabulary

Composer
Unknown
Source
Everyone
  1. 5
    Passport
    R--L R-RL R--L R-RL
    S--s S-Tt S--s S-Tt
  2. 6
    Visa
    R-RL --R- R-RL --R-
    B-TT --S- B-TT --S-
  3. 7
    Pa Ta Pa
    R-L R-- R-L R--
    S-T S-- S-T S--
  4. 8
    Pa Ta Pa – Flipped
    --R -LR --R -LR
    --S -TS --S -TS

Fanga

Source
Server Hosted African Rhythm Exchange
  1. 9
    Break 1
    ---- ---- ---- ----
    B-B- -T-- B-B- TT--
  2. 10
    Break 2
    ---- ---- ---- ----
    B-B- TTTT B-T- TT--
  3. 11
    Djembe 1
    R--R -LR- R-R- RL--
    B--T -TT- B-B- TT--
  4. 12
    Djembe 2
    RL-- RL-- RL-- RL--
    TT-- TT-- TT-- TT--
  5. 13
    Djembe 3
    ---- ---- ---- ----
    B--B -BTT B--B B-TT
  6. 14
    Djembe 4
    ---- ---- ---- ----
    B--B -BTT B-B- BBTT
  7. 15
    Djembe 5
    ---- ---- ---- ----
    B-BB -B-B B-B- TT-B
  8. 16
    Bass
    ---- ---- ---- ----
    B--B ---- B-B- ----

Sorsorne

Composer
N.W. Guinea, region of Boke, Baga people
Source
Mo'Rhythms App
  1. 17
    Lead Starter Signal
    RLR LRL RLR L--
    TTT TTT TTS S--
  2. 18
    Djembe 1 (Pa Ta Pa)
    R-L R-- R-L R--
    S-T S-- S-T S--
  3. 19
    Djembe 2
    R-- LRL R-- LRL
    S-- STT S-- STT
  4. 20
    Djembe 3
    RLR LRL RLR LRL
    SSS STT SSS STT
  5. 21
    Sangban
    O-- -P- O-- -P-
    X-X -X- X-X -X-
  6. 22
    Kenkeni
    --O --O --O --O
    X-X X-X X-X X-X
  7. 23
    Dununba
    OOO --- --O OO- OOO
    XXX -X- X-X XX- XXX

Tiriba

Composer
Landuma in West Guinea
Boke and Boffa Regions
Source
tontinkan.net
  1. 24
    Break
    FRL RL- RL- R--
    FTT TT- TT- T--
  2. 25
    Djembe 1
    RLR -L- RL- RL-
    BST -S- BS- BS-
  3. 26
    Djembe 2
    R-- LR- L-- RL-
    B-- TS- B-- TS-
  4. 27
    Djembe 3
    R-R LRL RL- LRL
    B-S BTT BS- BTT

African Patterns for Beginners

Source
Djembe Drumming Patterns for Beginners
  1. 28
    RL RL RL RL
    TT TS SS SS
  2. 29
    RLR- LRL- -R--
    TTT- SSS- -B--

15 Essential Rhythms

Source
Kresimir Oreski - 15 Essential Rhythms
  1. 30
    R-RL RLR-
    B-TT BTT-
  2. 31
    R-RL -LR-
    B-TT -TT-
  3. 32
    R--L R-L- R--L RLR-
    B--B B-T- B--B BTT-
  4. 33
    Fanga – Djembe 1
    R--L -LR- R-R- RL--
    B--T -TT- B-B- TT--
  5. 34
    RLRL RLR-
    BBTT BBT-
  6. 35
    Fanga – Break 2
    R-L- RLRL R-L- R---
    B-B- TTTT B-B- T---
  7. 36
    R--L R-L- R--L R---
    B--T T-B- B--T T---
  8. 37
    R-RL R-R- RL--
    B-TT B-B- TT--
  9. 38
    RLRL R-R- R--L R-R-
    BTTT B-T- B--T B-T-
  10. 39
    RLRL R--L R-L- R---
    TTTT B--T T-T- B---
  11. 40
    R-L- R--L -LR- R---
    B-B- B--T -TT- T---
  12. 41
    RLR- R--L RLR- R-L-
    BBB- T--T BBB- T-T-
  13. 42
    R-L R-L RLR L-L
    B-T B-T BTT T-T
  14. 43
    R-R LRL R-R L--
    B-B TTT B-B T--
  15. 44
    R-- L-L R-R L-L
    B-- T-T B-B T-T

8 Basic B-T-S Exercises

Source
Kresimir Oreski - 8 Basic B-T-S Exercises
  1. 45
    RLRL RLRL
    BBTT BBSS
  2. 46
    RLRL RLRL
    BBTT SSTT
  3. 47
    RLRL RLRL
    TTSS TTSS
  4. 48
    RLRL RLRL
    BTTB BSSB
  5. 49
    RLR LRL
    TTS TTS
  6. 50
    RLR LRL
    BTT BSS
  7. 51
    RLR LRL
    TBB SBB
  8. 52
    RLR LRL RLR LRL
    BBB TTT SSS TTT

3 Essential Djembe Rhythms

Source
3 Essential Djembe Rhythms
Names
Tresillo (Carribean Clave, Malfuf), Hip-hop, and African (World, 4 on the floor)
  1. 53
    LR LR LR LR
    Bt tS tt Tt
  2. 54
    RLRL RLRL RLRL RLRL
    BtBt SttB tBBt Sttt
  3. 55
    R--L R-R- RL-L R-L-
    B--t B-t- Bt-t B-t-

10 Rhythms for Beginners

Source
Djembe Master - 10 Rhythms for Beginners
  1. 56
    RLRL
    BsSs
  2. 57
    R-L R-L
    B-s S-s
  3. 58
    RLRL RLRL
    BsSs BSSs
  4. 59
    RLRL RLRL
    BsSs BSss
  5. 60
    RLRL RLRL
    BsSs BSsS
  6. 61
    RLRL RLRL
    BSsS BsSs
  7. 62
    RLRL RLRL
    BsSs BsSS
  8. 63
    RLR LRL
    Bss SsS
  9. 64
    RLR LRL
    BsB Sss
  10. 65
    RLR LRL RLR LRL
    BsB sss SsS sss

Next Level Beats

Source
Djembe Master - Next Level Beats
Notes
Right hand stays on bass.
Left hand stays on edge (at 9 o'clock).
  1. 66
    RLRR LRLR
    BsBb SbsB
  2. 67
    RLRL RLRL RLRR LRLL
    BsbS bsSs bsBB Sbss
  3. 68
    RLRL RLRR LRLL RRLL
    Bsbs bsbb Sbss bbss
  4. 69
    RLLR LRLL RLLR LRLL
    BssB Sbss bssB Sbss

Egyptian

Source
Various
  1. 70
    R--- R-L-
    B--- B-T-
  2. 71
    LRL- R---
    TBT- B---
  3. 72
    LR -L -R --
    TT -T -B --

Homegrown

Composer
Miles Nature
  1. 73
    -R-- L--R ---L -R-L
    -B-- B--B ---T -P-T
  2. 74
    RLR LRL RLR L-L
    BTT BTT BTT T-T
  3. 75
    R-R LRL R-R LRL
    B-t TTT B-t TTT
  4. 76
    R-LR LR-L RLR- LRL-
    B-TT BT-T BTT- BBB-
Musical Notation Explained

Purpose

This simple tablature is meant to onboard players quickly, and to serve as a reference for practice. This is just the beginning of a beautiful and boundless journey.

Legend

R-L- RLRL R-L- R---
B-B- TTTT B-B- T---

Top Row

Which hand is used.

  • L = Left
  • R = Right
  • F = Both (Flam)

Bottom Row

The type of sound to make.
CAPITALS = normal volume.
lower-case = softer volume.

Djembe

  • B = Bass
  • T = Tone
  • S = Slap
  • F = Flam
  • Explained

Dunun

  • O = Open
  • P = Press
  • X = Bell

Both

  • - = Rest

Counting

Each one of these beats is one bar of music. The groupings within them demarcate the quarter note and its relative subdivisions. All notes have an equal duration.

  • B-B- TTTT B-B- T---

    4 groups of 4

    4/4 | 16th notes. Count Aloud '1' 'e' 'and' 'uh' '2' 'e' 'and' 'uh' '3' 'e' 'and' 'uh' '4' 'e' 'and' 'uh'
  • B-T B-T BTT T-T

    4 groups of 3

    12/8 | 8th notes. Count Aloud '1' 'trip' 'let' '2' 'trip' 'let' '3' 'trip' 'let' '4' 'trip' 'let'
  • TT TS SS SS

    4 groups of 2

    4/4 | 8th notes. Count Aloud '1' 'and' '2' 'and' '3' 'and' '4' 'and'
Use This Site Without Internet

Install it once, use it anywhere

You can install this site as an app. After a one-time download, the beats and their audio work with no signal.

Before you start: connect to Wi-Fi. The audio is about 35 MB.

How to install

iPhone or iPad

  1. Open drums.milesnature.com in Safari.
  2. Tap Share, then Add to Home Screen, then Add.
  3. Open the new app from your home screen. Stay on the Practice page for a minute or two while it downloads.

Android

  1. Open the site in Chrome.
  2. Tap the menu (three dots), then Install app or Add to Home screen.
  3. Open the app and keep it open for a minute or two while it downloads.

Mac or Windows

  1. Open the site in Chrome, Edge or Brave.
  2. Click the install icon at the right end of the address bar, or open the browser menu and choose Install.
  3. Open the app and keep it open for a minute or two while it downloads.

On a Mac with Safari, choose File, then Add to Dock.

Good to know

  • The first download needs internet. After that, the app works offline.
  • Open the app online now and then to pick up new beats and updates.
  • If you go a long time without opening it, your device may clear the saved files. Open it online again to download them.
  • Links to other sites, such as YouTube and donations, still need internet.
  • Offline use does not work in Lockdown Mode or Private Browsing. The site still works normally online.
  • On mobile data? Wait for Wi-Fi so the download does not use your data plan.
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