Warm-Up Patterns, Foundation Patterns and

Exercises for Djembe (and Other Hand Drums)*

by Lindsay Rowlands [14/7/97 ]

This following aims to provide a realistic set of practice drills for beginning and
intermediate players.

HOW TO USE THESE EXERCISES:

• Allow yourself about 30-45 mins per practice session.

• Schedule your time so that you can practice undisturbed by non-drumming guff

• Use a metronome if you wish

• Decide before-hand which patterns you will concentrate on in each session

• The first thing you do must be to warm up gradually. Begin by playing strictly
alternating tone strokes slowly - balance the hands to make the strokes evenly
spaced and sounding the same; maintain an even tempo for an honest five minutes
before increasing speed in discrete steps (spending shorter times at each faster
speed). When you have flailed for about ten minutes, stop and shake your hands,
arms, shoulders, neck, etc, to release any further tension. Then go back to do
another few minutes of the same.

• Begin work on the patterns, remembering that these are foundation rhythms and
the better you know and execute them the more solid a player you will become.

• Start patterns slowly - this is where the real learning takes place - and increase
speed only when you are comfortable with the rhythm.

• Relax!!!

• Play each pattern as written in terms of handing and for balance and challenge try
playing the same rhythm leading/beginning with your weaker hand.

• Proceed to the other patterns with the aim of assimilating the rhythms and
techniques using the principal of playing slowly to learn, then shifting up a gear to
test yourself and to further reinforce the patterns

• Focus, listen to yourself, focus

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 1

Advice

• To sustain interest vary the subset of patterns you are working on

• Spend some time, but not too much, on 'getting' harder patterns

• Avoid damage to your hands or other parts of your body

• Practice with a drum buddy or with a group. Under pressure you can go the extra
distance

• Make practice disciplined playing

• Make playing an extension of your discipline

• Real improvement only comes with discipline - make a personal schedule of

patterns that will improve your playing and include any that you come across in
your practise

• There are no shortcuts, but you can speed your progress by regular practice

• We tend to learn more when we are enjoying what we do, so please make practice
an opportunity for fun

• Don't overdo it! Everyone has a limit to what they can learn in any given session,
though this will improve as you progress and some learning/processing seems to
occur even when you don't practice

• Set yourself some realistic goals while realising the skill of drumming can
consume you for a lifetime - and there will always be someone who can play
faster, louder and more skillfully

• Aim to realise your musical potential (which is inherent in all of us) - rather than
to be the best

• Learning seems to happen when you try to do new things, rather than when you
hash over things you can already do.

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 2

WARM-UPS/FOUNDATIONS:

Patterns in 3, 4, 5, 6...

Y <g4d4g4d$g4d4g4d$g4d4g4d$g4d4g4d$> 1

Y <G4d4g4d$g4d4g4d$G4d4g4d$g4d4g4d$> 2

Y <G3d3g#d3g3d#G3d3g#d3g3d#> 3

Y <G4d4g4d$G4d4g4d$G4d4g4d$G4d4g4d$> 4

Y <G4D4g4d$g4d4g4d$G4D4g4d$g4d4g4d$> 5

Y <G3D3g#d3g3d#G3D3g#d3g3d#> 6

Y <G3D3G#D3g3d#G3D3g#d3g3d#> 7

Y <G4D4g4d$G4D4g4d$G4D4g4d$G4D4g4d$> 8

Y <g4d4g4d$g4d4p4t$g4d4g4d$g4d4p4t$> 9

Y <g3d3g#d3p3t#g3d3g#d3p3t#> 10

Y <g4d4p4t$g4d4p4t$g4d4p4t$g4d4p4t$> 11

Y <p4t4p4t$p4t4g4d$p4t4p4t$p4t4g4d$> 12

Y <p44t p4t$p4t4p4t$p4t4p4t$p4t4p4t$> 13

Y <G3D3g#d3p3t#G3D3g#d3p3t#> 14

Y <G4d4p4t$G4d4p4t$G4d4p4t$G4d4p4t$> 15

Y <G4D4g4d$G4D4p4t$G4D4g4d$G4D4p4t$> 16

Y <g44g d4d$g4g4d4d$g4g4d4d$g4g4d4d$> 17

Y <d3g3g#d3g3g#d3g3g#d3g3g#> 18

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 3

Y <d4g4g4g$d4g4g4g$d4g4g4g$d4g4g4g$> 19

Y <d3d3g#g3g3d#d3g3g#g3d3d#g3g3g#> 20

Y <g4d4g4g$d4g4d4d$g4d4g4g$d4g4d4d$> 21

Triples

Y <d3.3g#d3.3g#d3.3g#d3.3g#> 1

Y <D3.3g#d3.3G#D3.3g#d3.3G#> 2

Y <D3.3g#d3.3G#D3.3p#t3.3G#> 3

Y <D3.3g#d3.3p#t3.3G#> 4

Y <G3d3g#D3g3d#G3d3g#D3g3d#> 5

Y <G3D3g#D3G3d#G3D3g#D3G3d#> 6

Y <G3d3g#D3p3t#G3d3g#D3p3t#> 7

Y <G3t3g#D3p3d#G3t3g#D3p3d#> 8

Y <G3D3g#D3G3t#G3D3g#D3G3t#> 9

Y <g3d3G#d3g3D#g3d3G#d3g3D#> 10

Y <G3D3g#d3G3D#g3d3G#D3g3d#> 11

Y <g3d3p#t3g3d#p3t3g#d3p3t#> 12

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 4

Flams in 4

Y <qd4g4d4g$qd4g4d4g$qd4g4d4g$qd4g4d4g$> 1

Y <qd4d4g4d$qd4d4g4d$qd4d4g4d$qd4d4g4d$> 2

Y <qd4g4qd4g$qd4g4qd4g$qd4g4qd4g$qd4g4qd4g$> 3

Y <qd4d4qd4d$qd4d4qd4d$qd4d4qd4d$qd4d4qd4d$> 4

Y <kg4g4d4g$kg4g4d4g$kg4g4d4g$kg4g4d4g$> 5

Y <kg4d4g4d$kg4d4g4d$kg4d4g4d$kg4d4g4d$> 6

Y <kg4g4kg4g$kg4g4kg4g$kg4g4kg4g$kg4g4kg4g$> 7

Y <kg4d4kg4d$kg4d4kg4d$kg4d4kg4d$kg4d4kg4d$> 8

Y <qd4qd4kg4kg$qd4qd4kg4kg$qd4qd4kg4kg$qd4qd4kg4kg$> 9

Y <qd4kg4qd4kg$qd4kg4qd4kg$qd4kg4qd4kg$qd4kg4qd4kg$> 10

Y <qd4qd4uD4uD$qd4qd4uD4uD$qd4qd4uD4uD$qd4qd4uD4uD$> 11

Y <qd4uD4qd4uD$qd4uD4qd4uD$qd4uD4qd4uD$qd4uD4qd4uD$> 12

Y <qd4uD4qd4Pt$qd4uD4qd4Pt$qd4uD4qd4Pt$qd4uD4qd4Pt$> 13

Flams in 3

Y <qd3g3d#qd3g3d#qd3g3d#qd3g3d#> 1

Y <qd3d3g#qd3d3g#qd3d3g#qd3d3g#> 2

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 5

Y <qd3G3d#qd3G3d#qd3G3d#qd3G3d#> 3

Y <ud3g3d#ud3g3d#ud3g3d#ud3g3d#> 4

Y <qD3g3D#qD3g3D#qD3g3D#qD3g3D#> 5

Y <Pt3p3t#Pt3p3t#Pt3p3t#Pt3p3t#> 6

Y <Pd3g3d#Pd3g3d#Pd3g3d#Pd3g3d#> 7

Y <qt3g3d#qt3g3d#qt3g3d#qt3g3d#> 8

Y <p3t3qd#p3t3qd#p3t3qd#p3t3qd#> 9

Y <p3D3qd#p3D3qd#p3D3qd#p3D3qd#> 10

Rolls

Y <g`6d6g3.#g`6d6g3.#g`6d6g3.#g`6d6g3.#> 1a (3)

Y <^8g d8g4.4.$^g8d8g4.4.$^g8d8g4.4.$^g8d8g4.4.$> 1b (3)

Y <g^8d^8g^8d8.4.$g^8d^8g^8d8.4.$g^8d^8g^8d8.4.$g^8d^8g^8d8.4.$> 2 (4)

Y <^g8d^8g^8d8g4.$^g8d^8g^8d8g4.$^g8d^8g^8d8g4.$^g8d^8g^8d8g4.$> 3 (5)

Y <^g8d^8g^8d^8g^8d8.$^g8d^8g^8d^8g^8d8.$^g8d^8g^8d^8g^8d8.$^g8d^8g^8d^8g^8d8.$> 4 (6)

Y <g^8d^8g^8d^8g^8d8g$g^8d^8g^8d^8g^8d8g$^g8d^8g^8d^8g^8d8g$g^8d^8g^8d^8g^8d8g$> 5 (7)

Y <p^8d8g4.4.$^p8d8g4.4.$^p8d8g4.4.$^p8d8g4.4.$> 6

Y <^g8d8p4.4.$^g8d8p4.4.$^g8d8p4.4.$^g8d8p4.4.$> 7

Y <^p8d8p4.4.$p^8d8p4.4.$^p8d8p4.4.$^p8d8p4.4.$> 8

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 6

Y <g^8t8p4.4.$^g8t8p4.4.$^g8t8p4.4.$^g8t8p4.4.$> 9

Y <^g8t8g4.4.$^g8t8g4.4.$^g8t8g4.4.$^g8t8g4.4.$> 10

Y <G^8d8g4.4.$G^8d8g4.4.$^G8d8g4.4.$^G8d8g4.4.$> 11

Y <^g8d8G4.4.$^g8d8G4.4.$^g8d8G4.4.$^g8d8G4.4.$> 12

Y <G^8d8G4.4.$^G8d8G4.4.$^G8d8G4.4.$^G8d8G4.4.$> 13

Y <g^8D8G4.4.$^g8D8G4.4.$^g8D8G4.4.$^g8D8G4.4.$> 14

Y <^g8D8g4.4.$^g8D8g4.4.$^g8D8g4.4.$^g8D8g4.4.$> 15

Y <^p8D8G4.4.$^p8D8G4.4.$^p8D8G4.4.$^p8D8G4.4.$> 16

Y <G^8D8p4.4.$^G8D8p4.4.$^G8D8p4.4.$^G8D8p4.4.$> 17

Y <^p8D8p4.4.$^p8D8p4.4.$^p8D8p4.4.$^p8D8p4.4.$> 18

Y <^G8t8p4.4.$^G8t8p4.4.$^G8t8p4.4.$^G8t8p4.4.$> 19

Y <^G8t8G4.4.$^G8t8G4.4.$^G8t8G4.4.$^G8t8G4.4.$> 20

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 7

Grooves/Accompaniments In '4' (played with slight swing)

Y <g4.4g4d$g4.4g4d$g4.4g4d$g4.4g4d$> 1

Y <g4.4g4d$.4g4d4.$g4.4g4d$.4g4d4.$> 2

Y <g4.4p4t$.4.4g4d$g4.4p4t$.4.4g4d$> 3

Y <G4D4g4D$g4d4G4d$G4D4g4D$g4.4g4d$> 4

Y <G4.4.4d$g4.4G4.$.4d4g4.$G4d4g4.$> 5

Y <g4d4g4t$g4d4g4t$g4d4g4t$g4d4g4t$> 6

Grooves/Accompaniments In '3' (12/8)

Y <g3`g6d6g#g3`g6d6g#g3`g6d6g#g3`g6d6g#> 1

Y <p3.3D#p3.3.#p3.3D#p3.3.#> 2

Y <d3.3g#D3.3g#d3.3G#d3.3g#> 3

Y <G3D3g#D3G3d#G3d3g#D3g3d#> 4

Y <G3.3G#.3g3d#.3d3.#d3g3d#> 5

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 8

Adventures in Unusual Meters
10/8

Y <pw4.4.w4d4pw4.4dw4.4gw4.$tw4.4.w4g4tw4.4gw4.4dw4.$>
7/4

Y <G2."d2."g2D".2g".2d"G2."d2."> 1

Y <p2.".2d"p2."p2."t2."g2d".2d"> 2

15/16

Y <p4d4p4d4p$p4D4p4D4p$d4d4p4d4d$>
Adventures in Polymeter
4 against 6 against 4...

Y <d3.3.#d3.3.#d3.3.#d3.3.#>
Y <G3.3G#.3G3.#G3.3G#.3G3.#>
4 against 5 against 4...

Y <d4.4.4.$.4d4.4.$.4.4d4.$.4.4.4d$.4.4.4.$>
Y <g4.4.4.$g4.4.4.$g4.4.4.$g4.4.4.$g4.4.4.$>
4 over 3 over 4...

Y <g4.4g4d$g4.4g4d$g4.4g4d$g4.4g4d$i
ig3d3g#d3g3d#g3d3g#d3g3d#>

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 9

Lead Phrases

Y 0 it4g4d4p$d4p4t4g$d4p4.4.$.4.4.4.$i 1

Y 0 ig4d4p4d$g4d4p4d$p4.4.4.$.4.4.4.$i 2

Y 0 id4g4d4g$d4p4d4g$d4p4.4.$.4.4.4.$i 3

Y 0 ig4d4g4d$p4t4g4d$p4.4.4.$.4.4.4.$i 4

Y 0 ig4d4g4d$p4d4p4t$g4.4.4.$.4.4.4.$i 5

Y 0 iqd4p4t4g$d4p4t4.$.4.4.4.$.4.4.4.$i 6

Y 0 ip4t4p4t$p4t4p4t$Pt4.4.4.$.4.4.4.$i 7

Y d#ig3g3.#g3.3g#.3g3.#g3.3Pt#i 8

Y 0 iG3D3p#d3g3d#Pt3g3d#g3d3g#iPt# 9

Warm-up patterns / Foundations 10