James W.

Doyle
Adams State College
www.jameswdoyle.com

Frame Drumming Essentials

Techniques:
Lap Style- usually for bodhrans and other large frame drums
Vertical Style- usually for smaller frame drums and jingled drums
Soft Style- usually for riq and other frame drums requiring independent finger technique

Tones:
Dun: Also Dum. The lowest tone produced by the drum.
Tek: Playing the edge of the drum (rim) creating a high overtone sound.
Ka: Also an edge tone- usually played with the holding hand.
Pa: Playing the drum near the middle with the fingertips- often a deadstroke.
Jingle: For jingled frame drums (riq, tambourine, pandeiro, kanjira, etc).
Snap: Tek sound played on the rim with a snap- thumb and any finger, or a finger off a finger.

Notation Legend:

Practicing the basic strokes:

Dun and Pa:

Dun, Pa, and Tek:

Chiftatelli Rhythm:

Frame Drumming Essentials

 James W. Doyle
Adams State College
www.jameswdoyle.com

Snaps:

The Snap: Variation I: Variation II:

Introduction to Solkattu:

Frame Drumming Essentials

 James W. Doyle
Adams State College
www.jameswdoyle.com

Legend for fingers:

F1: Thumb
F2: Index Finger
F3: Middle Finger
F4: Ring Finger
F5: Small Finger

Formulating Rudiments with fingers, “stickings,” and solkattu:

Single Paradiddle:

Triple Stroke Roll:

Double Stroke Roll:

Fun With Finger Rolls:

Frame Drumming Essentials

 James W. Doyle
Adams State College
www.jameswdoyle.com

Creating Compositions:

 Start Simple- 4/4, one or two bar phrases. Play a dun at the beginning of the phrase.
 Stagger Entrances/Exits or possibly play rounds.
 Improvise over the groove. Think in 4, 8, 12, or 16 bar phrases.
 Consider form (ABA, ABACABA, Theme and Variations, etc)
 Utilize dynamic changes, accents, unison rhythms for continuity, and breaks for variety.
 Play melodies.
 Call and Response.
 Add Solkattu to your composition.
 Self-impose sounds for certain segments of the work.
 Sing!?
 Other tones- scrapes, knock on shell, etc
 Use body cues.
 Be creative and have fun!

Resources:

www.pas.org
www.nafda1.com
www.jameswdoyle.com
www.glenvelez.com
www.nscottrobinson.com
www.framedrums.net

Percussion at ASC
There are currently 40 students involved in percussion studies at ASC, including majors, minors, and
participants. Percussion majors and minors study privately with Professor Doyle on a weekly basis,
and perform in Continuum- the percussion ensemble, The Rocky Mountain Pan Handlers- the steel
drum band, the Indoor Drum Line, the ASC Grizzly Marching Band, The SLV Guatemalan Marimba
Band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Orchestra, Jazz Ensembles, basketball band, and as needed in
additional chamber and choral ensembles. Percussionists focus on a well-rounded course of study
and are provided ample opportunity to excel in areas including orchestral percussion, rudimental
drumming, drum set, marimba, timpani, jazz vibraphone, Afro-Cuban, West African, steel
drumming, Middle Eastern drumming, Guatemalan marimba, and much more. In addition to
percussion studies, students are encouraged and guided through projects for arranging, transcribing
and composing. Students are also encouraged and mentored in private instruction, drum line and
percussion section coaching, and percussion/drum set competition. The percussion studio frequently
hosts guest artists and clinicians, and is fortunate to have world percussionist, Broadway, and
Saturday Night Live musician Valerie Naranjo in-residence each year. For more information, contact
Professor Doyle at jwdoyle@adams.edu, www.jameswdoyle.com, or 719-587-7059.

Frame Drumming Essentials