Sources for studying Ethnic percussion applications

Don asked me a question awhile back about playing certain ethnic patterns in a way that closely resembles techniques heard by players from their respective regions. I gave him some suggestions from my own archives and data base; patterns that I have used based upon past personal experiences. Below I have begun a list of sources that I invite everyone to add to if you feel the sources you've come across have helped you to play more comfortably some "World Music" - ethnic grooves.
Aside from actually going to a region to study the music and physically interacting with those who hold the key to the history of their musical concept, listening to the music and emulating it is a good way to interpret it in performance. Reading and interpreting what is provided on paper is a great enhancement tool but first you've got to hear it in your head so that you can correctly interpret what is on the paper.
There is a record company named Putumayo Presents. It provides recordings from many different ethnic sources. I have been listening to "Brazilian Playground",
"Arabic Groove", "African Dreamland", "Cafe Cubano", and "Acoustic Brazil" of late and found the productions to be good enough for me to interpret the feel emanating from the presentation. another great source for this stuff in Real World records. There is sooooooo much out there to choose from. I suggest that when you do go for some of this stuff you set yourself in a specific direction and try to get comfortable with the information coming from it before you open another 'door' of information. One can get bogged down very easily with this stuff.
Boomer

Thanks, Billy.

Here is a link to Putumayo

http://www.putumayo.com/en/

There is sooooooo much out there to choose from. I suggest that when you do go for some of this stuff you set yourself in a specific direction and try to get comfortable with the information coming from it before you open another 'door' of information. One can get bogged down very easily with this stuff.

That is precisely what happened to me, BC... I found myself having to slow down, back up and take on one thing at a time. I've also learned that I need to first just sit down, be still and listen. Thanks you for all of your info.... It's been extremely helpful.

D.

Thanks for the info, Boomer!
So great to see you! I will
have to look into that.

And Don, thanks so much
for dropping by. We really
miss your input, hombre!



Regards,

Yeah, Bilham, I've been trying to open some doors lately, especially in latin music and have succeeded in adding vocabulary, but not much yet . . . just listening a lot will help, but also perhaps viewing some films like the one I saw a couple days ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balseros

Really transports you into present culture and an awesome soundtrack.

There is another film I can recommend: Moro No Brazil: another Mika Kaurismaki production. There is a lot of information there. Much that you can use in performance.
A lot of history behind the notes.
By the Way, Sonic Mirror will show in the Los Angeles PAN AFRICAN film Festival I'm told. If this comes to pass I will probably attend. The dates are between February 5 and 15, I believe.

Boomer

Agreed, that one looks like a wonderful view. I've seen a couple Brazillian films recently: Quilombo and Bye Bye Brazil, both surreal, important films with historical context and rich soundtracks. Here's the trailer for Moro No Brazil:


For quite an amazing production detailing the evolution of gypsy music, a film called Latcho Drom is a must see. Here's a link to a clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQn6Qb-9mD8

boomer wrote:
...Aside from actually going to a region to study the music and physically interacting with those who hold the key to the history of their musical concept, listening to the music and emulating it is a good way to interpret it in performance. Reading and interpreting what is provided on paper is a great enhancement tool but first you've got to hear it in your head so that you can correctly interpret what is on the paper.
There is a record company named Putumayo Presents. It provides recordings from many different ethnic sources. I have been listening to "Brazilian Playground",
"Arabic Groove", "African Dreamland", "Cafe Cubano", and "Acoustic Brazil" of late and found the productions to be good enough for me to interpret the feel emanating from the presentation. another great source for this stuff in Real World records. There is sooooooo much out there to choose from. I suggest that when you do go for some of this stuff you set yourself in a specific direction and try to get comfortable with the information coming from it before you open another 'door' of information. One can get bogged down very easily with this stuff.
Boomer

Sure thing Billy. Someone said that the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. BTW... who would want to eat an elephant... but you get my point!

Thanks for the info. The lines separating bashing from building are very subtle indeed. Not every groove is suitable to every idiom... especially for us drummers. Personally, I've found that with some ethnic grooves, it requires knowing the role we assume within the patterns and solos (if granted them). In this respect, less is certainly more, so to speak; i.e. one strategic stroke on a bass drum, or crash on a cymbal, does more to anticipate (and support) the flow than simply "playing through" the patterns, etc., as if it will all work out. More often than not, such percussive selfishness doesn't work out. Being patient in the flow does!

So, like you, I've learned (and still learning) to be patient with myself: always keeping the big picture in mind (musically speaking and otherwise!).

Thanks for your comments. Well taken here Sir!

Hi fellow drumstuds! long time.

I think listening and emulating is okay but i truly believe finding a teacher to do hands on learning is where it's at. Just from the perspective of learning traditional sticking techniques rrlr etc.. Of course we can't always do that or be lucky enough to find the appropriate teacher for a style. there are lots of places on the world wide web to look for information though.

I am luckey enough right now to be learning from a gal who has lot's of brazilian under her belt and it has served me really well. I've been able to use alot of these caixa (snare drum) patterns in other styles when jamming and they serve as great
springboards for improvisers. They have challenged me and brought lots of cool grooves into my awareness. I use them in my klezmer group brazilian klezmer groove i guess. It seems to me the Brazilians borrow from afro cuban say: son clave and apply it to caixa. if you can imagine son clave with the rest of the notes filled in it is a great groove on snare drum. Then add bass drum on the a of 1 to give it this funky push. Bossa clave is similar to son clave.

One thing i noticed my teacher would give me a part on caixa and i would through in ruffs and she didn't like it and siad it's not helping it's slowing down and messing up the feel and groove. Play what i gave you. And she was right on! It's not as clean and tight and hip with that extra stuff for this ensemble style of playing. When it's time for me to solo then i can do whatever i want. I showed a kid in the music store this groove. He did the same exact thing i did and sure enough it slowed down the tempo and then he didn't even retain the original pattern because he got caught up in trying to make it more interesting for himself!

There is actually some crossover with the balkan music i've been also studying and rumba and stuff like that. There was also a tango music movement in Romania in the early part of the century. I got to take a lesson with an authentic player from Bulgaria on the tupan (bass drum with a switch in the left hand for the crack and larger beater for the bass side). He really helped me understand the rhythms that i was already familiar with. he spoke several languages but zero English so we just comminicated with the drums. Then afterwards he started talking to me in a language i did not understand and so i nodded my head and thanked him. I later found out his left hand technique is totally unorthodox. it works for him!!

hope everyone is well , peace ken

Welcome Back, Kenny.
We missed you and your opinions.

kenny, great to hear from you. I wonder if this is your teacher:
http://riostories.blogspot.com/2007/03/monoblocos-2007-caixa-patterns.html

I'll be spending some time with this . . . thanks for the insight, as always.

That's cool Woofus. i don't know of her but i'm sure my friends must know of her.
I'd like to hear these examples if you get a chance after awhile to post some. I look at those written examples and it hurts my brain too much. I would really like to hear them played by a person. I'll show them to the group and see if they are familiar with any of it or want to work with them. Looks like they got some bpms goin on too!! check out the caixa on this tune called Motumba if you can find it.

I played a contradance last night with this awesome irish group called the nettles. they play traditional celtic but also take sick solos!! i tried to vary things and they like me but i got alittle bored toward the end because i had to keep things pretty straight and the rhythms were the same and it got a little monotonous. Playing for a dance is really fun. The first set was uplifting then the second set was more of the same until it all sounded similar reel 4/4 jig 6/8 and an occasional waltz. Thinking back i could've tried some cascaRA or other latin things but i'll be able to that when we play in a club on st paddy's day and not for a dance. Then i can stretch out and get weird. I still want to get busy on that mozambique drum set thing ala Gadd. That would be a good thing for me to start working on and give me some fresh ideas.

Nice to read you Kenny. It's been awhile.

I am especially glad to read that in your style, ethnicity makes no difference.

Only the ability to break down walls.

This takes character and patience.

May your music reflect this ability.

This looks like an awesome film I think I'll go see in the theater this weekend, perhaps on your birthday, Billy:
http://www.emergingpictures.com/movie_pages/fados.htm

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/04/fados.html
(check out the trailer)

Saudade is where it's at . . . the impossible dream.