Ethnic Rhythms - drawing from African and Brazilian tradition

This is an introduction to five musical foundations, each composed of patterns originating in South America and Africa. The rhythms come from ancient traditions, and sacred to the cultures which spawned them. Much modern music uses concepts borrowed from these ethnic roots. They all sound great!

You will find a basic notation of each rhythm, along with audio files of the basic feel and examples of how to groove with the rhythm.

Congo - Barravento - Polymetric - Reggae - Drum n Bass

Congo

- simple and effective, to be played quite slowly. The piece is built up by adding each beat of the groove progressively. Increasingly more beats are played within the rhythm, making it thicker and more complex. Breaks occur to mark parts of the piece, in which all players hit the Congo rhythm in unison for 1 bar, then back into the groove.

Barravento

- a simple variation, creating an exciting tension with offbeats. Variations are made by playing flourishes, and by some players changing to simple grooves, while the others keep the Barravento rhythm.

Polymetric

- a more complex technique, in which each drummer plays a different rhythm. Each beat overlaps, creating a rich and constantly changing texture. This is used a lot in african drumming. There are no fills or improvisations, as the piece is complex enough, and it is vital that each player keeps focused on their own groove. Developments are made throughout the piece by players playing loudly and softly to bring out differnt parts of the whole.

Reggae

- classic slow rhythm, simple to execute, with emphasis on the offbeats. Improvisation should be used throughout, mainly as short fills and flourishes.

Drum n Bass

- a modern take on the groove, with a strong regular backbeat, interspaced with soft offbeats. This should be played fast. The piece will begin with a minimal rhythm, and will be built up progressively, with breakdowns and drops. There is room for lots of improvisation and solos, especially in the intro, breakdowns, and outro.