Frames and Games Florida Music Educators Conference Presenter - Dave Holland
Why Frames? Frame Drums for the Facilitator - Mobile while provide pulse to the group - Provides smoother connection and interaction with group - Lightweight, portable and stackable - Sounds great with hands, fingers or soft mallets
Frame Drums for the Drum Circle Participant - The membrane that moves - Share-ability to create interaction with other participants - Variety of playing positions, styles and techniques - Cultural and educational connections
Let’s Discover! Description of some of the more popular frame drums played in the U.S.
Tar/Def – most popular frame drum played throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Held in the weak hand and played with the fingers of both hands.
Bodhran – (bahw rahn) Traditionally from Ireland and played with one hand using a ‘tipper’, or bone shaped stick. Larger versions, played with both hands and fingers were made popular by Glen Velez who incorporates many global frame drum techniques into the playing of this one instrument. Riq – (rick) The tambourine of Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. Traditionally a fish skin drum, held in one hand and played predominantly with fingers on the zils (jingles) and skin.
Pandeiro – (pahn deru) The tambourine of Brazil. It is held in the weak hand and played with the strong hand, using the thumb, palm and finger tips. Traditionally used in the music of samba, choro and pagoda. Thanks to the innovation of Marcos Suzano, the pandeiro is now found in electronic, funk and many other popular styles of music.
Kanjira – The tambourine of South India. Held in the weak hand and played with the fingers of the strong hand. The unique playing technique of the kanjira splits the hand between the index and the middle finger. These two “playing surfaces” allows the player to play intricate patterns at great speed with one hand.
Let’s Learn! Frame Drumming 101 – Standing Tar
Grip (Weak hand) - Think of the hand as a vice, with the first joint of the thumb supporting the inner shell of the drum with as much of your hand on the skin side of the drum as possible.
Support (Strong Hand) – Along with playing the majority of the notes, this hand must also work with the weak hand to support the drum. The thumb rests against the shell of the hand at approximately a 45 degree angle from the grip hand.
Dum – Played with the entire ring finger of the right hand. Think of the hand as a swivel using the thumb as a pivot point. The hand comes in, strikes the drum with the full ring finger and bounces of. The sound should be deep and full.
Tek – Played with the ring finger of the right hand. The first joint of the finger lands just on the inside of the shell and ‘sticks’. The sound should be high and have a slight ring to it. Ka – Played with the ring finger of the left hand. The first joint of the finger lands just on the inside of the shell and ‘sticks’. The sound should be high and have a slight ring to it.
Pa – Played with the finger tips of the right hand. Think of turning your wrist as in turning a door knob. Strike the drum with all 4 finger tips and allow them to ‘stick’ into the drum.
Rhythm Patterns
(Based on Ayoub) D – - K D – T –
DK – K D – T –
DKTK D – P –
(Based on Beledi) D – D – TKP - D – TK P - - -
D – D - T – TK D-DK - K T K
(Based on Chiftetelli) D - - K - - T - D – D - T K T K
A Note about Notation The above notation system is based on TUBS (Time Unit Box System) that was developed by ethnomusicologists who needed a quick way of notating rhythms in the field. Iʼve simply eliminated the boxes. Each group of 4 notes represents 1 beat, divided into for parts (4, 1/16 notes). In this case, the - marks notate rests. Let’s Play! Frame Drum Games and Activities for Group Rhythm Making!
Name that Frame - A small group improv game supports leadership!
- Invite your group to break into smaller groups of 4-6 participants. - Have each group decide who would be the first ‘leader’. - Start a group rhythm and facilitate a ‘large group jam’. - When the music stops, the ‘leader’ must use their frame as a ‘prop’, non-verbally portraying an action other than drumming. The other members of leader’s small group must copy the leader’s action. - The Facilitator may ‘interview’ the other players in each small group to find out if they’ve discovered the ‘improv’ that their ‘leader’ intended! - Each group chooses another ‘leader’ and the fun continues!
Mouse in the Attic – (Story Game from Drumagination)
“There once was a little house in the forest. One day a mouse moved into the attic.”
SFX - Finger nail scratches “The mouse got married and his wife moved in too.” SFX - 2 Finger nails “Eventually, they had several children.” SFX - All finger nails. “Everything was going along splendidly until one day, the mice decided to have a party and invite some friends. They told their friends that they could invite whomever they wanted as well. The mice invited the rabbits” SFX - Hopping tones. “The rabbits invited the squirrels” SFX - Fingers scampering across the skin. “The squirrels invited the woodpeckers” SFX - Knuckles rapping on the wooden shell. “The woodpeckers invited the snakes.” SFX - Finger nails sliding across the skin. “The snakes invited the horses.” SFX - Heel / toe strokes. “The horses invited the elephants.” SFX - Thumping bass tones. “And all was fine, until the elephants…saw the mice.” SFX - BASS TONE RUMBLE / STOP “And the house fell down with one big boom!” SFX - BOOM Find Your Partner – Participants find a partner. They are to choose among themselves who will go first. The facilitator establishes a pulse and calls out a number (4, 8 or 16). Player 2 then plays a rhythm that many beats long while walking away from their partner. The facilitator then calls out another number and player 2 plays a rhythm that many beats long while stepping to the pulse to find their partner!
Give A Little – Encouraging participants to interact by sharing their drums with others!
“Give a little to yourself.” X-X- X--- (Participants play their own drum.) “Now give a little to your neighbor.” X-X- X--- (Participants play the drum of someone sitting beside them.) “Don’t forget your other neighbor.” X-X- X--- (Participants play the drum of the person on the other side of them.) “And give some to your family?” (Group leans into the center of the circle.) X--- “HEY”---
Hot Potato - A game that encourages sharing and free movement!
- Have your group find a partner. One member of each ‘partner pair’ has a drum. The other does not. - When the rhythm starts, all drummers play along, while the ‘non- drummers’ dance. - When the facilitator calls out “Hot Potato!”, each partner pair ‘switches‘ rolls so that the ‘dancer’ becomes the ‘drummer’ and the ‘drummer‘ becomes the ‘dancer’! Frame Drum References & Resources Websites www.nscottrobinson.com www.rhythmweb.com www.cooperman.com www.pandeiro.com
Videos The Fantastic World of Frame Drums – Glen Velez World Percussion 1&2 – David Kuckhermann The Art and Joy of Hand Drumming – John Bergamo
Books When Drummers Were Women – Layne Redmond Riq – Yousif Sheronick Pandeiro Brasileiro – Luiz Roberto Sampaio, Victor Camargo Bud The Art of Middle Eastern Rhythm – Kobi Hagoel
Workshops Rhythm Planet Workshop – www.rhythmplanetworkshop.com NAFDA Frame Drum Fests – www.framedrums.org The Art of Hand Drumming Workshop – www.marlaleigh.com
Instruments Peripole Frame Drums – www.peripole.com Cooperman Hand Drums – www.cooperman.com Remo World Percussion – www.remo.com
Contact Info Dave Holland [email protected] 404.819.4053
Find out more about Daveʼs resources, instruments and workshops at: www.interactiverhythm.com
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