These are the patterns we played as the PB Drummers 15 August 2022, and what we can learn from them! Notation is described here, with the reasons for yet another notation here.
We started with Djina Foli, the "space-clearing song" as taught by Tim in the city. It's a tough pattern to start with, unless you've played it before; I remember struggling to remember it, especially as Tim makes a point of not really teaching it, but it has a performative purpose.
Djina foli space-clearing song; West Africa, 4-beat
B T B Tt Tt S S B Tt Tt S
|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_
We play Tim's version, with a couple of tweaks; changing the slaps and tones of the call into a call and response, and using an in-pattern signal to indicate when the call is repeated in the middle of the song, then again at the end.
Then we did an anchor, call and response, which teaches several useful things. I don't know where the main pattern comes from, but I remember Glynnis and Craig from Bevil's circle playing it as a pattern series several years ago.
B Tb bTtB B Tb bTtB B Tb bTtB ...
|_-_-_-_| |_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_...
TtTtS TtTtS ...
|___--!_| |_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_...
F F F F ...
|_-_-_-_| |_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_...
The pattern itself helps break out of the expectation that emphasis beats (in this case, bass) will always fall on the strong hand, as typical beginner patterns tend to leave the weak hand "lazy". I've arranged it as a call-and-response exercise, from which one may learn how to "frame", i.e. to return to the correct point in the flow when existing a solo.
From the start, we've played 4-beat and 3-beat patterns, and the next exercise is how to switch between these, via my "cross-call". We started with a 4-beat "Baladi pattern 2" (a pattern that goes with Baladi, tho not actually part of Baladi itself)...
Added to Baladi; Middle-Eastern influence, 3+3+2 4-beat
B TtT B TtT TtT B TtT B TtT TtT B TtT B TtT TtT ...
|_-_-_:_-_-_:_-_ |_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_...
...then after the cross-call...
...switched to "Jan Pierewiet", an easy 3-beat that feels unambiguously 3/4.
Jan Pierewiet 3-beat
B TtS B TtS B TtS B TtS B TtS B TtS B TtS ...
|_-_-_ |_-_-_|_-_-_|_-_-_|_-_-_|_-_-_|_-_-_...
The cross-call also starts "Ten Four", which we'll do later; that song preserves the same "simple time" pulse, while teaching how different bar lengths can create a "round" effect. For now, flipping from 4-beat to 3-beat bar lengths without losing the pulse is a good start! One can link any 4-beats to 3-beats via the cross-call; I chose these patterns as they are so similar, also to show how one can extend or truncate patterns to fit different bar lengths.
Once the 3-beat was rolling as a "1 and 2 and 3 and " 3/4, I threw in some "1 - then 2 - then " swing and "1 and then 2 and then " 6/8 cross-currents, before we blended in Mboshi:
Mboshi part 2 (Congo) 3-beat
B B TtS S Tt B B TtS S TtB B TtS S TtB B TtS S Tt...
|_-_-_|_-_-_ |_-_-_|_-_-_|_-_-_|_-_-_|_-_-_|_-_-_...
Next, we did some rumbles and drop-in patterns, as Manan teaches in the city, based mainly on the main pattern from Jembe that we first learn as Bevil's "Pineapple Apricot".
Jembe pattern 1 (West African) 4-beat
B SsTtS B SsTtS B SsTtS B SsTtS B SsTtS ...
|_-_-_-_ |_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_...
Alas, I'm not Manan, so couldn't do the voice signals accurately for the entry timing!
We did Kuku next, adding two of Bevil's patterns to enjoy how these fit together. The main pattern of Kuku teaches how to hold space in a pattern, without pinching it short; deliberately pinching space (especially between slaps) is how one can signal to speed up the tempo.
We haven't taught the third of these patterns yet, but that's what I was adding in. That pattern is unusual in that it has no beat on the "one", thus useful to teach that oddity.
We returned to call-and-response with Frooa, an easy 4-beat pattern that has two "pass the part" parts, of which we did the first. It also has a nice additional pattern that I added at the end.
Frooa; "pass the part", West Africa, 4-beat
B TtB S B TtB S B TtB S B TtB S B TtB S ...
|_-_-_-_ |_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_...
Frooa; passed part 1
TtTtS S B TtB S TtTtS S B TtB S B TtB S ...
1_-_-_-_ |_-_-_-_1_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_|_-_-_-_...
Whereas "anchor, call and response" teaches how to drop in from not playing, and correctly frame for exit, Frooa's "pass the part" teaches how to switch patterns mid-flow, and how to still hear one pattern in your head while playing something else!
We ended the session with bells, then "Bevil's Song" (sequential parts, change on hand-wave), 4-beat...
...brought the session to a close.
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