Have Fun with Djembe (Level 1)

Learn about the djembe from Mali, its wood and leather, and prepare or substitute with a chair or clothes. Practice the simple drum language bom bom pak bom pak.

Learn the three basic djembe sounds—bass, tone, and slap—through guided counts and hand positions, practicing one, two, three sequences with bass, tone, and slap.

Combine the three djembe sounds—bass, tone, and slap—into a simple rhythm, using finger positions and drum language to count one two three.

Learn to join in a simple exercise rhythm for djembe, focusing on bass tone and slap patterns as you practice 'one two three' together.

Learn to build rhythmic variation on the djembe by practicing five bass and five tone patterns in sequence, then join in to play together.

Join a simple djembe exercise rhythm and play together as you count one two three, following bom bom bom bom bom and ba ba ba ba ba.

Learn the African song Yahe (well done) through call-and-response singing, clapping, and drumming on the djembe, with guided repetition.

Join in the fun as you use a simple instrument and your voice to keep a beat, take turns playing and singing, and sing together.

Have fun with djembe by practicing singing with small instruments in this level 1 session.

Learn a djembe rhythm that combines drumming and singing, using a right hand to hit bass and edge slap to form the bass slap pattern bom ba bom bom ba.

Practice a simple djembe rhythm for songs and build basic timing and coordination with guided exercises for beginners.

Combine djembe drumming and singing by practicing recitation, striking the drum, and singing the song together to learn the rhythm.

Practice drumming and singing using a repeating yahe rhythm, and learn to speed up the tempo.

Learn to clap, move, drum, and sing along to African music, following a call-and-response rhythm with counts of one two three four and a hand-raise cue after each count.

Practice djembe rhythms and enjoy African music using simple 1 2 3 4 counts and energetic vocal cues.

Begin with hand stretches, then practice the Djembe’s first exercise rhythm, bass tone slap, and its three drum sounds, followed by the second exercise rhythm patterns.

Learn the traditional djembe rhythm Ashiko 1, including the bb tbt pattern and the right-left hand sequence. Practice the hand positions to produce tone and bass tones.

Practice Ashiko 1 on the djembe, using bb tbt and counting one through nine together.

Learn Ashiko 2 by adding a new stroke to Ashiko 1, using both hands in the middle of the drum, and practicing bom, bak, and edge one-tone patterns.

Practice rhythm counting and pattern repetition for ashiko on the djembe, following counts like two, three, four, five, six, seven, and ten to build timing and coordination.

learn timing with the bell by counting four on the beat, then follow ashiko 1 and ashiko 2 patterns, and sing or recite the rhythms.

Practice exercise rhythm 1 and 2 with the mother and baby bell, combining bell patterns with drumming to explore rhythm and coordination.

Learn traditional rhythm with the ashiko drum and bell, exploring Ashiko 1 and Ashiko 2 patterns in a single session.

Learn the song bajo, meaning come and dance, and practice three clapping movements to invite everyone—kids, elderly, and everyone else—to sing and move together.

Join a simple music jam on the djembe, focusing on basic bajo rhythm patterns. Build confidence in playing together and enjoying rhythmic exploration in a beginner-friendly session.

Practice at home to learn djembe, send a video with any questions, and tell me what you want to learn as I share more videos.