Doin' the Fanga

The Fanga (or Funga) is a welcome song from Western Africa. It is very well-known, and one of the rhythms that has many variations. When I check out YouTube, or sites of collected rhythms, or published drumming materials, I find that no two of the written transcriptions or performed rhythms 'match up' with each other. Sometimes, it is simply variations in suggested instrumentation. Sometimes there is agreement on the drum part, but bell & shaker parts are different from each other. I always get a bit of a laugh from the responses & comments to performed or written postings; "THAT'S not the Fanga - the bell part is much more complex and the fifth beat is a bass, not a tone...."

Well, to avoid that, I'll start by declaring that this is "a simplified, Americanized version of the Fanga, written out to be easily played by amateurs." It is a happy, all inclusive piece that's really designed to allow anyone to join in, pick up a shaker, listen to a few bars, and then become part of the group. It is totally participatory. There is, I know, a dance that goes with it, (I'm not sure if that dance is 'authentic' to the fanga, or if it was made up by someone on the spot.) and the rhythm itself just makes you want to move with it.

Here is MY version of the Fanga. This version is especially good for large groups. Be sure to have a person who has been trained on the rhythm on each instrument. A person or two as beat keepers on cowbell and a strong djembe player are important. Everyone else can fill in as necessary, and if they get off beat for a measure or two, they can pick up again by listening to the bell and djembe. Lots of small rattles are nice to have, since they add to the sound, but can be easily learned.

 

Using Garage Band to Create Drumming Samples

This topic may be further afield than most church drummers worry about, but I've been trying to figure out how to record my drum patterns without setting up a complete recording studio on my bedroom.

I was once asked to phone a drummer, and leave a recording of myself playing the pattern on her answering machine, so she could relisten to it whenever she was unsure of her pattern. That was a really clever way of getting a practice pattern.

Sometimes I don't have the right drums in the right place, so I tried using my 'Finale' program to both write out and play the patterns. This simply didn't work, because the single line staff doesn't have enough room for all of those midi sounds. Then I decided to try to get the sounds I wanted out of my GarageBand program. This was more successful, but I found that it didn't work to simply save my Finale file as a midi file. Instead, I print out the music, then use this formula for creating the sounds I want:

Cowbell -  Rock Kit, Choose from G#2(low), G#3(mid) and G3(high). Use only one of them, to simulate the single tone of a cowbell.

Gankogui - African Kit. I write it out in Major 7ths to avoid too much of a tonal sound
    Low bell: A2 & G#3        High bell: G#2 & G3

Axatse - African Kit.  lap hit = A3, hand hit  = F#2

high djembe - African kit. E1 is a nice strong tone or slap, F1 is a lower, more bass tone.

Mid djembe - African Kit.  C#1 is a tone, D1 is a bass. Not much differentiation between the bass and tone, but it works as a secondary drum part.

Kpanlogo or bougerebu - African Kit. Nice low frequencies, I think these are actually African conga sounds, but they have a nice punch. Bass is A0, Tone or slap is A# 0.
For more contrast C1 for tone, A#0is slap, and G0 is bass.

Talking drum - African Kit. Actually a log drum sound, I think, but it gives a nice tonal sound that's distinctly higher than the djembes. Played from A5 to B6.

I write the pattern out using the bars in GarageBand. It's easy to move the bars and adjust their length. I also make sure that the beginning of measures, and other accent points are given a little more velocity, so that accents feel like they're falling in the right places. Then, once I have a complete pattern, I move the cursor to top right end corner of the green ribbon, and (when it turns to a circular line with an arrow) I pull to the right. The pattern repeats until the point where you stop pulling. 

I suspect there's an easier way to do this, but this works for me with programs I already own and use. I've used drum programs that work well, but don't have the variety of sounds I want. The African Kit is from the 'World Music' expansion pack for GarageBand, and GarageBand is part of the iLife software that comes free with a Mac, or can be purchased for the OSX operating system. It doesn't work with Windows, and although I know there are decent programs out there for that system, I don't know what they are, or what they cost.

After I return from my vacation, I will add some more sound samples to this post so everyone can hear what the instrument sounds are really like. My previous post has the 'Hallelujah in 3' pattern near the end of the post, and the audio recording was done using this method.

Please leave feedback if you are reading this. I'd love a 'shout-out' from some of the synod school folks!

Hallelujah - A New Pattern for a 3/4 Song

First, I need to let you know that I am sorry for the mix up we had between which version of hallelujah we were supposed to play for the Thursday evening service. I got complacent, and didn't actually LOOK UP the written music that was going to be used for the service. I've done that kind of thing before, and am hoping to never do it again. You folks were all great in your graciousness and flexibility as we did the switch from a 4/4 pattern to a triple meter. You did well, considering that the triple meter was a 3/4 time, rather than a 6/8 or 12/8 time song. 3/4 has a different feel to it, and is a bit less common in drumming music than the duple or compound meters.

Although we did fine with the pattern we played for the service, it is a little bit static, so I'd like to give you a different pattern for the song we played. The patterns here use rhythms that come from the words of the song. They difficulty with these patterns is that they don't all 'start' on the first beat of the measure. The phrases actually start in different places in the two measure sequence. (That's one reason we didn't use them for the service - they DO take a little extra rehearsal time.)

For a nice entrance build, start with the cowbell, then add the medium drum, then (starting with the 2nd measure) the high drums, then the axatse and gankogui, and finally the low drum. (Starting on the 'hal' of the 2nd measure.) The words are just to get a rhythm pattern - not to be sung as the song is performed. 

The low, medium and high drum specifications are suggestions. As I check it out, I might switch the medium and low drums, or the high and medium drums. Just try to have some differences between either the relative timbre, or the space in which the drums are playing. 

 

Here's a mp3 of the basic beat. Done at about 148 bps. It is not real instruments, but it's my garageband software, using the 'African Kit' drum set. Not very soulful, but it gives the basic idea. (Also, the video is only there because it's a placeholder. I really need to get some nice drum photos, and then put them in there instead, but you get the idea.)

What Happened to My Drum Tone?

Ah, yes. The dog days of summer. Guess what? This kind of weather is not great for African drums made with natural materials. The same drums that had a booming bass and decent tone now has just a thud when you hit it in the center, and a small area next to the rim where tone is produced. What happened?

It's not the heat. It's the humidity. "Hot" in the horn of Africa is different than "Hot" in the Eastern & Midwestern United States. While it gets, and stays, warmer in the horn of Africa, there is not so drastic a change in humidity or in temperature over the course of a year. Also, when it is hot in the African horn, the air is also dry.

Goat skin has small pores in it, just like our skin. When it is humid, those pores get waterlogged, and then the skin stretches. When the skin stretches, it loosens, and a loose head has no tension to give you that good bass or tone you're used to.

What can you do? First, don't ever leave your djembe in a hot car. Don't store it in the attic. Don't leave it in a damp basement, either. (The damp basement can wreck both the drum head and the wooden drum shell, so that's a real no-no.) Next, for a quick fix, run a hair dryer, moving it back and forth about an inch over the drum head. This may dry it out enough for a performance or drum circle session. Third, move your drum into a climate controlled (air-conditioned) room, and let it dry out slowly. Overnight should do the job. Be aware of how your sanctuary is climatized. If it is only air conditioned on Sunday morning, and allowed to get damp and muggy during the week, you may want to keep your drum at home and only bring it to church when you are playing it. (If you don't have AC in your church at all, this works for that, too.) Fourth - try tightening up your verticals.

Verticals? Those are the ropes that run up and down over the bowl of the drum. There is a great instruction sequence at Hawkdancing. This gentleman explains what to do and why he does it that way. There are also some fine pictures that are truly worth a thousand words. He tells how to first pull your vertical ropes tight, and then how to do a Mali weave the RIGHT way. Although you can get someone else to do your rope tightening, it really is best to learn how to do it yourself. While it is possible to overtighten your drum, it's not probable. It takes a lot of strength to pull those diamonds (the Mali weave makes diamond shapes in the verticals.) and testing the sound after each diamond will help keep you from going overboard.

Another option that I have used unintentionally, is to simply refrain from playing the thuddy drum until the heat goes back on at the end of September. I'm not sure that this is good for the drum, but it keeps me from worrying too much about it.

What do you do when humidity returns to normal? If you wish, you can undo a couple of diamonds on your drum. I've found that the drum simply sounds better when it gets dry. I suppose that I'm one of those people who doesn't tune my drum to full tightness, so when it does dry out, it gets to the state of tightness that it should be at.

If this really sounds like just TOO MUCH of a pain to bother with, it might be better to purchase an American made, fiberglass head drum from a manufacturer like Toca or Remo. There's really nothing wrong with that, and if you are someone who has little time, or just plays occasionally, that may be a more satisfying choice. After all, if you pull out your authentic goat skin drum to play, and then end up putting it away, unplayed, because it sounds bad, how much joy are you getting out of that instrument?

Where Can I Get Drums Like That?

Whenever I take the drums out for a class or a workshop, I am asked by participants where they can get good drums at modest prices. It isn't difficult to go onto the internet, type 'Djembe' into your search box, and find dozens of different drum sellers. It is difficult to know whom to trust, what quality you'll get, and whether you're getting a good drum at a good price. Here are some of my personal recommendations for places to seek out drums.

1. Local music dealer- If you have a local music dealer, try that store first. We have a couple of local stores to deal with - One is a music store, one is a drum store. Both of them are run by local people who need to make a living. Our drum dealer also repairs drums, so I am confident that he can help me out with any problems I have with purchases I've made with him. Yes, you will pay retail, but trust and community goodwill are usually worth it in the long run. I purchase Toca, Remo and MidEast products from them.

2. West Music - This is my 'Tubano connection.' A set of three tubanos that list for $980.00 is $510.00 at West Music. Of course, there's always the shipping cost. Never underestimate the cost of shipping a heavy drum. Still, if you are interested in tubanos, this is a great place to go.

3. Djembe Direct - Here is where I get my school djembes, kpanlogos and other African drums. They carry a nice student grade model that is very sturdy (and heavy) and a very reasonable cost. They also work directly with the drum makers to help make better lives for the drum makers and their communities. Djembe Direct also carries a vast array of other African percussion, which is great if you are looking for consistent quality in different kinds of drums. You can talk to them on the phone - this is a smaller operation that takes customer service seriously.

4. African Creations - This is where I get my drum circle djembes and axatse (called shekeres or shakers on the website.) They are a wholesale company, so you need to reach the minimum amount before you can purchase from them. However, if you are looking to supply a group or organization, this is a really good place to start. The drums are not of the high quality that the Djembe Direct student models are, but they are good drums at a very good price. Add to this the fact that you are importing these drums from Ghana, and you can feel good that you are helping the economy of the drum makers.

5. Overstock - Go to Worldstock, then under that, click on gifts and hobbies. They carry several types of instruments from around the world. The big plus is that they charge $2.95 for shipping anything. That's a great price for shipping a heavy drum. On the downside, some of the 'African' drums they carry are made in Indonesia, and are tourist grade drums. I personally have purchased a couple of axatse from Overstock and they were fine. Also, the African made drums are of drum circle quality. Just be aware of what you are buying.

6. Ebay - Yup. but I only buy used Remo djembes (because it's a known quality item.) I have also bought interesting looking shakers and cowbells from ebay. Oh, and a decent quality kpanlogo, and ... Ok, I check out ebay from time to time, and buy inexpensive stuff to add to my collection. I ask questions, and I don't expect to get professional grade equipment, and I'm pretty happy with what I've gotten so far. (except for one Indonesian djembe, and that's because I didn't ask questions before I bid.) Sometimes, there are great deals, especially when someone is desperate to get rid of large drums before they move, for example. Shipping is also something to keep an eye on, here.

Do you have any other great sources for drums, bells and shakers? Add a note and share it with the rest of us.

Box Notation- a Viable Alternative

Notating African rhythms can be a tricky business. African rhythms, after all, are meant to be transmitted aurally, and any kind of transcription will miss some of the nuances and 'feel' of a rhythm. Another issue with African rhythms is the same problem that comes up with transcribing any type of folk music: there are many variations. For example, when I was looking for a version of 'Bluebird' to play and sing with my younger students at school, I found 17 published variations. I can't imagine how many additional versions are sung by children but just haven't been written down.

Anyway, the issue of notation is interesting. As a musician who has been reading music for 45 years, I find it is comfortable, quick and accurate to read and write traditional notation. Because I am a working musician, and use notation on a daily basis, I prefer reading traditional music to many of the music transcription alternatives that find their way into publication.

There is one type of alternative notation that does make sense to me. It is the box/chart/table notation that some publications and web sites use to share different rhythms.  These boxes are set out with each square being equal to the smallest subdivision of beat in the music. Then, they are filled in with symbols, such as 'B' for bass, 'S' for slap, 'H' for high, etc. Only boxes in which a beat is played are filled in. The empty boxes are assumed to be rests. Although it can take a long time to get a fluid sound from reading these boxes, rhythms can be correctly learned by anyone willing to take the time to practice and memorize the parts.

One good site for this kind of notation is: Drum Journey. Seven of the most basic and popular African rhythms are presented here, with a bit of history about each one. A very good 'key' to reading the chart is also included.

Another good site with several more rhythms is Drum Rhythm Transcriptions. It has West African rhythms and Haitian/Cuban rhythms. (A couple of the Haitian/Cuban rhythms are used for vodun ceremonies, just so you know - probably not 'church drummer' material.)

There are other sites, and I once belonged to a listserve with hundreds of transcriptions (which got too unwieldy to browse through.) If you find a site with good box notation, please leave a comment with the link in it, so we can all share in your discovery.

Classifying Drum Quality

When you are ready to purchase a drum for yourself, or a set of drums for an organization, it can be a difficult task to balance drum price and drum quality. Generally, you get what you pay for. Drums that cost more will sound better initially, stay in tune more consistently, and be more comfortable to play well. Here are some bits of advice I have pulled together from my own experiences and from other sources. There are several key areas to pay attention to when evaluating whether the drum you are purchasing is a good value.

First, you need to know that drums come in different grades, just like other instruments. A rough breakdown of grades, and how to tell the difference with djembes, goes something like this.

TOURIST GRADE - This is a drum sold to be used as a souvenir, or a decoration. It may have symbols or pictures painted or stained on it. The verticals are spaced fairly far apart, and there may be only eight to ten pairs of verticals. The difference between the sound of a 'tone' and a 'bass' is negligible. The shell of the drum may be carved crookedly, or is thin, and made from wood by-products, probably mass-produced. The head is made of skin that is blemished or has thin spots in it, or skin that has been processed or is synthetic. Generally, this is more of a toy than an instrument, and is probably great for someone who wants a drum to look nice, and be fun to bang on once in awhile. (cost between $35.00 - $75.00)

DRUM CIRCLE GRADE- If you are looking for a drum that is for an informal group activity, the D.C. grade is a good choice. If you are trying to get a group started, where all of the drums are owned by the group, (such as a school, church or non-profit.) this gives you the most playable drums for the lowest cost. These drums usually sound fine initially, but are really affected by temperature & humidity. If you have a person who is willing to keep these drums tuned up in different situations, they aren't bad. For the person who is looking for a personal drum at low cost, this is an option that costs less at first, then, as you know more of what you want in a drum, a higher grade can be tried and purchased. These drums usually are lightly carved, have plenty of verticals (which may be crookedly installed on the bottom ring of the drum), and are made with the back skin of a goat, which is the skin that doesn't get scarred as much as the underbelly skin. (cost can vary from around $50.00 - $175.00)

STUDENT GRADE - There is a real jump in quality here. The student drum is more deeply carved, usually has tightly placed verticals, (35 - 45 pairs) and is symmetrical in carving and vertical placement. There is often a third ring at the top, and a 'shelf' or 'notch' on the bottom of the bowl of the drum, so the bottom ring stays in position. The drum shell is 1.5 to 2 inches thick, and treated with oils, shea butter and other hydrating treatments to keep it from drying out in dry, heated buildings. All of this ensures that the drum will stay in tune and will last longer. The skin on a good student grade drum will be thicker. (sometimes advertised as being from an adult male goat, because that is a stronger skin, I guess.) There will be no blemishes, and the skin will usually have hair still attached near the metal rings. This is the grade of drum I play, and I use these at my school. They really do give a nice strong sound, and there is a very definite difference between slaps, tones and bass sounds. If you can afford them, these are the quality to aim for for informal or performing groups. (cost can be from around $120.00 - $250.00, or more, depending on size.)

PROFESSIONAL GRADE - Since I have seen very few pro grade drums up close, about all I can say is that they are even 'more better' than the student drums. Deep carving, done well, is one of the visuals that let you know these drums are made by master craftsmen. The wood is hydrated and then often polished to a beautiful sheen. Some professional drums are headed with different types of skin, or use skin with the hair still on. They are shaped for booming basses, crisp slaps, and other techniques that the professional can use to add character to a performance. The two people who I know with pro drums always keep them packed in their padded drum cases, and do not let other people play on them. (cost is from $175.00 - $750.00 and even more for a custom made drum.)

These grades are for African made drums, not Indonesian or American made drums. Generally, the smaller drum will cost less, and as size increases, so does the price. These grading terms are not used by all sellers, but using these criteria, you can see whether that $100.00 drum is really a great deal, or just an overpriced tourist drum.

A Cascas by any other name

This instrument is actually a toy in many cultures, but I have fallen in love with it. It goes by many, many names. (as folk instruments often do.) It is called :
cascas, kashika, kashaka, asalato, aslato, aslatua, patica, thelevi, televi, kosika, kitikpo, asalatua, akasa, bakita, kokosiko, and probably some other names I'm not aware of. 

If you have a chance to choose your own cascas (or pair of cascas), make sure they fit in your hands well. As a woman with medium hands, I found that the smallest cascas available to me were the most comfortable. The large ones were extremely difficult for me to catch on the upswing. I may have gotten better at it with practice, but I opted for the smaller set. My set is held together with a plug of wood that holds all right, but can work its way loose during practice. I have seen other sets that have a tie end of the connecting string going all the way through the cascas. These appear to be safer, although I have no experience to prove it one way or another. 

One of the nice things about these instruments, is that they can just be held in the hands and shaken for a nice soft swishing sound, kind of like those plastic egg shakers. Simple and a good way to use them in a drum circle while you are building up your skills at swinging the cascas for the nice sharp 'clack' for rhythmic variety.

This is my favorite series of instructional videos for the aslatua. There is no verbal explanation, no slow motion, no showing off -  just  a series of short videos showing different patterns for playing the instruments. Perfect. If you subscribe to the series, you can have them at hand whenever you need to see or hear a particular pattern again. 




Where can you get these?
I got authentic 'made in Africa' aslatua from the company that runs the Djembe Direct website. They cost $9.95 each in the summer of 2010. These are made from the seed pod of the Swawa tree, hollowed and cleaned, then filled with gravel. They are closed off, and the string is attached with a plug of soft wood or cork.

Here are some from Toca. They are at X8 drums. These are wood balls in the same design as the natural cascas. I am a little irked that they are represented as a 'new design' thought up by Toca, but the look like they'll work fine. They list at $13.99, X8 sells them for $8.99.

Authentic, made in Ghana from seed pods or small gourds. $9.80 at Rhythm House Drums.

Authentic, called batika shakers at African Rhythm Traders Cost $6.95 each

Red plastic kosika are sold at Kosika.com . They were out of stock until September 1st when I checked in July.

Remember these costs are all for one connected pair of instruments. There is also a (sometimes steep) price for shipping and handling at all of these vendors.

If you know of a good source for cascas, by any name, please share it in the comments section.

This blog is specifically written for the people who are in the Synod School class I'm teaching this summer. It is also open to anyone else who has an interest in using African style drumming in the service of churches, Sunday schools and youth groups. This is not about trap set drumming, (although that is another great way to use your talents in service to God and his people.)

African drumming in its American context has a lot to do with PARTICIPATION, rather than PERFORMANCE. Drum circles, in both secular and sacred settings, stress working together, listening to each other and accepting both the beginner and expert into the circle. I think that's a great metaphor for the church as well.