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.