In most drum circles, beginning percussionists are encouraged to take a seat and play their hand drums along with the group. The emphasis is on cooperation and a good time. To make sure everyone enjoys the music equally, there are a few etiquette tips beginners will want to keep in mind.
Proper Care for Hand Drums at Drum Circles
Many musicians bring more than one hand drum to a gathering. Generally, hand drums and percussion instruments in the middle of drum circles are available for anyone to borrow. Hand drums which aren’t being played but are positioned around a drummer should not be tried without permission. Drummers who’d rather not make their hand drums available for group use should keep them close.
Some hand drums are fairly expensive and many have sentimental value. For this reason, extreme care should be used when borrowing another musician’s instrument.
Because jewelry can easily damage the heads or shells of hand drums, all drummers should remove rings, watches, and bracelets before playing.
Instruments aren’t made to support weight. Hand drums should never be used as a stool or stand. Musicians should avoid leaning on or resting against the hand drums of other group members.
Appropriate Volume at Drum Circles
Since the goal is a united group sound, drumming too loudly or attempting to hijack the rhythm is bound to rankle some nerves at drum circles.
A good idea for new drummers is to match their volume to the other members of the drumming circle. If a musician can’t hear the others playing around him, he’s drumming too loudly.
When a member of the drum circle takes a lead part, other drummers should decrease their volume. How much a musician needs to back off will depend on the volume of the hand drum playing the lead.
When seated next to someone drumming loudly enough to cover playing around him, a musician new to the group should first try a different place in the drum circle rather than confronting the problem directly.
Particularly loud percussion such as bells or claves tend to take over a circle. Since the goal is for everyone to blend together as one voice, new members to drum circles will want to choose the instruments they bring with this in mind.
Feeling the Groove at Drum Circles
A drum circle piece is composed of a steady bass beat, accompanying embellishment rhythms, and a lead or solo drum part. To help keep time, new drummers can take a seat near the bass drums.
It’s not a good idea for one member to singlehandedly alter the beat during a piece. This could cause the entire rhythm to fall apart.
If musicians discover they’ve lost track of the drum circle's rhythm, they should back off their volume to avoid throwing other drummers off. Focusing on a simple, quiet beat will allow them to get back into the groove.
When new drummers feel lost, they can try playing with the bass beats. This is a good way to jump back into a piece.
Listen Before Drumming at Drum Circles
Drum circles are a chance to celebrate community, not individual ability. New drummers will certainly want to participate, but should be careful to listen to the music around them.
Before jumping in, new members will want to listen to the other drummers. Listening is even more crucial once a musician feels the beat and begins to play.
Drummers don’t have to play continuously at drum circles. Pausing can provide a chance for them to enjoy the rhythm more fully.
Drummers new to the drum circle will want to start off slowly with simple rhythms. This will allow the group to get a song up and running. Once a musician has listened to how each part around him interacts, he can join in with his own more complicated part. It’s a good idea for new drummers to hold off from taking the lead until they are invited.
Maintaining eye contact with the other drummers in the group will help musicians focus on the piece as a whole rather than on their individual part. It can also give them indications of when they might be loosing the rhythm or playing too loudly.
If drum circles have a facilitator, musicians will want to follow their direction. Newcomers who have different ideas on how drum circles should be led will want to start a group of their own rather than attempting to transform the characteristics of an established circle.
A mutual respect among participants will ensure everyone at the drum circle has an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Musicians may also be interested to look into what exactly a drum circle is, how to find a drum circle, and a few of the popular hand drums they might bring with them to the event.
Marcy Paulson - From the moment Marcy Paulson picked up a recorder in fourth grade music class, she was hooked. Since then, her passion for music has ...
