Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Babtunde Olatunji - Hand Drumming Workbook
Babtunde Olatunji - Hand Drumming Workbook
Spirited Heart
Acknowledgements
Babatunde Olatunji
Rhythm is the soul of life. The whole universe revolves in rhythm.
Everything and every human action revolves in rhythm.
- Olatunji
Arthur Hull
Arthur Hull (right) is a world-renowned community drum facilitator. His book and CD,
Drum Circle Spirit, Facilitating Human Potential Through Rhythm, is the culmination of his
years of rhythmical evangelism and group facilitation around the world. He is also
the author of the video/ book Guide to Endrummingment and has received the All One
Tribe Foundations Drumming Education Award and the 1998 Drum Magazine Drummie
of the Year award.
Hull has facilitated drum circles and rhythmic alchemy playshops at the Association
of Humanistic Psychology, Association for Music Therapists and many other alternative
healing conferences, and has appeared on the covers of the Wall Street Journal and
Yoga Journal. Within the corporate environment, he has facilitated interactive rhythmical
team-building events for groups ranging from 20 to 6000, including Lucent Technology,
Walt Disney, Pac Bell, Cisco Systems and Sun Microsystems.
Melvin Johnson
Melvin Johnson is an accomplished drum maker, Medicine
Drummer, African Drummer and
teacher of African Drumming
rhythms.
Todd Balcom
Introduction,
Babatunde Olatunjis
Warm Up Exercises
G = B = rh bass Go = T = rh tone Pa = S = rh slap
Dun = b = lh bass Do = t = lh tone Ta = s = lh slap
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Gun GoDo
Gun GoDo GoDo Gun
Gun GoDo GoDo Gun GoDo
Gun GoDo GoDo Gun Pa
Gun GoDo GoDo Gun Pa Ta
Gun GoDo GoDo Gun PaGo PaGo
Gun Pa Gun Pa Gun Pa GoDO
Gun PaTa PaTa Gun Pa GoDo
GoDo GoDo GoDo GoDo
B.Tt.
B.Tt.Tt.B.
B.Tt.Tt.B.Tt.
B.Tt.Tt.B.S.
B.Tt.Tt.B.Ss.
B.Tt.Tt.B.ST.ST.
B.S.B.S.B.S.Tt.
B.Ss.Ss.B.S.Tt.
Tt.Tt.Tt.Tt.
This is a great starting exercise. You play each one 4 times, then you move on to the next. When you get to the end of number
6, just cycle back around to number 1 and keep going. Mastering these rhythms will prove invaluable to you in learning to
play the drum.
Apply the same approach (4X repeats) in solo practice to groups of rhythms, such as the rhythms for Fanga, Samba, et cetera.
Not only will this enable you to learn the individual rhythms, but it will also enable you to switch from rhythm to rhythm,
easily filling in the gaps between. This exercise will also lead to a very good understanding of how the rhythms relate to each
other when you play them using Babas method.
Baba ends the GUN, GO DO, PA TA section with an exercise, noted below, that uses the three essential tones. This is also
a good exercise to use daily as an effective warm-up. Not only is it good practice, but when mastered it becomes pretty fun,
also.
To use the notation below (many thanks to Arthur Hull) try this; tap your finger in a slow, steady rhythm, one tap for every box
in the phrase below. In this case, you would have eight taps per phrase. Keep on tapping, and once youre comfortable with
knowing where the first tap (the downbeat) of every eight is, try singing the GUN, GO DO, PA TA pattern along with the
tapping. The GUN should always start on the first beat. If you think of the phrase in four beats, as the numbers signify, but
keep tapping in eight, the rhythm may feel more fluid.
GUN
(PAUSE) GO
DO
PA
TA
(PAUSE) (PAUSE)
PATTERNS
In this section. Baba covers some basic rhythms. These are basic structures that many of the African rhythms are
based on. Next to practicing regularly, listening and watching Baba (or in our case, Melvin) play these rhythms is the best
way to learn them. We will notate them as well, so that you can recall them easier and spend more time on the individual
rhythms. Baba uses the same patterns for both the GO DO and PA TA tones. The patterns below are in the same order
as Baba plays them when he first demonstrates the GO DO patterns on the drum, after singing them, only we have added
a to emphasize a silent beat (PAUSE). So first sing along and then play on. As Baba emphasizes,
GO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
Pattern B
GUN
Pattern C
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
Pattern D
GUN
Pattern E
GUN
Pattern F
GUN
Following are the rhythms and beats that Baba (and West African Drumming) have become famous for. Are these all of
the rhythms? Certainly not; these are just the ones that we chose to put in the book!
Rhythm #
Title:
Samba
Gordys Beat
Khaki Lambe
Ramboday
Rumba
Kassagbe
10
Rumbayesa
11
Kasa
12
Tiriba
13
Caba
14
Scarf (Sword)
15
Kashlima
16
Shiftateli
17
Yankidi
18
Macrou
19
20
Djankadi
21
The Train
22
The Pulse
23
24
The Clave
25
Bolamba
26
Beledy
27
Mesmoudic (Cane)
28
Fanga
1 - Samba
GUN
DUN
GO
GUN
GUN
PA
GO
GUN
GUN
GO
GO
GUN
TA
GO
DO
GO
PA
GUN
DUN
GO
DO
GO
GO
GUN
GUN
DO
PA
PA
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
TA
GO
PA
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GUN
DO
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
2 - GordyS Beat
GUN
PA
GUN
PA
GUN
3 - Kaki Lambe
GUN
GO
DO
PA
GUN
GO
DO
PA
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
PA
TA
GO
DO
GO
GO
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
KA
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GO
GO
GO
DO
GO
GO
GO
4 - Ramboday (w/Jun-Jun)
GUN
GO
DO
GO
JUN
JUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
PA
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
DO
GO
GO
DO
PA
GO
DO
5 - Rumba
GUN
GO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
GUN
GUN
PA
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
DO
GUN
GO
GUN
GUN
GO
GUN
GO
DO
DO
GO
6 - Mombasa
(2 PLAYERS, 6 DRUMS)
#1
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
DUN
DUN
GO
GO
GO
DO
GO
DO
PA
TA
TA
GO
DO
DO
#2
7 - Bolon
PA
GO
DO
GO
DO
PA
TA
GO
PA
PA
TA
8 - Shiko
DO
PA
PA
TA
GO
PA
GO
DO
PA
GUN
GO
DO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
PA
TA
GUN
PA
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
GUN
GUN
GO
GUN
PA
TA
GUN
PA
TA
GUN
PA
TA
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GO
DO
PA
PA
TA
PA
TA
9 - Kassagbe
GODO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
JUN
JUN
JO
JO
TA
GO
GO
TA
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
PA
GO
DO
JO
JO
JO
JO
10 - Rumbayesa
GUN
PA
GO
TA
PA
TA
GUN
GUN
TA
GO
DO
PA
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
TA
GO
GO
DO
GO
DO
JUN
JUN
JO
JO
JO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GO
PA
GO
DO
GUN
GO
GUN
GO
DO
PA
GUN
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
PA
11 - Kasa
GO
DO
PA
PA
TA
GO
DO
PA
PA
TA
PA
GUN
GO
DO
PA
GUN
GO
DO
PA
GO
DO
PA
TA
GUN
PA
GO
DO
PA
TA
GUN
GUN
PA
TA
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
PA
TA
GUN
GO
DO
12 - Tiriba
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
PA
TA
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
PA
TA
GUN
KA
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GUN
13 - Caba
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
PA
PA
GO
GO
GUN
GUN
PA
GO
PA
GO
GO
GUN
GO
PA
GUN
GO
DO
14 - Scarf (Sword)
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GO
15 - Kashlima
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
16 - Shiftateli (Chiftitelli)
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GO
GUN
GUN
GO
17 - Yankidi
GUN
PA
TA
PA
GO
DO
GUN
GO
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GO
18 - Macrou
DO
GUN
PA
GUN
GO
DO
FL
FL
PA
TA
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
PA
GO
DO
GUN
PA
GO
DO
GUN
GO
GO
GUN
PA
GUN
GO
GUN
PA
GO
PA
GO
GO
PA
PA
GO
GUN
GO
PA
GUN
GO
GUN
GO
DO
PA
GUN
GO
DO
PA
GUN
PA
TA
GO
PA
TA
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
PA
TA
GO
GO
GUN
PA
TA
PA
TA
GO
DO
PA
TA
GO
DO
20 - Djankadi (Yankadi)
GUN
PA
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
PA
TA
GO
DO
PA
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
GUN
GUN
GO
GO
GUN
GUN
DO
PA
TA
GUN
GUN
PA
TA
GO
DO
PA
TA
GUN
GUN
PA
TA
GO
DO
TA
GUN
GUN
PA
TA
GO
DO
TA
GUN
GUN
PA
TA
GO
DO
PA
TA
GUN
GUN
TA
GO
DO
PA
TA
GUN
TA
GO
DO
TA
GUN
GUN
PA
GO
DO
TA
GUN
GUN
PA
GO
DO
PA
TA
PA
TA
GO
DO
PA
TA
GUN
PA
TA
GO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
DO
GO
GUN
GUN
GUN
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
TA
TA
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
TA
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
TA
GUN
GO
DO
DO
GO
GO
GO
GO
DO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GO
GO
GO
DO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GO
GO
PA
GO
GO
GO
PA
TA
GO
TA
GO
DO
GO
DO
PA
GO
DO
25 - Bolomba
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
PA
TA
PA
DO
PA
PA
TA
GO
DO
PA
PA
TA
GO
PA
GO
DO
PA
GUN
PA
PA
TA
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
GO
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
GO
DO
GO
DO
GO
--
--
28 - Fanga
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
GO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GUN
DO
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN
GUN
GO
DO
GO
DO
GUN