Unit: African Drumming

Learning Goal: To learn proper hits and patterns on the African drums and to successfully work in a group to play multiple patterns.

Curriculum Expectations:

1 sing and/or play, in tune, from musical notation, unison and two-part music with simple accompaniments from a wide variety of cultures, styles, and historical periods
2 apply the elements of music when singing and/or playing, composing, and arranging music to create a specific effect
3 create musical compositions for specific purposes and audiences
4 use the tools and techniques of musicianship in musical performances

Success Criteria

I will:

Stay focused and pay attention to instruction.
Hold the drum correctly.
Use proper hits and positioning for all patterns.
Learn the 4 assigned drum patterns.
Maintain the beat and create rhythms that add to free style drumming sessions.
Add a rhythmic pattern to a small group drum ensemble that enhances the overall effect of the performance. The rhythm may be on original one or one we have learned in school. The pattern performed must fit into the tempo of the group. The group performance can be made of 4 to 10 students, must have a beginning and an end and have at least 4 complimentary patterns.

There are 18 videos available for you to watch. These videos cover hand positioning and most of the rhythms that we’ve learned in school. Paste the link below into a new browser and choose your lesson. The introductory lesson will start but feel free to stop it. To the right you will see a selection of other lessons, one for each drum pattern that you would like to learn. New rhythms not in this series are posted below this link. You can also click on the link on the far left of the video, the one that looks like three lines and a small arrow.