Taiko Drill Part 51, Paradiddles Revisited

Hi! My friends from Shippu Uchi Daiko in Japan have returned home, but we had a great time together in Seattle teaching a taiko piece called Yui to Seattle Kokon Taiko. I'm still teaching through the weekend, and then I'm back to the east coast.

One thing I've not really talked about much here is improvisation. Last week I gave you a drill to improvise emphasis with, and next week I'll talk specifically about some things to think about if you're uncomfortable improvising. But, partly due to my lack of time this week, today we'll revisit paradiddles in preparation for improvisation next week.

Focus: Grip, Form

Watch For:

1. Take a few moments to check your grip for small drums.

2. The down beat is not always the beat that's emphasized--keep track of it!

Okay, so back in drill 9 we talked about paradiddles, which is a basic straight beat that alternates sticking--RLRR LRLL. I suggested that you can use them to practice improvisation, but we didn't go into how to really do that.

If you're new to improvisation or don't quite feel comfortable with it, don't fret. It takes guts to just try it, knowing you'll mess up, but it's the only way to get better at it. Please review Drill 9 to refresh the version of paradiddles I taught. And we'll move forward step-by-step from next week to add improvisation.

For fun, here's an example of members from Shippu Uchi Daiko who were here from Japan improvising on top of paradiddles played by Seattle Kokon Taiko:

See you next week!

Taiko Drill Part 50, Improvising Accents

Yay! It's the 50th taiko drill!

Last week I introduced the pattern that we'll be using for improvisation this week. It's not improvisation in the way you may think--we'll always use the same rhythm. But, have you ever thought about how accents can really change how something sounds? Let's try it out.

Focus: Improvisation, Rhythm

Watch for:

1. Don't expect to feel comfortable doing this right away. You'll see in the video that I have a few little hiccups and even completely change speeds right at the beginning, when I'm not sure where to place the next accent. Just keep trying and you'll gradually feel comfortable.

2. Improvisation can also be a form of experimentation. If you play something you like, write it down to use it later!

The best way to start this drill is to repeat the kuchi shoga a few times before beginning, at the tempo you feel most comfortable. When you begin to play the pattern, add accents randomly throughout the pattern. Try not to play many accents in a row, but also try not to let a full pattern pass you by without changing something from the time before.

I recorded myself improvising a couple of times. Check it out and then give it a try! Keep in mind that my video is just an example: yours should be completely different.

I'm in Seattle, teaching workshops with some friends from Japan. I'm not sure what my schedule will look like next Friday, but I'll do my best to be back with you then!

Taiko Drill Part 49, Improvising Accents (pre-lesson)

Whoa--I don't know about where you live, but it's suddenly turned from sunny Summer to cloudy Fall around here. Hopefully a little taiko will bring some sunshine to your day!

Focus: Rhythm
Watch For:
1. Check-in on whether or not you have an even balance between the left and right hands.

Today's drill is simple in explanation because I'd like you to be comfortable with it before we add the next step. So, play the following pattern through 10 minutes every day and I'll add the challenge next Friday!

1

&

2

&

3

&

4

&

5

&

6

&

7

&

8

&

don

tsu

ku

do

ko

don

do

ko

do

ko

don

tsu

ku

Don't worry about any emphasis for the hits, just get the pattern in your mind and body. Remember Red means Right and Black means Left.

Here's the video version on my drum pad (info video coming soon):



Next week, I'll be posting from the Pacific Northwest. Check back to see if I'm lucky enough to capture some taiko action on video there!

Taiko Drill Part 48, Sixteen Drill

Welcome back!

The last few weeks we've been talking about how understanding rhythms can help to really make a song tight. I'd like to take a step back (or forward?) and take two simple rhythms we already know, layer them with a partner (or in a group) and use them to listen to each other. Really try to hear how they fit together and form an entirely new sound.

Focus: Timing, Listening
Watch For:
1. Be aware of both your part and the part played by the opposite group/person.
2. Don't get lazy about form as the tempo increases. If it's too fast for you, play it at half-time for half the time!

Let's get started with the first part: "do ko". If you're playing the first part of this drill, play "do ko" 16 times, starting on the right hand. Simple enough, no?

Next, play "don tsu ku" (right, right, left) 8 times, which equals the same length of the 16 "do kos". Then alternate back and forth.

Probably you get the picture already, right? The opposite group will start with "don tsu ku" and then switch to "do ko" and alternate from there.

Start at a reasonable pace for all players, check the clock, and gradually increase the speed for 10 minutes. This part takes practice.

Don't designate a leader for this--the point is to stay together as a group. If you're not listening to the other people in the group, it's tough to keep the rhythms together. Also, if one person speeds up too fast, and everyone follows, well... it'll be a bit tough at the end.

So, try it yourself, experiment, and take it to your group for practice! You can even try facing away from each other for an additional challenge.

Extension:

Both of the above rhythms can be switched to a left-hand start at any time. Try this for "do ko":

do ko do ko do ko do ko do ko do ko do ko do ko
do ko do ko do ko do ko do ko do ko don . .don

From there, start the following line from the left hand!