Andy Gleadhill's Slap Djembe (Enhanced)

The perfect introduction to playing and teaching the djembe (this version is the book with weblinks and enhanced content).

Written in partnership with Percussion Plus, this incredible resource is the perfect introduction to playing and teaching the djembe. It utilises innovative, accessible notation that can be used with any drum, but which pairs perfectly with Percussion Plus Slap Djembes. And at 42 pages with full colour throughout it is fun and engaging for all.

The book features 12 traditional rhythms that take you on a journey around the globe. With each composition there are fun facts and cultural context to provide a rounded education on not only the music, but also the people and the places that the music comes from. Also included are insightful performance notes on each piece alongside an entire chapter on ‘Creating a Performance’.

The ’10 weekly lessons’ provided have been carefully crafted to be the perfect teaching aid, and can be applied to any of the 12 rhythms in the book for the potential of 120 lessons to choose from! This book also comes with a dedicated selection of online content, from video performances to individual audio parts and more.

The book includes 12 traditional rhythms from across the globe, two each from countries in Africa, Australasia & Oceania, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. With each country you are given a core rhythm, followed by a three part arrangement featuring the core rhythm. Each tune is also graded for difficulty so you can measure your progress as you go.

Take your lessons to the next level with additional online video and audio support. Watch and play along with Andy using the video performances of every tune, or use the audio clips of each separate parts (with metronome intro) as a handy reference when learning and teaching the rhythms. See below for example audio and video content.

The notation system, developed by Percussion Plus, makes this book easy to understand for a variety of learners and a joy to teach from. It combines standard western notation with symbols for the bass, tone, and slap which demonstrates how to play the drum. This marries perfectly with the Percussion Plus Slap Djembes that have the bass, tone, and slap symbols printed on the head of the drum, but can be used with any djembe or similar drum.

The ‘Making a performance’ chapter answers just this by taking through the stages of a djembe performance with tips and tricks along the way so you can create amazing music whilst having fun too! This is in addition to Andy’s performance notes which are specific pieces of advice for each rhythm, included throughout the book.

Planning lessons for a djembe group has never been easier – Andy Gleadhill’s Slap Djembe provides you with 10 fully planned lesson ideas for you to follow along. Starting with the basic elements of music to creating a performance ready piece, the 10 week lesson plan can be applied to any of the tunes in the resource. Think what you could do with the time saved!

Alongside each rhythm is a whole range of additional content to add an extra dimension to the learning experience. These include fun facts, geographical information, cultural and social context, as well helpful maps and imagery.