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Audio Clips

Below are some audio clips that demonstrate some of the devices I use in my Workshops to teach different musical ideas and to inspire a new direction for the overall group rhythm. These devices also add variety and interest to the groove.

Here I have sculpted the Steal Drum and Hang Drum and some percussion to carry on, while using hand signals to instruct the drummers to play short stabs of different numeric intervals, which acts as a build up to bringing the didgeridoo in in the next section.

The Power and tightness of this section comes from me dancing in order to mark the pulse in the centre of the circle. This gives something visually rhythmic and energising for participants to lock in to and perform to.

Here, by signalling to increase volume, new excitement, energy and drama are created in the group. This is followed by tension from bringing it down, and also a new element of listening, as attention to the detail of sound can be more controlled when playing together at a quieter volume. The rising and falling feeling that follows creates a real sense of the groove living and breathing as the group moves together.

Notice just how by stopping everyone and starting them again altogether it brings a new level of group togetherness and energy; Sometimes the simplest of devices are the most effective.

The call and response device brings energy and concentration back to a group, as well as a new sense of working together. It also teaches different rhythmic phrases and ideas in each of the call and responses, which people will hear, then play back to me, and thus learn. These phrases and ideas can then influence people and give them ideas for rhythms to play in the next section. Ideas which can be taught using call and response include different rhythmic denominations, triplets and dynamic volume changes.

Here I gave the Hang Drum a silent instruction to carry on, where as I stopped everyone else. This gave the group a chance to hear a really nice aspect of the overall groove, which then inspires their style of playing for the next section. In this instance, the drummers come back in quieter and simpler, giving us a nice chilled out section of the overall piece of music. This idea of soloing certain instruments or groups of instruments is often an effective way of giving the group new rhythmic inspiration and taking the groove to the next level. Excuse my talking, as I was welcoming late comers to the group, and it is very important in my workshops to make everyone feel welcome and establish a group rapport upon their entrance to the room.