Course-West African Drumming

Course title

West African Drumming: Technique, Ensemble & Cultural Context

Overview

An academic-format class structure for teaching West African drumming to an advanced audience. Students receive 30 hours of training. Two delivery-length options are included (1-week summer intensive and 12-week semester), plus practical details on pedagogy, materials, cultural ethics, assessment, accessibility, and community engagement.

Course description

This is a practical hands-on ensemble drumming course introducing fundamental techniques, traditional West African rhythms, participant/ensemble roles, improvisation and cultural context. Emphasis on listening, community-building, respectful cultural and historical learning values, and a culminating community performance.

Tuition

$1000 per student.

For financial assistance, reach out to our office.

Location

Belleville, Ontario.

Audience & prerequisites

This course is suitable for all ages and abilities, and may be taken for academic pursuit or recreation.

No prior experience required.

This course will be beneficial for students of music, dance, theatre, African Studies, education.

This course will also be beneficial professional development for teachers of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate basic djembe/dunun technique (bass/tone/slap and dunun strokes).
• Perform several traditional West African rhythms in ensemble with correct interlocking parts.
• Read and use simple drum notation and oral/call-and-response learning methods.
• Improvise musically within a group setting and take leadership/cueing roles.
• Explain basic cultural context and ethical considerations behind the repertoire.
• Participate confidently in a community performance.

Logistics and format

• Class length:
  • Summer intensive: 6 hours per class x 5 classes.
  • 12-week course:  2.5 hours of instruction time per class x 12 classes.
• Maximum group size: 25.
• Space: open, ventilated room with hard floor or mats; seating in semicircle or circle.
• Safety: warm-ups, posture, hand-care guidance; consider hearing awareness for loud rooms.

Pedagogical approach

• Orality + demonstration: teach by call-and-response, echoing, repetition.
• Layered learning: build from simple groove → add parts → interchange solos/improvise.
• Inclusive pedagogy: multiple learning modes (visual, aural, kinesthetic), modifications for mobility/hearing needs.
• Cultural respect: present origins, credit traditions and master drummers, invite guest artists from the tradition where possible.
• Instructors will add personal resource collections to supplement existing literature.

Suggested materials

• Instruments: Instruments: djembes (one per student), 2–3 dunun (dununba, sangban, kenkeni) with beaters, kpanlogo, bell/dawuro/ngogo, shakers, aslatoa. If drums are limited, rotate roles or use alternative percussion (bongos, frame drums).
• Audio: recordings of traditional rhythms and master drummers.
• Simple notation sheets (R/L, B/T/S) and diagrams of hand placement.
• Handouts with rhythm syllables and history/context notes.

Notation convention

• B = Bass (center hit)
• T = Tone (open rim-center)
• S = Slap (higher slap)
• R = Right hand, L = Left hand for sticking patterns
• Example pattern: B – T S T – (timing indicated with beats per bar)

 Assessment and outcomes

• Formative: instructor observation, peer feedback, in-class mini-performances.
• Summative: final community performance + short reflection (written or recorded) about learning and cultural context.
• Assessment rubric criteria:
  • Technique (25%)
  • Ensemble timing (25%)
  • Listening/interaction (20%)
  • Cultural understanding and reflection (15%)
  • Attendance/participation (15%)

Cultural ethics and community engagement

• Acknowledge region, nation, and tradition of pieces taught; avoid claiming ownership.
• Credit master drummers/artists and encourage further study.
• If inviting guest artists, compensate fairly.
• Use performances to celebrate community.

1-week summer intensive — Breakdown

Each day’s class is 6 hours total instruction time.

• Day 1:
  • • Intro, warm-ups, basic hand technique (bass/tone/slap), simple rhythm (4/4 pulse), call-and-response, short listening/context talk.
• Day 2:
  • • Reinforce technique; teach a basic West African groove (e.g., Kuku or simple 4/4 dance rhythm); introduce bell pattern; ensemble layering.
• Day 3:
  • • Introduce dunun parts (three-part cycle), demonstrate playing with bell; practice ensemble interlock; short improvisation exercise.
• Day 4:
  • • New rhythm (e.g., Sosso/Traditional dance rhythm), practice transitions between rhythms; begin practicing cues and leading.
• Day 5:
  • • Focus on dynamics, phrasing, and solos; structured solo practice with support; group improvisation rules.
    • Cultural context session — history, role of drummers in community, invite recorded master performance or guest talk; refine repertoire.
• Day 6:
  • • Rehearsal for final performance: staging, arrangement, roles; sound checks and movement/calls.
    • Evening: Community performance (30–45 minutes) + reflection & feedback session.

12-week semester – Breakdown

Each class is 2.5 hours of instruction time. (Class is 3 hours with a 0.5-hour break.)

• Weeks 1–2:
  • • Foundations — technique drills, warm-ups, introductory rhythm, notation & listening skills.
• Weeks 3–4:
  • • Core repertoire I — learn 2–3 rhythms in depth (e.g., Kuku, Djole, Yankadi-Makru); introduce dunun and bell.
• Weeks 5–6:
  • • Core repertoire II — additional rhythms with different meters/pulse; call-and-response repertoire and songs.
• Week 7:
  • • Improvisation & soloing — techniques, support roles, phrasing.
• Week 8:
  • • Composition — small groups arrange/compose short pieces based on learned patterns.
• Week 9:
  • • Cultural context & ethnomusicology — guest artist or lecture, recorded examples, discussion of cultural protocols.
• Week 10:
  • • Rehearsal — ensemble cohesion, dynamics, transitions between pieces.
• Week 11:
  • • Dress rehearsal — staging, final technical polish, community outreach prep.
• Week 12:
  • • Public/community concert + post-performance reflection, documentation and celebration.

Class breakdown

• 15 min: Warm-ups (rhythmic clapping, hand-stretching, coordination drills)
• 30 min: Technique focus (bass/tone/slap; sticking; dunun technique)
• 30 min: Repertoire practice (learn or refine main rhythm; layered ensemble work)
• 30 min: Break
• 30 min: Improvisation/solo practice or composition activity
• 15 min: Cool-down (stretching, singing)
• 15 min: Cultural context, closing reflection, assignments/home practice
• 15 min: Questions, discussion.

Homework and practice

• 15-30 minutes daily or 3-4 times weekly ideally; listening assignments; record short practice videos for feedback.

Community performance concepts

• Small festival set (30–45 min), school assemblies, intergenerational circle, fundraising concert, dance collaboration with local dancers.
• Teach a short “call-and-response” piece for the audience to join in to increase engagement.

Accessibility adaptations

• Seated drumming or tabletop drums for mobility-limited participants.
• Visual cueing and written materials for hearing-impaired learners.
• Lighter drum sizes or hand aids for those with limited hand strength.
• Pairing learners so tasks alternate between standing/less physical roles.

Safety & instrument care

• We teach safe hand technique and progressive warm-ups.
• Clean and store djembes properly; avoid extreme humidity or heat; tune drums carefully or leave to a trained tuner.
• Hydration and breaks during sessions.

Recommended listening and resources (general guidance)

• Listen to recordings by recognized master drummers / ensembles from the region being taught (i.e. West African djembe masters and traditional dance companies).
• Use video resources for technique demonstration from reputable teachers and community drumming programs.
• Invite local ethnomusicologists or master drummers for verification of cultural material.

Sample assessment rubric (for final performance — 100 marks)

• Technique & clarity (25): correct strokes, hand placement, tone consistency.
• Ensemble timing & groove (25): steady pulse, locking with others, following bell/dunun.
• Interaction & leadership (20): cues, listening, mutual support, improvisation tastefully done.
• Cultural understanding (15): ability to explain origins and respectful presentation.
• Participation & improvement (15): attendance, practice, responsiveness to feedback.

Notes on ethics and appropriation

• Always present cultural background, avoid exoticization.
• Avoid claiming drumming traditions as “yours”; give credit and context.
• Compensate guest/drumline leaders fairly and cite sources of repertoire.
• Encourage continuous learning from authentic tradition-bearers.

Course readings

CHEVERS, IVY. “CONNECTING IDENTITY: The Rasta Reggae Diaspora in Columbus, Ohio.” Scattered Musics, edited by Martha I. Chew Sánchez and David Henderson, University Press of Mississippi, 2021, pp. 90–108.

Jaji, Tsitsi. “Audible Africa: On the Musical Life of Shirley Graham Du Bois.” Shirley Graham Du Bois: Artist, Activist, and Author in the African Diaspora, edited by Annette K. Joseph-Gabriel and Phillip Luke Sinitiere, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2025, pp. 19–42.

Adu-Gyamfi, Yaw. “Orality in Writing: Its Cultural and Political Significance in Wole Soyinka’s ‘Ogun Abibiman.’” Research in African Literatures, vol. 33, no. 3, 2002, pp. 104–24

Bakan, Michael B. “Polycultural Polyrhythms: World Percussion Compilation Recordings.” Ethnomusicology, vol. 41, no. 2, 1997, pp. 303–13.

HIGGINSON, PIM. “Into the Jungle: Jazz, Writing, and Francophone African Transnationalism.” Yale French Studies, no. 120, 2011, pp. 88–99. 

Schauert, Paul. “Dancing Essences: Sensational Staging and the Cosmopolitan Politics of Authentication.” Staging Ghana: Artistry and Nationalism in State Dance Ensembles, Indiana University Press, 2015, pp. 78–119.

Schauert, Paul. “Managing Culture: Discipline, Artistry, and Alternative Education in Ghana’s State Dance Ensembles.” Africa Today, vol. 60, no. 3, 2014, pp. 3–33.

Akrong, Isaac. “Ghanaian Gome and Jamaican Kumina: West African Influences.” Making Caribbean Dance: Continuity and Creativity in Island Cultures. Ed. Susanna Sloat. Florida: University Press of Florida, 2010: 153.

Akrong, Isaac. “Kpanlogo Dance Today: A Documentation of the Evolution of a Ga Traditional Dance Form of Ghana, West Africa”. York University, 2003.

Cudjoe, Emmanuel. “ROYAL DANCE-MUSIC ORIGINS.” The Embodiment and Transmission of Ghanaian Kete Royal Dance: From Palace to Academy, Anthem Press, 2025, pp. 9–32.