Nice thread on Drum Circle Etiquette.
A lot of drum circle etiquette is about respectful personal and
musical relationship.
Such as;
Good volume
dynamics create
good relationship
dynamics.
Below you will find the drum circle etiquette section from my new
book "Drum Circle Facilitation, Building Community Through Rhythm".
It starts on page 118 • in Chapter 6 • in the chapter " Call of the
Drum"
I have also included a piece that is entitled " Advice for Beginning
Beginners".
Enjoy ... Arthur
Drum Circle Etiquette
Dynamic interactive musical and personal relationships are an
integral part of all drum
circle events. These relationships are based on a simple set of
unwritten guidelines. When
players adhere to them, it is easier for them to attain their highest
musical potential. In
culturally specific circles, the unwritten guidelines have evolved
through centuries of play-
ing, through the wisdom of our ancestors. These guidelines apply to
contemporary drum
circles as well, from freeform drum jams to facilitated rhythm
events. These unwritten
musical and personal relationship guidelines are expressed within what I
call Drum Circle Etiquette.
To most drum circle regulars, these guidelines are nonverbal
agreements that everyone adheres to in order to create a fun and
exciting musical experience together. Below are my Drum Circle
Etiquette suggestions for playing in most community drumming
environments. Using these Arthurian suggestions will help you
comfortably merge into an
ongoing drumming circle without being obtrusive. When you adhere to
these guidelines, both you and those around playing around you will
enjoy the drum circle
experience more. You will be a fully participating and contributing
member of an in-the-
moment, rhythmical alchemy orchestra, sometimes called a drum circle.
Basic Drum Circle Etiquette:
• Do Not Wear Rings, Watches or Bracelets While Playing Hand
Drums.
This protects the head on the drum, as well as the drum itself
from the metal. It also protects your hands. Rings can be flattened
if they hit the wooden rim of the drum.
• Ask Permission Before Playing Someone Else’s Drum.
For some drummers, their instrument is a very personal possession. If
someone leaves the circle to get a drink or go to the bathroom do not
immediately jump in and take their seat
or play their drum. In some drumming communities, drummers will put
something on their seat, cover their drum with something or lay their
drum on its side to signify that they will
be back.
• Listen As Much As You Play.
By listening to what is happening in the circle as you play, you will
have a better sense of
how you might fit into the groove that is being created.
• Support The Fundamental Groove.
There is a fundamental rhythm groove that you hear in the drum song
being created in
the circle. By supporting that groove with your rhythm you connect
yourself to the group
experience. You need not be a rhythm robot and hold down the same
part all night long.
There is plenty of freedom within the fundamental groove to
experiment, while expressing
your rhythmical spirit.
• Leave Rhythmical Space.
By leaving rhythmical space for other players in the circle to
express themselves, you create space in your own rhythm to hear and
enjoy the group’s music. Do not fill the space
with your own notes so much that there is little creative space left
for the other players.
• Play At The Volume Of The Group.
Good volume dynamics create good relationship dynamics. Play softly
enough so that you
can hear everyone around you. While you are drumming, be sure to
follow and support
the dynamic changes in volume and tempo that the group will go
through during a drum
circle event. If you can only hear yourself, you are unlikely to be
having a constructive
musical relationship with the other players in the circle.
• Share The Solo Space.
If you are at the advanced level of rhythmical expertise where
soloing with your drum is
available to you, then you know the excitement and pleasure of being
able to play over,
around and through the drum circle groove. Soloing through a drum
circle groove is very
much like a bird flying through the forest. But the “solo air” above
can accommodate only
a few solos at the same time. If there is more than one soloist
available in a circle be sure
to share the solo space. An excellent way for two or three drum
soloists to play through
the groove together is to have a drum dialogue with each other. In a
facilitated drum circle,
a facilitator will hopefully find the advanced drummers in the circle
and showcase them
individually or encourage them to share a dialogue or trade solos.
• Do Not Smoke In The Circle.
Drumming is a high-energy aerobic exercise. Respect everyone’s need
to breathe in the
closely packed environment.
• Advice for Beginning Beginners
Along with the standard Arthurian Drum Circle Etiquette suggestions,
I have some advice
for beginning-beginners who are joining a drum circle event for the
first time.
• Enjoy the journey.
In all the excitement, remember to have fun. Although it will help
you to follow the simple
Drum Circle Etiquette guidelines, you need not be an experienced
drummer to fully participate and have a good time.
• Do not worry.
Even if you might think that you are rhythmically challenged, do not
worry. Just get
started and you will find rhythms inside of you that you did not know
you had. Simply
participate actively in the drum circle and the excitement and
rhythms surrounding you
will motivate you to express exactly what fully contributes to the
group song. You need not
even play a drum. You can bring a simple percussion instrument such
as a shaker, a bell or
a wood block. They can be a lot easier to play than a hand drum.
• Support the drum community experience.
If you are participating in a drum circle for the first time, have an
attitude of humility and
support. Be very observant of the actions and reactions of the more
advanced drummers
who are playing in the circle and you will learn a lot quickly.
• Keep it simple.
The pulse will always be somewhere in the music. Listen for it, then
play along with it or
around it. It is like keeping the side of the pool within reach as
you learn to swim. The
pulse will always be there for you to grab onto, as is the side of
the pool, if you get rhythmically lost while playing. Once you are
comfortable with what you are playing, you can
explore deeper rhythmical waters, while keeping the pulse in sight.
• Just ask.
Every rhythm event is different, and has its own particular
variations of Drum Circle
Etiquette. If you are unsure about what is appropriate, ask somebody.
They will likely
respond with supportive suggestions.
As a basic agreement of community drumming events, each person in the
circle comes
to share their rhythmical spirit and personal energy with their
community. This group
consciousness is the catalyst for a very powerful, yet intimate
experience for everybody as
they create unity in their community by drumming together. The
musical part of any drum
circle will take care of itself when every player is there to share
their spirit and have fun.
I hoped that this helps. If you like what you have read, you can
order the book from my office. An order form for my new facilitation
book will be up on my web site by the first of the year.
Life is a dance...... Arthur []';-)
Arthur Hull
Village Music Circles(tm)
719 Swift Street Suite 65
Santa Cruz CA 95060
1-831-458-1946
arthurian@drumcircle.com
http://www.drumcircle.com/
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