When learning djembe solos, many of us follow a familiar path. We learn one phrase, then another, then another. Before long, we may have accumulated dozens of patterns and ideas, each learned separately and stored away like items on a shelf.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that approach. It is how many traditional solos are taught and how many players build their vocabulary.

However, this project explores a slightly different question:

What happens if you stop looking for the next phrase and spend more time with the one you already have?

Instead of constantly adding new material, what if you took a single phrase, learned it thoroughly, understood its movement and feeling, and then started asking where it might lead?

That is the idea behind this series.

The entire project began with a solo phrase played by Seckouba Oulare over the rhythm Djina Mansa. It was a phrase that immediately caught my attention. Not just because of the roll itself, but because of the way the phrase sat in the groove and seemed to pull the pulse in interesting directions.

What started as a simple lesson on one phrase quickly became something much bigger.

Each week, the phrase evolved. New possibilities emerged. Certain notes were emphasised. Others disappeared. The rolls changed shape. The groove shifted. New feelings appeared.

Rather than moving on to a completely different idea, each lesson explores another branch growing from the same musical root.

The exciting thing is that this journey is far from finished. At the time of writing, the project continues to develop, with new ideas still emerging from the original phrase.

Below you’ll find the first five stages of that journey.

Week 1: This Djembe Roll Phrase Instantly Upgrades Your Solos

Everything starts here.

The first lesson introduces the original phrase inspired by Seckouba Oulare’s playing over Djina Mansa. At first glance, it might appear to be a lesson about a roll. In reality, it is much more than that.

What makes this phrase so compelling is not simply the number of notes in the roll or the technical challenge involved. It is the way the phrase interacts with the pulse and creates momentum within the groove.

This lesson focuses on understanding the phrase itself, learning the mechanics required to play it, and beginning to appreciate why it has such a distinctive character.

Most importantly, it establishes the foundation from which the rest of the project grows.

Week 2: Djembe Roll Placement: Make It Swing

Having learned the original phrase, the next step is to take a closer look at one of its most distinctive ingredients: the roll itself.

One of the biggest challenges in djembe playing is recognising that notes alone do not create feel. Two players can perform exactly the same pattern and achieve completely different results depending on how they place those notes against the pulse.

In this lesson, the roll is isolated from the wider phrase and explored as a repeating idea in its own right. The focus shifts towards timing, placement and swing, while maintaining the same relationship to the pulse that gave the original phrase its character.

Subtle ghost notes help connect the roll to the underlying pulse, creating a sense of flow and repeatability. Rather than sounding like an isolated technical exercise, the roll begins to settle into a groove that feels natural and musical.

This is where the project starts moving beyond simply learning a phrase and towards

Week 3: Djembe Rolls with a Shuffle Feel

Week 3 marks the first major transformation of the original idea.

Instead of simply refining the phrase, we begin reshaping it into something new. The result is a flowing shuffle-like feel that changes the character of the phrase dramatically.

As the phrase loops continuously around the pulse, it develops a rolling momentum that feels quite different from the original version.

This lesson demonstrates an important principle in solo development. Sometimes the most interesting ideas do not come from inventing something completely new. They emerge when we view an existing phrase from a different angle.

The shuffle feel creates a fresh personality while still retaining a clear connection to the original source material.

Week 4: Djembe Rolls That Float Around the Pulse

The journey continues by pushing the shuffle concept even further.

Here, the roll clusters begin to move around the pulse in a way that creates a suspended, floating sensation. Rather than landing directly on strong beats, they seem to drift either side of them, producing a groove that feels simultaneously grounded and weightless.

This is one of the fascinating aspects of rhythmic development. Tiny adjustments to placement can completely alter the emotional quality of a phrase.

The lesson explores how these offbeat placements create tension, movement and release, while still maintaining a strong connection to the underlying pulse.

By this point in the project, the phrase has already traveled a considerable distance from where it started.

Week 5: African Djembe Flams & Shuffle Feel

Week 5 takes an unexpected turn.

Rather than adding complexity, it removes it.

Returning to the shuffle concept introduced in Week 3, the rolls are stripped away and replaced with loose African-style flams. The result is a completely different texture and feel.

These stretched flams occupy a fascinating space within djembe playing. At times they barely sound like conventional flams at all. Instead, they feel like two relaxed notes leaning gently into one another.

This lesson also explores an important musical idea: the danger of becoming overly dependent on ghost notes.

Ghost notes can be incredibly useful for demonstrating movement and swing. However, they can sometimes become a safety net. When they are reduced or removed entirely, the main notes are forced to carry more responsibility. Suddenly every note matters more. The groove becomes clearer. The phrasing becomes more deliberate.

In many ways, Week 5 represents a reminder that musical development is not always about adding more notes. Sometimes it is about discovering how much expression can be achieved with less.

What This Project Has Taught So Far

Although these five lessons explore different technical ideas, the deeper theme running through the entire series is creativity.

The original phrase has been examined from multiple angles:

• Learning the phrase itself
• Understanding its placement
• Developing swing
• Exploring shuffle feel
• Creating floating offbeat movement
• Replacing rolls with flams
• Simplifying the material to reveal new possibilities

Each stage has demonstrated how much potential can be hidden inside a single musical idea.

For djembe players, this can be a valuable lesson. We often assume progress comes from constantly learning new material. Sometimes it does. But there is also tremendous value in staying with one phrase long enough to truly understand it.

When we do that, the phrase begins to reveal possibilities we could never have seen at first glance.

The Journey Continues

One of the most exciting aspects of this project is that it is still evolving.

What initially looked like a short series has continued to generate new ideas and directions. New variations keep appearing. New questions emerge. New possibilities reveal themselves.

Week 6 is already underway, and there may well be further instalments beyond that.

That, perhaps, is the biggest lesson of all.

A great phrase is not simply something you learn and move on from. It can become the starting point for an ongoing creative journey.

If this series encourages you to spend a little longer exploring the possibilities hidden inside the phrases you already know, then it will have achieved exactly what it set out to do.

Watch the Full Playlist 

The project continues to grow, and future lessons will be added as new ideas emerge from the original phrase.

Watch this space.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbH4A8OC0FDhJgU4hdOm63LTPwzcGiJTt

If you enjoyed this series please subscribe to the channel and explore the growing collection of djembe lessons, rhythm breakdowns and solo development ideas. https://www.youtube.com/@unbeatableenergy

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While the Soli Pathway often leans around the pulse with a flowing before-the-beat feel, the Soko-style approach explores a different kind of tension and release. As the series develops, you’ll hear how the same ternary foundation can produce a completely different musical sensation depending on where the phrases sit against the pulse.

As with Part 1, these videos build gradually. Each lesson introduces a new rhythmic idea while connecting back to the underlying feel that runs through the whole pathway.

Whether you’re completely new to ternary djembe or already familiar with 12/8 accompaniment playing, the aim here is not simply to memorise patterns, but to develop a deeper understanding of flow, placement and musical feel.

So grab a drum (or even a table!) and enjoy the journey through the Soko pathway.

WEEK 1 — The Call Tells You Everything

Part 2 begins by focusing on a classic Soko-style call — a short phrase that already contains many of the characteristics of the Soko feel.

Rather than treating the call as just a signal to begin the rhythm, this video explores how its shape, movement and phrasing reveal the underlying direction of the groove itself. Even within this small musical idea, you can already start to hear the distinct personality of the Soko pathway.

If you want to understand these rhythms more deeply — not just memorise patterns — this is a strong place to begin.

WEEK 2 — Fire, Feel & Échauffement

This video takes the first practical steps into the Soko feel through a simple échauffement — a flowing warm-up pattern closely connected to village music, dance and movement.

Rather than focusing on learning a full rhythm, the aim here is to begin feeling the character of the Soko pathway itself. By using a repetitive échauffement, we can explore different shades of the Soko feel within the 12/8 cycle without the distraction of complex repertoire.

In many African ballet contexts, échauffements are woven directly into performance, with drummers and dancers warming, moving and playing together. Here, the échauffement becomes more than a technical exercise — it becomes a doorway into the feel itself.

Think of this episode as lighting the fire before the form.

Beginners can focus on coordination; more experienced players can listen for the subtle movements inside the groove.

WEEK 3 — Soko Pathway Foundations

This lesson begins with one of the most universal accompaniment patterns in 12/8 djembe playing — a simple groove that defines the pulse and sits underneath countless ternary rhythms. It’s an approachable starting point for beginners and a useful grounding exercise for more experienced players wanting to strengthen their internal sense of time.

From there, the video introduces a second pattern that points more directly towards the character of the Soko rhythm itself. Although closely related to the first groove, subtle changes in placement and movement begin to reveal the distinctive feel of the Soko pathway.

Later in the session, we explore the use of ghost notes and very subtle swing, shifting the focus away from the notes themselves and towards the underlying feel of the groove. Even small changes in placement can completely alter the character of the rhythm.

WEEK 4 — Tiriba Pattern

This lesson focuses on the classic Tiriba accompaniment pattern and the distinctive way it fits around the pulse within the Soko pathway.

The groove is introduced in two stages: first through a simplified coordination to help establish the movement, followed by a more traditional handling of the rhythm itself.

The aim is not simply to memorise the pattern, but to clearly hear and feel the accented beat-after-the-pulse quality that gives Tiriba its particular character and drive.

WEEK 5 — Simple but Deceptive

This lesson explores a Soko-style 12/8 djembe pattern that sounds quite straightforward at first, but becomes surprisingly deceptive once you settle into the pulse.

The hand movement itself is relatively simple, yet the ear often wants to pull the phrase into a completely different place. In the video we slow things down, unpack where the accent actually sits, and explore why this kind of placement can feel both confusing and deeply satisfying once it finally locks in.

It’s a great example of how subtle placement within the pulse can completely transform the character of a groove.

WEEK 6 — Soko Bass Patterns

This lesson introduces two core djembe bass patterns that sit underneath many Soko-style 12/8 rhythms — an accessible version followed by a slightly more advanced variation.

These grooves form part of the foundation of the Soko pathway, providing the weight, momentum and stability that many of the other phrases build upon.

The video also touches on an interesting aspect of the coordination within these patterns. They’re presented as traditionally taught, but there’s something worth noticing in the way the hands move and organise themselves around the pulse.

After the more deceptive phrasing explored in the previous lesson, this session returns to weight, clarity and grounding — sitting deeply inside the groove and allowing the drum to speak.

WEEK 7 — The Djembe Rhythm That Tricks Your Brain (Dembadon Pattern)

This lesson explores a deceptively simple djembe pattern from Dembadon that many players instinctively pull into the wrong place once the pulse begins.

Although the sticking itself is straightforward, the ear naturally wants to reorganise the phrase into a different groove altogether. It’s a fascinating example of how rhythm perception works — even when we intellectually understand where a pattern should sit, the brain can still hear it differently.

In the video, the pattern is broken down slowly and anchored carefully against the pulse, helping develop a more reliable internal sense of placement within the Soko-style feel.

This version of the rhythm came through a workshop with master drummer Billy Konaté in March 2025.

WEEK 8 — Beautiful Wassolonka Djembe Phrase

This lesson explores a beautiful but quite challenging djembe phrase drawn from Wassolonka (Ngri) — a phrase I first encountered played by Mamady Keïta.

What makes this pattern so distinctive is the interaction between the slaps and tones. The slaps land very clearly, while the tones move around them in a way that creates a flowing, almost rolling movement through the phrase. The result is a groove that feels intricate, fluid and deeply satisfying once the hands begin to settle into it.

You’ll hear variations of this kind of phrasing appearing across many ternary djembe solos and accompaniments, particularly within rhythms connected to the Soko-style family explored throughout this pathway.

In the lesson, the phrase is broken into smaller sections before gradually being rebuilt into the complete movement, helping reveal how the tones and slaps weave around one another.

There’s also a brief guest appearance from my kitten Zelda, who became very curious about the sound of the djembe during filming.

WEEK 9 — Learn Djembe Swing the Bonkers Way

This lesson explores the feel of a Soko-style backloaded swing, but through a slightly unusual and playful approach.

Rather than relying purely on counting or technical explanation, the video experiments with the way certain spoken English phrases can naturally reflect the movement and phrasing of a rhythm. The idea isn’t to force words onto the groove, but to notice how natural speech patterns can sometimes reveal the feel surprisingly well.

Using the échauffement feel developed earlier in the pathway, the lesson applies this approach both to flowing exercises and to a Soko-style djembe call.

Although playful on the surface, the deeper focus remains the same: developing a stronger instinct for placement, swing and feel within the 12/8 cycle.

WEEK 10 — Understanding Soko: How the Dundun Parts Fit Together

This final lesson brings Part 2 of the 12/8 series to a close by focusing on the dundun parts for Soko.

The session explores the Sangba, Kenkeni and Dundunba patterns step by step before moving into the deeper question of what really gives Soko its distinctive feeling — especially how the swing begins to come alive once the different parts are combined together.

From there, the lesson moves into a more exploratory, ballet-style approach, layering combinations of parts to help reveal how these rhythms interact and support one another. The aim isn’t necessarily to memorise every combination, but to develop a deeper appreciation of how the different voices fit together within the groove.

For players wanting a challenge, there are also opportunities to test coordination, stamina and control — particularly once the closed Kenkeni notes begin driving the movement forward.

This video brings the Soko Pathway journey full circle, showing how many of the ideas explored throughout the earlier lessons finally connect together inside the ensemble.

Explore More Lessons on YouTube

I hope you’ve enjoyed working through this 12/8 Classics Part 2 series and exploring the Soko pathway.

There are many more rhythm breakdowns, groove studies, accompaniment lessons, solo ideas and longer-form teaching series available over on the Unbeatable Energy YouTube channel — with hundreds of videos exploring different aspects of djembe and dundun playing.

If you’d like to continue exploring, you can find the channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/@UnbeatableEnergy

New videos are added regularly, covering everything from traditional accompaniment patterns to improvisation, feel, flow and technique.

Support the Channel

If you’ve enjoyed these lessons and would like to support the time that goes into creating free djembe content for the channel, you can support the work here:

https://buymeacoffee.com/unbeatableenergy

Your support genuinely helps keep these long-form lessons, rhythm breakdowns and pathway series coming.

The Big One – Off-Beat Accompaniment & the Soli Pathway Finale

After gradually building through the earlier lessons, we finally arrive at one of the biggest challenges in the ternary world: the off-beat accompaniment.

This type of counter-pattern appears throughout the Soli-style 12/8 world and, once it properly settles into your hands and ears, the whole rhythmic landscape starts to open up in a new way. It’s an important concept not only for djembe accompaniment, but also for understanding the movement of dundun parts such as the kenkeni.

In this lesson we explore:

• simplified “cheat” versions to help you get started
• the classic accompaniment version used in ensemble playing
• ways to develop the internal timing needed to hold the groove steady
• the idea of “empathic timing” and how listening changes the way the rhythm feels

This is probably the most demanding lesson from Part 1 of the Soli Pathway series, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. If you’ve worked through the earlier lessons, this video pulls many of those ideas together into one flowing accompaniment feel.

Explore More Lessons on YouTube

This blog covers one specific pathway through the 12/8 world, but there are many more lessons, rhythm breakdowns, groove ideas and solo concepts over on my YouTube channel.

If you enjoyed this series and want to continue exploring djembe, you can find the full channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/@UnbeatableEnergy

New videos are added regularly, covering everything from traditional accompaniment patterns to flow, improvisation and technique.

Support the Channel

If you’ve enjoyed these lessons and would like to support the time that goes into creating free djembe content for the channel, you can support the work here:

https://buymeacoffee.com/unbeatableenergy

Your support genuinely helps keep these long-form lessons, rhythm breakdowns and pathway series coming.

The Soli Pathway – Weeks 1–9

This first series focuses entirely on the Soli Pathway: a grounded, flowing version of the 12/8 feel that influences how phrases land, how the groove moves, and how your hands begin to relax into the music.
A second series will follow later, exploring the other 12/8 pathway.

These videos build one step at a time.
Each week adds a new layer.
Each groove prepares your hands, ears and instincts for what comes next.

This blog brings together Weeks 1–9 of the Soli Pathway in one place so you can follow the series from start to finish.
(Week 10 — The Big One — has its own dedicated blog coming next.)

So grab a drum (or a table!) and enjoy the journey.

WEEK 1 — Two Paths, Two Feelings

This first lesson sets the whole pathway in motion.
We explore the two different “roads” inside the 12/8 feel — something that’s easy to overlook but completely changes how a rhythm sits in the body.
It’s a gentle start, but it gives you the foundation you’ll use in every video that follows.

→ When you’ve explored these two feelings, you’re ready for the next step.

WEEK 2 — ‘Kanki Ta’ – Essential Groove & Hidden Feel

“Kanki Ta” is one of the simplest ways into the ternary world, but it already carries the character of the Soli Pathway. In this lesson, I explore how the short–medium–long swing shapes the rhythm, and how that internal shift changes its feel.

Beginners can focus on coordination; more experienced players can listen for the subtle movements inside the groove.

WEEK 3 — Feel the Pinch (‘Katikita’ Breakdown)

Here we explore Katikita — a groove with a beautifully “pinched” inner feel created by accents and timing.
This lesson shows how small shifts can give the rhythm shape and character, especially within the Soli Pathway where subtlety matters.

It’s not about adding notes; it’s about adding life.

WEEK 4 — Three Flowing Grooves from Kala

In this video we explore Kala — a joyful rhythm from the Soli family. The lesson looks at three accompaniment patterns that share the distinctive before-the-beat feeling often found in Soli-style grooves.

It’s a flowing set of patterns that helps bridge the earlier material with the more challenging ideas still to come.

WEEK 5 — Garangedon

Garangedon is a traditional rhythm associated with the shoemakers’ caste in Mali, and the version here comes through Mamady Keïta, who brought it into the wider djembe repertoire from Guinea.

What makes it so compelling is the way it captures the Soli Rapide feel — that slight lean before the pulse, creating the suspended, rolling swing that defines so much of this pathway.

In the video we break down the key accompaniment phrase and look at how this subtle shift gives the rhythm its characteristic energy and flow.

WEEK 6 — Joining Up the Djembe Dots

This video picks up directly from Garangedon, exploring a small variation on that groove and tracing how the same before-the-pulse accent appears across other djembe and dundun patterns.

It’s a useful rhythmic touchpoint that shows how the Soli pathway connects so many grooves in the 12/8 family. The aim here is to join up the djembe dots — to hear how this shared feeling flows through melody, rhythm and pulse.

WEEK 7 — Setting the Groove Free

This video takes the Garangedon-inspired ideas from the previous section and begins to loosen them. Up to now we’ve joined the dots between variations; here the focus shifts to avoiding getting stuck in any one version.

Once the classic accent-before-the-beat feeling is in your hands, you can start adding phrases, changing sounds and introducing small spontaneous shifts that move the rhythm toward solo phrasing.

It’s about keeping the same pulse but opening space for expression and play — letting the pattern feel alive rather than fixed.

WEEK 8 — Bass, Flow & Freedom

This video continues directly from the previous section, but now the focus shifts to how bass placement can deepen and open up the groove. Subtle changes in where the bass lands begin to transform the accent-before-pulse feel we explored earlier, creating new levels of flow and freedom.

We’re still inside the 12/8 pocket, but this session takes things further — offering more ways to connect your phrases, ride the groove and begin to improvise with confidence.

WEEK 9 — Liberté Doubles

This video uses the rhythm Liberte as a bridge toward the more complex Soli-style accompaniment that follows. Although not a Soli rhythm, it offers a clear framework for developing the in-between doubles — the quick hand-to-hand notes that sit between the main pulse.

These doubles appear often in Soli-style grooves, so this session focuses on the timing and feel that make that movement easier to control.

What Comes Next? Week 10 — The Big One

Weeks 1–9 form a complete introduction to the Soli Pathway — one side of the 12/8 world.
Week 10 is where everything comes together.

It’s the longest, most detailed lesson in the series and the one that has resonated most with viewers so far. Because of its importance, it has its own dedicated blog post, which will be live shortly.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re more than ready for the final step — keep an eye out, Week 10 is on its way.

Sharing the journey

I’m always exploring new ways to develop solo phrasing and technique — and this roll has been a really enjoyable challenge. Sharing these ideas through video is part of how I keep the learning alive and offer something that others might find useful or inspiring in their own playing.

If you’d like to support the channel and help keep the rhythm flowing, you can buy me a coffee here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/unbeatableenergy

Thanks for reading — and happy drumming!

-Steve Rivers

Exploring Kaloo – Djembe, Dunduns & Multitasking

In this new video, I walk through Kaloo’s djembe and dundun parts, slowly unpacking the structure and phrasing. After demonstrating the dunduns, I have a go at one of my favourite challenges: playing and singing at the same time – a playful way to internalise the arrangement and help others feel how the layers fit together.

If you’ve played Kaloo before, I’d love to hear how and where you learnt it. And if it’s new to you, I hope this helps bring you closer to Mamady’s rich and vibrant musical world.

Sharing the journey

I’m always exploring new ways to develop solo phrasing and technique — and this roll has been a really enjoyable challenge. Sharing these ideas through video is part of how I keep the learning alive and offer something that others might find useful or inspiring in their own playing.

 If you’d like to support the channel and help keep the rhythm flowing, you can buy me a coffee here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/unbeatableenergy

Thanks for reading — and happy drumming!

-Steve Rivers

A different feel to the 4-beat roll

If you caught the “Tiddlywink” 4-beat swing roll from a few weeks back, this new phrase heads in a different direction rhythmically. It’s tighter, and more angular — with a structure that could even be interpreted as a 6-beat phrase, depending on how you hear it. That’s part of what makes it so interesting.

In the video, I walk through the roll slowly, break down the slap placements, and finish with a play-along section to help you embed it in your own playing.

Sharing the journey

I’m always exploring new ways to develop solo phrasing and technique — and this roll has been a really enjoyable challenge. Sharing these ideas through video is part of how I keep the learning alive and offer something that others might find useful or inspiring in their own playing.

 If you’d like to support the channel and help keep the rhythm flowing, you can buy me a coffee here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/unbeatableenergy

Thanks for reading — and happy drumming!

-Steve Rivers