Exploring Djembe Swing: Preparing for the 4-Beat Roll
Swing is at the heart of so many West African rhythms, shaping the feel and flow of the groove in unique ways. But not all swing is the same—some rhythms have a gentle lilt, while others push into a highly swung, galloping feel.
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As I prepare to share a 4-beat roll phrase next week, I wanted to create a preliminary lesson to set the groundwork. In this new video, I focus on building a swing framework that will make it easier to integrate the roll into a specific swung ternary rhythm.
What’s Coming Next?
- How to develop swing and timing with grace notes
- Preparing your hands for a 4-beat djembe roll
- How swing can feel different depending on the rhythm
Last weekend, I attended Billy Konaté’s workshop and Billy demonstrated a Sofa family rhythm with a noticeably extreme gallop-like swing. This reminded me just how much variation exists in ternary swing—some rhythms have a very relaxed feel, while others have an almost horse-riding gallop to them!
This upcoming 4-beat roll phrase fits within a specific type of swung Kassa-like rhythm, so this first lesson focuses on getting that swing feel locked in before moving on to the roll itself.
Let me know what you think—what are your favourite types of swing? Have you come across rhythms with a strong gallop like this?
