How to Play Quarter, Eighth and Sixteenth Notes on Djembe Drums

Most music features the 4/4 time signature, also known as Common Time. This means there are four quarter notes per measure. Eighth and sixteenth notes are the basic subdivisions of this standard beat. Playing them on the djembe is fairly straightforward, but you'll need certain techniques to make them smooth and evenly rhythmic.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Set a metronome to play at a moderate tempo. Tempi between 60 and 90 beats per minute have a good groove and are slow enough to accommodate faster rhythms like sixteenth notes.

2. Build a basic four-note beat using quarter notes. To steady your rhythm, count from one to four out loud as you play the notes.

3. Play eighth notes by subdividing the quarter notes in two. Strike the djembe twice with one hand before switching to the other hand. The spoken count for eighth notes sounds like "1 and, 2 and, 3 and, 4 and."

4. Subdivide each eighth note in half to play sixteenth notes. Use alternating instead of repeated hand strikes on the djembe to play this rhythm. The spoken count for sixteenth notes sounds like "1 ee and ah, 2 ee and ah, 3 ee and ah, 4 ee and ah."

5. Mix the rhythms together into one seamless exercise. Play two beats of quarter notes, one beat of eighth notes and one beat of sixteenth notes to complete a single measure of common time.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your counts of "1, 2, 3 and 4" stay on the metronome's beat. If you change their pace, your subdivided rhythms won't be true eighth or sixteenth notes.