Home
Tunes index
Samba Reggae
Kalashnikov
Welfare State
Xango
Ragga
Funk
Afoxe
James Brown
Hedgehog
Sambasso
Nova Balanca

--------

Hand Signals

Kalashnikov

(Tune sign : both hands imitating guns)

Notes:

This song doesn’t sound too good if its played too fast. Aim for a reasonable good tempo.

The surdo notes need to be sharp hits, achieved by placing a hand firmly on the skin of the drum after then note had been played.

Both breaks 1 and 2 have steady drum rolls in them. Whilst the temptation is to play as fast as you can, aim for a steady even roll like a machine gun. If the tams and agogos have trouble keeping up playing the roll, just play every other hit.

Start break 1 playing softly then go from soft to loud.

The inverted break 2 is quite complicated but rocks if you get it right!

You can also try stopping all the Surdos when you come out of a break, then count them in to play a beat on just the first bar. After a couple of repeats, get them to play beats on bars 1 and 3. Then get them playing a beat on all four bars in the pattern.

You can play Kalashnikov then cross over into Xango (or vice versa). Leave Kalashnikov by playing break 1, then going into the Xango break. Don't forget to signal clearly that you are crossing over by signalling the break in Kalashnikov, then crossing your arms to form an X before making the Xango signal and indicating the Xango break..

It is easier to play the surdo pattern if you play the silent hits (marked "-" on the notation) with your hand. Just be careful not to play them too loudly (they're just to keep time).

This is a great one for a little bit of improvisation. Surdos can play a roll or an extra twiddly bit in their rhythm BUT they need to communicate with each other as to who is doing what and when. Don't go overboard though - play the normal, sparse groove rhythm as well. Snare also have a chance to play an improvised rhythm for 4 beats when coming out of a break. Again though, communication is the key so that not everyone goes mad at the same time.

This is one of the only tunes you can get away with using just 4 players - a surdo, a snare, a tam and a bell. Perfect for very small demos!

[Sound files] [Printable Version]

Groove

x = hit

- = silent hit with hand resting on skin

l = low agogo bell
h = high agogo bell
. = ghost note (quiet snare note)
    
   

Break 1

(Signal: 1 finger held up)

Played at a steady even roll going from quiet to really really loud!!!

If the tams and agogos have trouble keeping up playing the roll, just play every other hit.

Break 2

(Signal: 2 fingers held up)

Break 2 inverted

(Signal: like Break 2, but with two fingers pointing down instead of up)

Sound files

[Printable Version]