Drumming is all about the rhythm. Playing the drum is not solely based on your best regurgitation of the patterns and sequences of hitting the skin, but more importantly about the feeling of the rhythm. For example, when I became only focused on getting my rhythm correct, I became lost in my playing. Eventually I was no longer in sync with the group. Once I stepped back and focused on the group’s actions, I was able to rejoin and ‘feel’ the rhythm. The more relaxed I became with my playing, the easier it was to play the drum.
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| Drumming at Kokrobite. |
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| Getting ready to drum at the University of Ghana. |
When learning the song, I was playing my own ‘variation’ (which Johnson said was wrong.) Johnson was correct; you cannot create a variation until you understand how the drumming rhythm works. Once you understand it, then you can manipulate it, because you still need to maintain the rhythm and not confuse the dancers and other drummers when playing.
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| Mustapha Tettey Addy |
After watching Mustapha Tettey Addy play at Kokrobite, drumming finally made sense today! Watching Mustapha Tettey Addy drum, and watching the supporting drummers all play, allowed me to appreciate the complexities and the subtleties of the art of drumming. The dynamics of each piece, with the dynamics of softness and the loud through the expression of the artist have gave me greater understanding of how drumming works and altered my perception of the music. I can officially say that I now enjoy listening to drum music because it is no longer a jumble of noise, but a very complex system of distinct rhythms.