What is a drum circle?TYPES OF DRUM CIRCLES by Marco Monti
Approaching a drum circle for the first time may feel like you're in an Indiana Jones movie. It's a strange new land with different rhythms interweaving simultaneously, drummers, dancers, and all kinds of people. Drum circles are mysterious, but even more so they are confusing! There are different types of drum circles, what follows is a description of the common types. Type 1 – Ensemble (other names: drum band, cultural performance) This is a traditional type of drumming group where people play specific drum patterns together. One example is African drum bands which play specific rhythms with djembes, dun duns, and other instruments. They often have a dance that is a part of their performance. Other examples include Brazilian drum bands, Japanese taiko drum ensembles, Cuban percussion groups, etc. Drummers may improvise at different points, but usually they play predetermined parts. Ensembles have helped to write the history of music around the world with different rhythm patterns. They are not really drum circles as players rarely play in a circular formation. Type 2 – Drum circle (other names: public drum circle, freestyle drum circle, community gathering)
Type 3 – Facilitated Drum Circle (other names: guided drum circle, interactive drumming) People drum sitting in a circle. The “facilitator” or director goes in the middle of the circle at different points to provide guidance to the players. Facilitated drum circles usually have a specific goal for participants and are not free, unless they are volunteering programs. Some facilitators volunteer with populations in need. Goals of facilitated drum circles include: team building, education, wellness, development, psychotherapy, personal growth, etc. Facilitated drum circles do not provide the same amount of entrainment as Type 2 drum circles because the facilitator interrupts the flow of the “drumming” at different points to provide new directions to participants. Once participants sit down they usually stay in the same place until the event is over. Some Facilitated drumming events are not in a circle. They may take place in an auditorium or theater where the facilitator moderates from the front. Great facilitators provide enriching experiences and transformative events. One thing that all drum circles have in common is that they need a bass sound to work. The bass is the low-frequency sound that acts as the acoustic and psychological compass, for all players to play to. It can be played with a dun dun, frame drum, surdo, djembe, plastic trash can, etc. The bass is a highway to entrainment, without it entrainment occurs with more difficulty. Some Type 1 ensembles don't have a bass sometimes, but all Type 2 and Type 3 drum circles need a good bass pulse for the polyrhythmic harmony to occur, the ecstasy. The bass is like electricity in an amusement park. Once the lights turn on and the rides start moving, the children are having fun. The bass is on. * See also: https://villagemusiccircles.com/different-types-of-drum-circles/ |