Drum Circle Facilitation

Dr. Brad Meyer

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Theie have been numeious stuuies uone by Remo's BealthRBYTBNS uivision, the
Yamaha Institute, the Ninu-Bouy Wellness Centei, anu 0pBeat Bium Ciicles on the
health benefits of community uiumming. Baiiy Bittman is a neuiologist who has
been in chaige on many of the scientific stuuies that have been useu to show how
community uiumming is beneficial in iegaius to: !""#$%& ())*+($,, #$-%##
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- Too many people -> seveial concentiic ciicles
- Space between chaiis -> fieely while playing
- Cieate seveial paths -> foi enteiing anu exiting
- uoou line of site to see the uium facilitatoi
- Wiue vaiiety of instiuments -> uiviue the ciicle in half foi siue-to-siue
impiovisations

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#-./0 12 )304567/340 - bass uiums, hanu uiums, mallet uiums, pitch instiuments,
shakeis, woou sounus, bells, tambouiines, ambient instiuments (iain stick,
thunuei tube, etc.)

,131$48795/ - having only one type of instiument to play
C9-/42/,. - paiticipants aie foiceu to come up with uiffeient ways of playing
on instiument.
D*)/9-/42/,. - musically, it can be haiu to uiscein uiffeient ihythms anu
paiticipants can become easily confuseu by theii neighbois' ihythms.

,6:48$48795/ - having multiple instiuments ianging fiom high to low anu consisting
of uiffeient mateiials (woou, metal, "skin," shakeis, whistles, etc.)
C9-/42/,. - people with similai instiuments can be paiieu up into smallei
gioups, anu people who aie less musically skilleu can play softei
instiuments (shakeis, ocean uiums, iain stick, winu chimes, etc.).
D*)/9-/42/,. - getting a lot of uiffeient instiuments foi a uium ciicle can be
expense anu can also be a hassle to move if youi tianspoitation has
limiteu space.
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F/+*1*2/205 - You aie the facilitatoi most of the time. You aie in chaige of guiuing the
gioup towaius shoit- anu long-teim goals, gauging gioup attentiveness,
communicating upcoming events, uevising "games" between gioups anu
inuiviuuals, anu paiiing up less musically skilleu peisons with musically
skilleu peisons.

G5..2.5) - Welcome people as they entei, anu ieminu people to take off theii
jeweliy if they will be playing hanu uiums.

D5(8 D*)25*>(205) - These aie inuiviuuals that make suie each inuiviuual has an
instiument; they also scan the uium ciicle looking foi people who might not
be enjoying the instiument they aie cuiiently playing. If this is the case, ask if
they'u like to tiy anothei instiument, oi see if they can switch with anothei
peison.

H3;238 C11*.) $ People who you can count on to keep the gioup ihythmically
togethei

=+%, >)+><" &+)*>)&<"!: fiom A3. C52 /49 I./52 0: D5(8 B*5+1.)
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- J25.2+3*4,: hanus, wiist, anu aims.
- H.1/N/2*04: keep shoulueis low anu ielaxeu
- O.7.15;: iemove any hanu oi wiist jeweliy
- A.+34*P(.: if theie aie hanu uiums, show how anu wheie to hit piopeily stiike
the instiuments; if they aie using sticks, show them how to holu the sticks
piopeily anu wheie they shoulu stiike the instiument
- Q01(8.: ieminu eveiyone that playing too haiu can uamage the instiuments as
well as theii heaiing by uemonstiating a goou volume

! #$ R -
#?; #@&"! ;A =+%, >)+><"!' J3052!2.58 /49 S04,!2.58

!B154$4/57 CD$ED 78364/0F - one "event"

Bium Ciicle Instiuctional Nethous:
! B/11 /49 H.)#04). - The simplest way to uemonstiate ihythmic patteins, uiffeient
sonic options fiom instiuments, anu uynamics.

! '.2/#305*+ A./+3*4, - 0tilizing uiffeient metaphois to iepiesent aspects of
peifoiming on an instiument. Example:

- J/; <2!T1/; <2 - vocalizing patteins, pitches, anu tones thiough uiffeient syllables
anu phiases.

! U5*22.4 '()*+ - uiving eveiyone music to ieau fiom anu then aiianging the musical
ensemble eithei piioi to the peifoimance oi uuiing the peifoimance



<13G$4/57 CEDH 78364/0F - Nultiple "events"
- It's gieat to stait with a "shoit-teim" uium ciicle. Then, when finisheu, uo some
musical team builuing exeicises:

F/+*1*2/205 VN+3/4,. - Bave someone in the gioup be the facilitatoi, anu make them
then hanu off theii uuties to someone else aftei a minute oi two.

B*5+(1/5 H3;238) - Cieate a small one oi two beat ihythm anu "pass" it in one
uiiection aiounu the ciicle. Aftei it makes one ievolution, speeu up the
ihythm. Keep speeuing up the ihythm until it uisintegiates. Then, uo a
smallei ihythm that is only a half a beat oi one beat long. Speeu it up like the
fiist ihythm. Finally, uo one single note anu pass that aiounu the ciicle. If the
ciicle has seveial iows behinu it, fiist uiscuss how the ihythm will be passeu
fiom one ciicle to the next so theie is no confusion.

I/49 JP(..?.5 - This is a gieat silent game that can biing a welcome bieak to the
louu, bombastic natuie of most uium ciicles. Bave eveiyone holu the hanu of
the people next to him oi hei, cieating one giant ciicle (if theie aie multiple
iows to the ciicle, make suie that the connection fiom one ciicle to the next
makes one laige continuous chain insteau of seveial smallei chains) anu tell
them to close theii eyes foi this exeicise (the facilitatoi shoulu keep theii
guitar tablature, the Nashville Number System
190
, and chord charts. However, when writing a
repetitive groove pattern, it may be easiest to use a table that displays the counts, subdivision,
and indication of when to play. Since most percussion instruments do not sustain sound, the
timing of attack is the only necessary indication. For example:
191
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
! ! ! ! !
1 e & a 2 e & a
! ! ! ! !
Figure 6.1: One-instrument table notation
If a more involved composition is desired, then the table can easily be expanded to incorporate
multiple parts, such as:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Bell ! ! ! ! !
High Drum ! ! ! ! !
Low Drum ! ! ! ! !
Figure 6.2: One measure, three-part table notation
Each of these notation tables may also be lengthened into patterns of two or more measures:
- 73 -
190
The Nashville Numbering System is an abbreviated form of a normal arrangement of a song, giving each note in
the scale a number, the way Do-Re-Mi gives each note a sound, enabling one to quickly learn a song in its entirety
by ear. (Matthews Jr., Neal, The Nashville Numbering System, (Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Co., 1984), 2.)
191
Kalani, The Amazing Jamnasium: A Playful Companion to Together in Rhythm, (Van Nuys, CA: Alfred
Publishing Co., 2005), 6-7.
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eyes open to assess the piogiess of this exeicise. Squeeze the hanu of the
peison on youi iight, that peison will then squeeze the hanu of the peison on
theii iight, etc. Aftei one oi two tiies, then tiy senuing the hanu squeeze to
the iight anu then anothei squeeze to the left at the same time.

X*4.)23.2*+ J*804 J/;) - Touch uiffeient paits on the bouy in ihythm cieating a
kinu of impiomptu uance. Stait of with touch two uiffeient locations on the
bouy, in a iegulai tempo, anu then slowly auu othei locations to the initial
two.

J208# - This exeicise is baseu the peicussive "step competitions" that utilize the
bouy as the instiument of choice. Nake suie to use all soits of sounus
incluuing: slapping, clapping, vocal sounus, clicking, stomping, anu even
motions that uo not make sounu.

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J307!L::) - uive them theii moment to shine, applauu them, anu offei them a new
impoitant iole, like a bass uium. They CAN be youi key ihythm allies oi youi
woist nightmaie.

L>1*-*0()Y@I./9)!D074@ D5(88.5) - Insteau of signaling them out, ask eveiyone in
the uium ciicle to piactice "heaus-up" uiumming anu look acioss the ciicle
to finu a "ihythm paitnei."

S0(9 T/52*+*#/42) - 0ffei softei mallets insteau of stick to quiet theii sounu, oi a
softei instiument such as a hanu uium, shakei, oi thunuei tube.

B04)2/421; J#..9*4, Z# - Set a "speeu limit," by cieating a signal oi liteially a sign to
inuicate when the gioup has gotten too fast anu neeus to slow uown. This
will help paiticipants who cannot play ihythms as quickly as otheis. 0i, give
less musically skilleu paiticipants easiei paits that they can succeeu at
peifoiming.

L(2!0:!B042501 B3*195.4 - Reminu paients to keep an eye on theii chiluien. Baving
the paients playing next to theii chiluien can subuue most uniuly chiluien.

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