A Stranger in a Strange Land: The Guitarist in the Drum Circle

My mother used to opine that “it doesn’t matter what you play, as long as you play it in time!”  Taken to an extreme, this statement could be interpreted as tacit encouragement towards atonalism, which is not so great for most of us (sorry, Mr. Shoenberg!).  Taken as intended, my mother’s adage is meant to emphasize the most fundamental building block of music: rhythm.  Yet, in our zeal to overcome the challenge of contorting our hands into new chord shapes or to remember that tricky new technique for the solo we’re learning, I find that one’s timing can suffer.  Indeed, the process of learning an instrument never comes to an end, but I argue that there is no more effective way to improve the quality of the music you play than to improve your comfort level with keeping time.  With this in mind, I’ve chosen to dedicate the next couple of articles to some tips on developing rhythm and time.

As many are aware, mankind’s earliest instruments were percussive in nature and drummers reigned supreme (note: avoid reminding modern drummers of this, lest their hat size increase further!).  All subsequent music developed around an emphasis on beat, therefore making rhythm the core of our musical expression.  Thus, whenever I encounter a beginner who tells me that they can’t keep a beat, I encourage them to remember that, first of all, they have what is hopefully a fairly steady beat going on inside their chest all the time; but, they also have an unconscious appreciation for rhythm that is deeply rooted in our collective human experience.  For instance, I’ve observed that the crowd at a high school football game will involuntarily move in time to a drum line without any instruction—if you can do this, you can definitely learn to keep time!  Even so, discovering this engrained internal time and learning to control it can still be a major challenge. 

When learning any musical instrument, it is obviously important to first form a basic understanding of rhythmic elements, like meter (e.g., 4/4 time), tempo, beat value (quarter note vs. eight notes, etc.).  Then, in the course of study, one learns techniques for practicing these rhythmic fundamentals in the context of the instrument.  However, drawing from my own experience, I have found that there is a lot to be gained by branching out and getting back to our collective origins in percussion. Though the guitar is technically a percussion instrument (in that it is reliant upon the vibration of a membrane/its top to amplify the frequencies produced by the strings), I recommend occasionally putting down the guitar in favor of joining a drum circle. I have found that this is especially productive for beginners and folks who really struggle with rhythm!  Yes, this means that you will probably need to acquire a drum, but you don’t necessarily have to go for the full bore Patchouli and sage package. 

First of all, any drum circle I’ve ever attended is very low key and welcoming, so there is no need to feel intimidated!  Though there may be some players present who are capable of playing in complex meters or reproducing African polyrhythms, most drum circles center around even time signatures (i.e., patterns divisible by 2) and patterns in three (like Waltz time), making it easy to follow along even if you play simple rhythms.  For example, start by following the basic beat and then spice it up by throwing in subdivisions of the beat as you become more comfortable and capable.  Secondly, drum circles are a very good introduction to playing in an ensemble.  By playing with others, you are encouraged to listen (another critical musical skill!) and you are forced to find and/or maintain the groove or pulse.  This, in turn, often translates to literally moving with the music, which I would argue is the most important skill  when it comes establishing steady time.  Just like the drum line at the football game, by moving with the beat you learn to physically internalize time, such that you can find you can find the most basic pulse in a piece of music.  Not only is this more conducive to genuinely emoting your feelings when playing, but being grounded in the beat makes it much easier to recover from any mistake!  Third, I find that playing hand drums in particular helps establish better coordination between the left and right hand.  You will likely retain some fundamental dominance in one hand, but your overall ability to play a rhythm with each hand independently will improve, and this will lead to the hands working together more effectively.  The impact on your guitar playing might be difficult to gauge at first, but I promise that it will improve your sense of phrasing and dynamics! 

Finally, as strange as it might seem to wander into a drum circle with the aim to improve your guitar playing, there is the added benefit of the fun—and drum circles are fun!   Be it the appeal of a setting like folks gathering around a roaring fire on a crisp autumn evening, the exposure to something new, or perhaps simply the catharsis one can attain by channeling passions and frustrations in to hitting a drum, I’m confident that any aspiring musician can find some reward in the experience.  A word to the wise, however:  Please take care to not play too aggressively, as this can really be hard on your hands without a good deal of work spent developing drum technique!!!  Incidentally, this can be a great activity for children as well, both as a cultural experience and a constructive means of assimilating rhythmic principals. On this note, I do suggest an internet search into drum circles in your area to ensure that they are family friendly (which most are).  For those in the Atlanta area, I recommend the Lake Claire Community Land Trust, a wonderful community garden which hosts drum circles every first and third Saturday from 8-11PM (you might even get to see Big Lou the Emu, if you’re lucky!).  In the end, should a drum circle not be convenient  or appealing, you can always work on your hand drumming in the comfort of your home or on the steering wheel  while listening to your favorite music—just don’t forget to internalize the time and move with the beat!  -  L. Petsch,  November, 2019