Learning Rhythm Through West African Music - Tutorial 6: (Yankidi part 3, Makru)

West African music is centered around rhythm. Whether you are just starting off your music studies, refining your rhythmic skills, or studying the music of Africa, this is a great set of tutorials for you. Unlike other "how to" videos on African rhythms or drumming out there, these tutorials are not geared around making drumming easy, but toward breaking down and analyzing these rhythm patterns to enrich your understanding and appreciation of the deeply complex, sophisticated, and beautiful music of West Africa.

This tutorial goes through the faster, more committed part of the Yankidi dance, also known as Makru. Unlike the first part of the dance, which uses mostly triplet subdivison which gives the pattern a lilting, flirtatious quality, this second part of the dance uses mainly quadruple subdivsion, also known as sixteenth note subdivision. This sudden increase in number of notes per beat is further accentuated by generally doubling the tempo as well, giving this second part of the dance an exciting and virtuosic quality.

If quadruple, or sixteenth note subdivision, sounds foreign to you, you may want to check out this earlier turorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx8YHK8032A&feature=youtu.be


Joy and Peace!
- Judy