Speaking with our Drums

Our hands prepare for our first drumming word:
"Goon Doe"

In today's drumming session, students reviewed the first four sounds of the "drumming alphabet".  Here's what we learned:

When we bounce our strong hand (the hand we hold a pencil with) in the center of the drum, it makes a low bass tone called Goon.  When we bounce our weak hand in the center, we play the other bass tone called Doon.   

Then we pull our hands to the edge, so that only our fingers rest on the head of the drum.  When we strike the drum here we make the two high sounds of the drum, called Goe (strong hand) and Doe (weak hand).

After practicing these sounds in isolation, students then put these drum "letters" together to form our first drum "word" - Goon Doe.  If you look carefully at the picture to the left, you'll see our strong hands ready to play Goon in the center of the drum, and our weak hands on the edge ready to play the Doe.  



So much to remember!  But once we were settled into the rhythm, each pair of hands began to move in time with the other hands around the circle.  Soon, we were moving as one - one drum, one voice, one heart.  Together we began to forge a connection that went beyond words, and experienced the power of belonging to a community.