Drum Circle

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	Toca Wood Cajon, Bordeaux Sale Price: $179.99
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	CP Wood Bongos, Natural or Dark Finish Sale Price: $43.99
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	Toca 14" African Mask Mechanically Tuned Djembe w/ Bag Sale Price: $119.99
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Labels: latin.percussion, LP, percussion, toca, world.percussion

Egg shakers are a versatile percussion instrument that can be used at all ages and skill levels to create a wonderfully rich musical rhythm with little to no experience. There are several types of egg shakers made from a variety of materials from natural gourds to plastic eggs filled with steel ball bearings.

The best part of egg shakers, aside from the sound, is that they are easy to hold and use. Typically, you can hold anywhere from one to three egg shakers in your dominant hand depending on how big they are. Most egg shakers come in a two to two and a half inch size, but some are as small as a one-inch diameter, and others as large as a four-inch diameter. Most percussionists prefer the midsize range because several can be held in one hand to rotate and shake at the same time for a richer sound with many layers.

The egg shape is easy to cup in a player's hand, and with just a simple repetitive flick of the wrist, you will have an instant, distinctive sound and rhythm that provides an excellent percussive accompaniment to many other instruments, including the djembe. By holding more than one egg shaker in your dominant hand, you can roll them together for a softer swishing sound created by the beads, or simply hold them together for a stronger distinct shaker sound.

Egg shakers are often used with children when first teaching them about rhythm. Egg shakers come in a wide variety of colors, and instantly appeal to kids. They are wonderful because they are a welcoming instrument, and just about anyone can play them without any trouble, creating sounds that gives them confidence in their ability to play a rhythm.

Egg shakers tend to give a softer, although very distinct, sound than metal shakers. The combination of a molded plastic exterior with either plastic or steel beads provides options for sounds that are softer and quieter than metal shakers, which always have more ping sound to them. By adjusting how fast or slow you play the egg shaker, you can create different musical moods from the sound of a softly rushing brook over rocks, to a sharp, continuous throbbing that really adds to musical interest.

Labels: egg.shaker, percussion, percussion.instrument

A drum circle is any group of people typically playing hand drums and percussion in a circle. It is a rhythm-based event where a diverse group of individuals and instruments are gathered for the common purpose of empowering a community with creative self-expression in a group music making experience. Rhythmical expression is as ancient and unique as man and found throughout the world, represented in art, celebration, meditation, and wellness situations. Drum Circles are commonly used for social gatherings or to promote wellness in populations such as nursing homes, assisted living, at risk youth, mentally or physically challenged, and various community situations. Other instruments and dance can also be incorporated into the drum circle. They are distinct from a drumming group or troupe in that the drum circle is an end in itself rather than preparation for a performance. They can range in size from a handful of players to circles with thousands of participants.

A Community Drum Circle is a place for individuals to express themselves through the use of drums and percussion instruments. These instruments are accessible to a multi-generational and multicultural community. An individual can express himself or herself through the instrument without much skill or technique, becoming a part in the group song. The use of different instruments (drums, shakers, bells, etc.) allows the group to experience a metaphoric relation of the unique individuals involved in creating a diverse spontaneous rhythmic song, fun for the whole group. As the groups' sounds evolve, participants begin to hear the rhythmic interdependent relationships creating the songs. Conversations through rhythmic pulses emerge as the community becomes connected beyond the music produced.

Types of Drum and percussion instruments typically found in a drum circle include:

Ashiko
Bongo
Cluster Drum
Cajon Drum
Conga
Dhol (type of 2-headed drum)
Djembe
Doumbek
Drum Sticks
Jug Drum
Shakers
Tambourine
Timbales (sometimes)

Labels: ashiko, bongo, cluster.drum, conga, dhol, djembe, drum, drum.circle, drum.sticks, drums, hand.drum, percussion, percussion.instrument, tambourine, timbales