X8 Drums Blog

When the drumming gets tough, the tough get drumming, or so they say. As any fan of the djembe, bongos or a sweet new drum set knows, drumming is a passion that often leads to more, well, drumming. However, as with any passion, sometimes it can be hard to keep up with practice times, drum jams or even performances, making the excitement of perfecting a back beat or mastering the slap on the skins just… blah.Drumming is one of those activities that certainly takes dedication and drive to master. …

For drummers, the world is literally at your fingertips, as you create a rhythm based on a favorite style of music that can be as exotic as Hindustani or as American as the blues. Drumming has a long history in all cultures of being a voice for communication, and when you've got “the blues,” there may be no better way to say it than with your own drums.American blues music is seen as the basis for most popular music heard today. As Willie Dixon once said, “The Blues is the roots, everything else …

Drums are a fun, expressive instrument. They can help to reduce stress and promote a general sense of wellness. However, some people are hesitant to start playing the drums because of the noise levels associated with drumming. Luckily generations of drummers have come up with solutions to this problem. That way you can play with your drums and control the sound quality too.You can always buy drum pads or commercial dampening products such as Moongel to quiet a drum. Some people prefer the sounds …

Many of us know someone who is dealing with regular bouts of pain. In fact, chronic pain is a complaint of an alarmingly high number of people. While the reasons why people live with pain may vary, rhythm has been successfully used to offer consistent and long-term pain relief. The rhythm is usually played using a drum and while this may be news to some of us, rhythm and pain relief have been in cahoots for a large portion of the human experience.Anthropologists would say that drums have been us …

Playing a drum is fun. Playing a drum with other people can be a lot more fun. The idea of a drum circle may conjure up the visual of a “Burning Man” experience with wild dancing, drumming and chanting, or it could be a simple circle of senior citizens clapping and tapping their feet to the beat of a drum. Drum circles come in all different styles and types and have different purposes. For those who are new to drumming and drum circles, finding your own niche can make all the difference in the e …

Solomon Masala specializes in training teachers and developing programs that utilize drums in classrooms to facilitate learning. In this video he discusses the djembe drum which is an essential instrument used in many of the lesson plan activities. Teachers and administrators should understand the types of djembes available and what models are best for classroom use. One of the distinctions we want to make with respect to djembe drums, which are some of the most popular drums available toda …

My name is Aaron and I am proud to “Feel the Rhythm” because when you do, there is nothing like it in the world! The very first time I walked upon a drum circle, I was hooked! I got my first djembe shortly after and started and continued to play in the drum circles. After some time, I began to get better and understand why I was there. The beats, the people brought together, the dancing, the joy!! We would play all night, sometimes until daylight. On occasions, the drumming would just …

HI! I’m Ed Hofer from the band Punk Fiction. I have been playing hand drums for the last 15 years, more so in the last 6. Drumming gives me a sense of ecstasy that I can't get anywhere else. I normally just play with acoustic acts and sometimes sit in with full bands until i heard about Jim Donovan's drum class at Saint Francis University in Lorretto, PA. I started taking his class last semester and it has changed my life for the better. Jim has taught us how to, aside from play …

I am a service disabled Desert Storm veteran who has worked his way out of severe PTSD using drumming. PTSD and chronic stress has been shown to damage vital parts of the brain which influence cognitive ability, proper chemical & electrical functioning levels in the body, and destabilize our genes. I have spent the last four years in college under a veteran’s vocational rehabilitation program studying stress, stress related disorders, and why drumming helps in healing. New brain imagin …

I receive great inspiration and personal growth from sharing in the circle. This includes a greater sense of community and fellowship. There are a number of circles in my community and I do prefer the facilitated circles to the more open free-for-alls. The first introduction to community drumming was at a local drum circle that included instruction on Djembe, Djun Djuns and percussion instruments like shakers, claves and tambourines. We enjoyed learning West African rhythms thr …