All Hands On!

An Introduction to West African Percussion Ensembles

Lynne Jessup

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ISBN 0-937203-72-68 1/2 x 11 Book $7.95; 0-937203-94-7 Book/Audio-CD Set $14.95

Jump into the exciting world of West African drumming with this collection of percussion pieces based on traditional rhythms and ensembles. The layering of short phrases found in West African percussion ensembles makes it possible for players with diverse levels of ability to perform together. Your group will have a challenging, successful experience unlike any other. This revision of Lynne Jessup's classic, Afro-Ensemble, provides new information on West African drumming, an updated list of resources, a new map, and completely reformatted charts and instructional text.

Aspiring drummers ages 10 through adult will weave their colorful strands into this musical fabric, and enjoy the excitement that comes from being part of an interlocking whole.

All Hands On! includes:

• Seven progressive percussion pieces, written out in easy-to-follow chart form
• Preliminary clapping exercises to facilitate playing of polyrhythms
• How to use instruments you already have; what to buy if you have a budget
• Basic drumming techniques
• Stamped Adinkra symbols that can be used to decorate clothing or posters
• Map of musical culture areas of Africa
• Selected Resources List

About the Author:

Lynne Jessup, multicultural music consultant and author of The Mandinka Balafon: An Introduction with Notation for Teaching, earned a masters degree in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington, and taught for many years in the Seattle public schools. She lived in the Gambia, West Africa while working as an ethnomusicologist for the Gambian government. She now lives in Rota, in the Mariana Islands, and travels frequently to Asia.