Drum Circle
    Facilitation

101 Drum Circle 
    Rhythms DVD & CDs  

Drum Circle Jam CDs
     2 CDs For $10

Drum Circle Finder
     USA & Global 

Free Drum Circle MP3s
     & Djembe Ring Tones

Drum Circle Blog

Drumcircles.net
    on FaceBook

Hand Drumming &
    Drum Circles Book

Drumcircles.net
    in the News

Djembe
     Tuning Instructions, History
     Notated Drum Circle Rhythms 

Dancer & Drum
    Paintings

Morse Code Djembe
    Rhythms 

Drummer Jokes
     (100's of them)  

Earth Day Circle

Contact Me 

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101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD + Drum Circle Jam CD (Both Discs $15 + $2 USA Shipping)
You can order them below, or click here for more detailed information.


2 Hour 101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD - More Info Link

Check out the YouTube video sample to see what my DVD looks & sounds like. The 2 minute sample includes 4 rhythm 
clips of 30 seconds each, which run consecutively. (On the DVD the hand drum rhythms are one minute long each.)
The focus was on getting as much material in there as possible. The run time is 2 hours and 12 minutes.

I include a free drum circle CD with all orders of my 101 drum circle rhythms DVD off my website. It's over 70 minutes 
of great live drum circle action. You get both disks, the Drum Circle Rhythms DVD and the drum circle CD for $15. 

(You might notice it looks like I'm wearing a ring on my finger while I'm drumming. That of course would be bad for 
the drum. It's a wedding ring Tattoo. I'm not really into tattoos, I just didn't like taking my wedding band off to drum.)
The 101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD is $15 + $2 Shipped anywhere in the USA. Shipping to all other countries is $2 more.

The DVD includes 124 rhythms from around the world, each about a minute long. That's a whole lot of rhythms. You 
can see the hand positions up close and personal, as well as hear the various sounds created within the rhythms.

This is a huge body of work, featuring many different kinds of rhythms:

African, Afro-Cuban, Native American
Jamaican, Irish, Taiko
Greek, Bellydancing
Funk, Soul, Blues
Rock & Roll
From Beledi to Rumba

Perfect for the Djembe, Congas, Doumbek, Bongos, Ashiko, or any other hand drum.



For more detail about the DVD please click below
 

101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD - Full Description Link

(Also see the Drum Circle Lovers 6 Disc Pack below)

       101 Rhythms DVD Buyer Comments

A couple of email comments from buyers:

"It is an excellent and noteworthy DVD because it is a simple, easy to use video showing hand movements for more than 101 
different rhythms that can be played in drum circles or by a drummer playing alone. The demonstrations are played on a djembe, 
but the rhythms could be played on almost any type of drum. Those of us who work with beginning drummers welcome a basic 
drumming learning tool such as this. It differs from a lot of more complex drumming videos in that it focuses just on the rhythm 
and how to play it, and someone playing along can "get it" without being distracted by multiple players, voiceovers, and 
complex rapid rhythms. Every drummer has a preferred learning style, and this DVD fills a need for simplicity. 
Just watch and play along."  -- Keith Russell, University of Kansas

"I just wanted to say I watched the DVD and I think it is great. Simple yet brilliant, very clear in presentation, you can get 
the hand movements quite quickly and because you play them, I think you said it is a minute, which is quite a good amount 
of time you can really get a feel for the rhythm. I am really impressed. I have a few other instructional DVDs I think yours 
is the most practical and easy to use I have found. I have also listened to most of the 1st CD and again I like that it is 
straightforward and you play the groove long enough to get a feel for it, and it is clear and precise enough that you can 
pick up the rhythm quite quickly. I am looking forward to having a lot of fun with these. Once again thank you for making 
this resource available and at what I consider to be a very good price, certainly fantastic value for the money. 
The DVD and CDs are great quality."  -- Ian R. 



(Thanks guys, I really appreciate those kind words.)

2 hours of hand drumming rhythms on 2 CDs. The two 101 Drum Circle Rhythms CDs make a great companion to the Rhythms DVD. 
Enjoy them on your home stereo, in your car, smartphone, at the drum circle, or transfer them to your iPod / mp3 player. 
Below link for more info, and mp3 samples. You can get the CDs directly from me, & mp3s at iTunes or most mp3 retailers.


       For more detailed information, please click below.

101 Drum Circle Rhythms on 2 CDs Link



       Live Drum Circle Jam CD's, 2 for $10 Page

Visit the Ultimate Drum Circles page to hear some mp3 samples from my CD's. Also percussion & drum circle swag for sale. 
These live drum circle CDs were recorded just as they happened. Some very entertaining drum circle action, featuring 
all kinds of hand drums, djembes, congas, doumbeks, djun djuns, ashikos, flutes, didgeridoos, and lots more.


       For more detailed information, please click below.

Ultimate Live Drum Circle CD's, Percussion, & Drum Circle Schwag Link
                               

       Wild Drum Circles 2 CD set $10. 

Also check out the Wild Drum Circles page, and listen to a few mp3 samples. You never know who's going to show up, 
and what's going to happen at the drum circle. That's part of the fun. Bellydancers, didgeridoo and flute players. 
Drummers and dancers from all different paths, cultures, and walks of life. Spoken word, chanting, singing, crazy 
instruments, and comedic hilarity. All of that, and much more on these two 75 minute CD's. Amazing jamming, 
grooving, dancing, craziness, and spontaneous self expression.


       For more information and some mp3's, click your way below.

Wild Drum Circles Page Link

    -- or get a weekly one kick started

I facilitate drum circle events around the state of Florida. Spice up your festival, meeting, event, 
or spiritual gathering with a multi-cultural drum circle experience that everyone will enjoy.


A birthday party drum circle I hosted in Pinellas County, FL. What a cool idea!





       
"Jazz on the Green" Faciliated Drum Circles
"It involved children and adults in making their own music, easily learning the rhythms he taught."

-- Polly R., Coordinator - Jazz On The Green
   Drum circles at the Ft. Myers Jazz Festivals
   Featuring Euge Groove, The Rippingtons, Acoustic Alchemy, Rick Braun, and Jeff Golub


Three views from the "Jazz on the Green" children's drum circle event.

I love the joy of this little boy smiling playing that great big djembe. Mom tried to give
him that little tambourine, but he wanted to play that big ol' drum. (Don't we all?)




Drumming and yoga go really well together. I love drumming to any kind of movement. Tai Chi, Poi, etc.







Add some hula hoops, and dancing to the center of your drum circle for something real to connect to! 







Try laying down with your eyes closed for a minute in the center of the circle. It's powerful stuff!







More About Drum Circles

Read on, or click here to read more about having a drum circle:

Drum Circle Facilitation Link


The Power of Rhythm

To briefly describe drum circle facilitation by me, it's like putting a bunch of people together, and making a band out of them. 
It's fun to be in the band for a day. Friends, strangers, co-workers, beginners, or pros...it doesn't matter, we're all equal. 

I offer drumming lessons, workshops, and drum circles. I provide only drums with synthetic drum heads, because I can clean 
and sanitize the drums after each use. Many of the people I work with are especially vulnerable to colds and flu. Children, 
seniors, and special needs groups in particular. Also synthetic djembe, doumbek, and frame drum heads are more durable, 
and they never need tuning. Personally I prefer playing goatskin head drums, but for me they aren't practical.

The sound of drums speaks to us all. Everything has a rhythm, from the staccato beat of raindrops to the soft rhythm of the surf. 
Most importantly, our hearts have a strong rhythm. Sometimes our heart beats speed up, then slows back down. But, there is a basic, 
natural rhythm that is ours exclusively. Drum circles allow us to let our imagination soar, our heart beats changing their speed 
as we think about things we might otherwise avoid. We can feel safe doing this in a drum circle because that bottom beat, the basic 
elementary pulse of the circle will always bring us back to our "home" beat. And that gives us an element of security that may not 
be conscious, but which we instinctively recognize. The therapeutic benefit of feeling safe exploring things with our thoughts 
and emotions are one of the biggest factors in the growing popularity of open community, and facilitated drum circles.

A drum circle is something a little different from the usual things you tend to see. I provide African, Egyptian, and Latin drums, 
and introduce rhythms from various cultures. Think of me like a tour guide, that goes with you around the world in music.

I prefer to work with smaller groups, from 3 to 30 people. I can give you more personalized and individual attention. I deliver 
an authentic drum circle experience. The emphasis with me is on fun! I believe in not telling people how, when, or what to play, 
but rather focusing more on self discovery. But I do offer a few pointers! And I help to guide people to find their musical 
selves at their own pace, with no pressure. It's kind of like what you see with musicians drumming at the beach at an 
open drum circle, except in a little bit more managed format. Just a good time jamming and having fun.

Drum circles can be extremely effective for companies that want to enhance the generation of new ideas and better team work. 
When people discover that they can collectively produce a good sound without any musical training or background, they start 
to realize that they can be more effective at work by putting their heads together and working as a team. Also, drumming uses 
the brain in a different pattern than the linear thought process that is usually needed in the work environment. A drum circle 
brings the group to a more open mental and psychological process, which can be carried over to the production of new and better 
ways of working. An excellent tool to kick off a brain storming session and optimize the quantity and quality of new ideas.

Click below for more detailed information on corporate drumming, company, or small business drum circles.

Corporate Drumming, Company, Small Business Team Building Drum Circles Link


Community, Culture, and Fun

Cultures from around the world use drumming to unify their communities. A drum circle anywhere brings people together 
by using our uniqueness to create something that belongs to all of us. It's educational, healthy, it releases negative 
emotions, provides joy, opens creative expression, and brings us back to the rhythms of nature. 

But most of all, it's a lot of fun to play the drums. Anyone can participate, from kids to elders. We smile, we play, we heal, 
we dance, we laugh, we learn, and have fun. No drumming experience is needed. Parents and thier kids can play together.

I help everyone to drum with ease in a matter of minutes, so they can discover their own sense of rhythm, and experience the fun 
of hand drumming. It's a fun colorful way to jazz up an event, or special occasion. And it's very casual, people can come and 
go as they please as it's going on, and stay for as long as they want to. I don't want people to be drummers, I just want to 
help them to be able to enjoy drumming together. If you have a desire for lots more detailed information, my book is $18:

Click here to check out my 300 page book on hand drumming & drum circles

"A Practical Guide To Hand Drumming And Drum Circles" Link



Charity Work

I do some charity work around the Tampa Bay area. Such as The Nina Harris Exceptional Center, The Florida Sheriff's Youth 
Ranches, PARC - The Pinellas Association for Retarded Children, The YMCA, and a number of other organizations. There 
is a little wear and tear on the hand drums and percussion I provide at these events. I don't recieve any funding, and never 
have in the past. The proceeds from the sales of my drumming CD's, DVD's, and drum circle book helps me to do this kind 
of work in our community. I try to provide them at as reasonable a cost as possible. As an independent artist, money is 
tight, so I always appreciate a product that is a good value for the cost. That's the idea behind my book, CD's & DVD. 
Thanks in advance for helping us out with drum repairs, & expenses. (Please visit the link above to see my 300 page 
book, "A Practical Guide To Hand Drumming And Drum Circles". $18. It includes a different free drum circle CD.) 

The Dunedin Earth Day drum circle celebration held at Honeymoon Island. A gathering of our community, and an 
adult special needs group performing in pubic up on the big stage. How it all came together, photos, and more.


Earth Day Drum Circle Honeymoon Island Link

Drumcircles.net Drum Circle Blog

Read The Drumcircles.net Blog (Link)

This is my drum circle blog at blogspot.com Plenty of helpful ideas, hints, drumming tips, 
& more for all levels. I write an article monthly, many of which are excerpts from my book. 
It's kind of like a drum circle magazine. Some of the current posts cover topics including:

So What's A Good Choice For That First Djembe Drum To Buy?
Are There Ways To Get Free Drum Circle Facilitation Training?
How To Get A Drum Circle Started & Including Everyone In It 
Things To Look For: Finding a “Good” Doumbek Drum...(On a Budget!)

Drumming Via Webcam, & With Special Needs Children
Improving Drum Circle Hosting & Facilitating Skills On Little Or No Money
Publicizing And Promoting Your Drum Circle – Getting The Word Out
 Eeeking Out A Living Facilitating Drum Circles In Today's Economy
 
A Few ways To Get Free Drum Circle Facilitation Training
What Are Some Good Types Of Drum To Buy For Your Child? 
What That Very First Drum Circle Really Felt Like...
Different Ways To Notate, Or Jot Down Drum Circle Rhythms 

A Long List Of Assorted Notated Drum Circle Rhythms To Try Out
Suggesting & Vocalizing, Easy ways To Start Out A Drum Circle Rhythm
Ways To Understand And Read Music & Playing Notated Drum Rhythms
Starting Drum Circles In Pubs, Clubs, And Cafe's...Really?

Some Drum Circle Benefits - Social, Physical, And Mental
Drumming And Drum Circles In The Winter Cold & Summer Heat
Tuning A Lug Tuned Drum, Head Replacement, & Marking Your Name On Your Drum
Sitting In With Bands, & Learning To Play By Ear

Drumcircles.net on FaceBook YouTube Twitter & Reverbnation

If you'd like to visit me on FaceBook or Twitter etc. and send an invite, I'd like that. I worked in Hollywood as a character actor, and 
musician for over 2 decades, and had some mighty strange experiences. (Including on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Star 
Trek: The Next Generation as a Romulan Officer). On my actor page I  posted a few pictures, and wrote a little about what it was like. 
Have a look if you have a few extra minutes at starvingactor.net - As I'm sure you are aware, many musicians cross over into the 
acting business. I recently published a 240 page book titled, "An Actor's Face, Audition, Casting Advice, And Anecdotes From 
A Working Actor". It is available for $5 at the Amazon Kindle, or Barnes & Noble book store. Please have a look if the acting 
field is something you might be interested in. Also check out some drumming videos on my YouTube channel, and my Twitter 
feed has some interesting stuff. There's 100+ drum circle, and dancing photos on Flickr. Some of them are pretty cool.

Hand Drumming & Drum Circles Book $18. - More information at the link below.

I wrote this 300 page book to share my 30 years of experiences, learning, and put some good out there in the world. My hope 
is to help people enjoy hand drumming and drum circles more. Working with all ages, settings, and with at risk groups. Ideas 
and suggestions for keeping your drum circle fresh and interesting, or even if you are just trying to get one started. It's 
on Kindle for $8. Or, get an inscribed physical copy with a free drum circle CD for $18 if you order it here at my website.

A Practical Guide To Hand Drumming And Drum Circles Book Link

Drumcircles.net in the News

Some interesting drum circle related articles, and a few with me being interviewed about them. (All External Links)

Some Djembe Drum History

A little about the history of the Djembe drum. Also called The Storyteller. It is traced back to the Mandingue Empire of 
West Africa, the Djembe is used in ceremonial dances, communication and healing practices dating as far back as 800 years.

I was taught the original name for the Djembe is JebeBara, coming from the Bamana language. This translates as the unity drum. 
The Djembe brings people from all races and nationalities together with its song. Due to its unique shape the Djembe is able 
to produce distinctive low and high slaps and tones creating sounds that are completly unmatched by any other drum.

In the language of the Maninka people, "jem" refers to the tree used to make the drum, while "be" refers to goat, the hides 
of which were used for the drum head. Often ceremonies are held in the making of a djembe, to honor the goat, the tree
it's hand carved from, and the craftsman who builds it. These are the real deal djembes in my opinion.



How To Tune Up Your Djembe Drum
(A printable Adobe PDF file with illustrated, step-by-step Mali Weave djembe tuning instructions.)


Djembe Drum Tuning (PDF) 


Printable List Of Notated Drum Circle Rhythms
 

This is a list of various drum circle rhythms I enjoy playing. It's my interpretation of them. There are a few 
different ways I like to notate, and/or and vocalize the start of a drum circle rhythm. Print it out if you 
want to. I like to help people enjoy drumming more. The list might make a good guideline, set list, or just 
some fun stuff for you and your friends to try out. 7 pages, Microsoft Word document. (.doc) Here they are: 


Printable List Of Drum Circle Rhythms (word.doc) 

Dancers, Landscapes, & Drumming Watercolor Paintings

I love it when art captures a moment in art. Below is a link to some original watercolor paintings depicting bellydancers, 
hand drummers, and various other performers. These original watercolor paintings are for sale, but free to look at!

Morse Code Drum Rhythms

I'm an amatuer radio operator. One day I was drumming out Morse code to a few friends. It was funny, so now we make up new 
rhythms all the time. Try making up your own Morse Code drum jam rhythm. Just pick out a few letters, and put them together.

When the electricity went out like during the Northridge earthquake in LA, the amateur radios still worked, while all the 
cell phones didn't. We could still communicate with friends, pass important traffic, and information to families in other 
states, as well as around the world. So with growing concerns about the power grid going down, ham radio is coming back.  
The FCC test is not that difficult to pass. As a teen, my giant green Heathkit radio took up a whiole wall back then, 
Consider looking into ham radio, it's a fun hobby. Someone might need some help one day, & you will be able to do it. 
I think some of us were the original geeks. With the popularity of shows like "Glee", being a geek is now fashonable!

Anyway, a dash is a bass note, and a dot is a tone note, done in 4/4 time. I like to let people yell out a few letters or 
numbers, and make up new rhythms on the spot. Sometimes it works great, sometimes it doesn't, but that's part of the fun!  

C + X is a nice sounding one:  ( - . - .   -  .. - )

Pretty cool with youth groups, drum circles, or drumming events. Try it out! 

You can listen to these drum circle mp3's, or download them free here at my website. No registering, 
or signing up for anything is required. Times are difficult, and not everyone can afford even minor 
music purchases these days, so I provide these free of charge. Thanks in advance for helping out.

Sometimes we tend to loose track of time drumming at the drum circle, 25 minutes can go by like it's only 5. 
The first mp3 morhps into 3 different jams, there's a flute player, 7 belly dancers, and over 60 drummers.

The bottom 4 drum circle mp3's below are on the free CD included with my 101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD. ($15 Info at top)

 BellyDancing Drum Circle Jam mp3 Download


 BellyDancing Drum Circle Jam 2 mp3 Download


 More Cowbell Drum Circle mp3 Download Part 1


 More Cowbell Drum Circle mp3 Download Part 2


 Almost Fanga Drum Circle mp3 Download Part 1


 Almost Fanga Drum Circle mp3 Download Part 2

These 20 second drum circle ring tones are free also, so your phone can be jammin' when you get a call.
There's 8 of them. With Windows 7, "mouse right click over link", and select "save target as".

 Bellydance Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Didgeridoo Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Djembe Jam Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Heartbeat Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Hip Hop Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Kaki Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 King Kong Jam Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Screaming Man Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download

I hope you enjoy your visit to my site. Please consider picking up a set of my drum rhythms, or drum circle CD's. 
A 2 disc set is ten bucks + $2 shipping. I also have a 4 CD set available in mp3 format for $13 + $2 shipping. 
You get over 5 hours of live drum circle jams to put in your mp3 player, iPod, iPad, smartphone, or any 
other mp3 compatible device. It's some fun listening, and a pretty good deal! There are number of full 
length drum circle jams you can listen to, and a few that are free downloads. Here's the page link: 

 To the Drum Circle MP3's Page 


Visit the Wild Drum Circles page, and listen to a few more full length tracks from the 2 CD set.

Wild Drum Circles Page, & 7 Djembe Drum Ringtones

Here's my review Of "The Visitor". A movie With drum circles and hand drumming in it. Also a review of the drum circle 
we held the opening night of the film at Muvico Theaters Bay Walk, in St. Pete, FL. (With photos, video, and more.)

I think "The Visitor" movie was a pretty good film. This was one of the most refreshing and likeable films that emerged 
from the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It was a lot more than just a feel good film. It showed how drum circles can help 
to bring people from different cultures together. And how hand drumming is accessable to all people. It even showed how 
it can help you to be a better person. Anyway, here's my review of the movie from a drum circle lover's perspective, also 
a review of the drum circle just before the opening. It was a blast for us all to blow out the lobby of the theater with 
a kickin' drum circle, and then go in and all watch the film together. This movie was a lot more than just some bored 
uptight professor who discovers the djembe and tries to get hip. I've seen the DVD used for under $5 at Amazon.

 The Visitor Movie & Drum Circle Link

Here is a list of Dumb And Dumber Drummer Jokes - 100's of them (seriously!). Some of them are very funny,
some of them are well...kind of stupid. You may have already heard a few of these before, but have a look!



Drummer & Drumming Jokes Link

Privacy Statement:

Again, please feel free to contact me with any questions. I respect your privacy, & I never share email address with anyone.

To contact me with questions, or comments, email me at drumcircles_net@hotmail.com (or, click the link below.)

 Link To Email Me With Questions, Or Comments 

Thanks kindly for helping to support the arts, and drumcircles.net 

Copyright © SL Ratigan 1999 - 2012