I believe that every serious drummer should learn and integrate afrobeat tecniques for a more musical knowledge and sophistication. After you feel comfortable with the beat that you working on, play along withthe original record, so that you can get the main purpose of afrobeat drumming, which is in a total unity with the what other instruments doing. If you find it hard to coordinate in with your four limbs, you should practicing by slowing down the tempo. You can reach the complex beats of afrobeat in 4 or more steps easily. In other words, with this style of playing you can play with perfect feel and unity with your band mates!ĭuring the preparation of this book I used a “step by step” way to find the main groove. In my personal career I have discovered that I can accompany many genres of music with my drum-set by using afrobeat techniques which relate easily to any type of music.

Play more like making chords as a guitar or piano… Not in harmonies but with drums In the same way that making chords on a guitar or piano (uses more than one note at a time) you will learn to play your drum kit with perfect four-limb coordination! I am convinced You will see that playing your drums with such kind of mental approach is going to improve your musicianship by playing with more expression and coordination. After much analyses and study, finally this method book born. I have been working on analyzing and deciphering afrobeat for more than five years. Allen embraced the drum set, rather than African handheld drums, early in his career, when drum kits were rare in Africa.” Also legendary Fela Kuti is known for saying ” Without of Tony Allen there would be no Afrobeat!” Well, anyone interested in afrobeat drumming you may have realized that it is a shame that it is next to impossible to find any afrobeat book among the hundreds of great method books.

Michael Veal, writer of the autobiography of Tony Allen, depicts in his wonderful book: “Tony Allen, the rhythmic engine of Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat. In this book you will find many various notations of records that Allen played using the afrobeat style which was invented by him. This book is basically about decoding and notating the grooves of master drummer Tony Allen.

Afrobeat drum kit