Regardless of your level, whether it is djembe drumming for beginners, intermediate level or advanced, I got you covered. Whether you want to take classes in person or take one on one djembe lessons online, I got you covered. Bottom line is: learn djembe the traditional West African way with me and my team of trained teachers at Taal Inc. I have been studying the djembe with Mamady Keita since 2010 and that’s when my life changed. Thanks to consistently learning with Mamady, he entrusted me with the certified djembe teacher title in 2014 and later with the senior certified title in 2017. I now have the good fortune and responsibility of representing his global academy – Tam Tam Mandingue Djembe Academy in India. This is a duty I take very seriously. So in case you are looking for African drum lessons for beginners or you are a percussionist and would like to embark on this journey with the djembe to eventually become a teacher, I can help. It will take time, effort, money and consistency but I cn help. 

Currently, I have resumed group classes in Pune in Baner (at the Head, Heart, Hands Learning Foundation) and in Kalyani Nagar (at Artsphere/ Soulsphere). 

Details are as follows
Baner: Wednesdays 6-7pm & Sundays 4-5pm
Kalyani Nagar: Fridays and Sundays 6-7pm
You can register by clicking this link: https://pages.razorpay.com/pl_OSS4KS8sRzqbp9/view

What’s in store for you in case you’re looking for djembe lessons for beginners? I thought you’d never ask. So, each class is complete in and of itself. So, based on the class package that you choose (4 or 8 classes) you can attend the classes based on your convenience. Only thing is that you will need to finish the stipulated number of classes in that month. Missed classes will NOT be carried forward to the next month. In a typical class: 

  • We introduce the djembe, its heritage, and djembe drum techniques (3 sounds) for those first timers
  • We then start with a warm up exercise to wake our hands up. (This is important for whether you are drumming for the first time or you are already an existing djembe player looking to build on their vocabulary)
  • We quickly revise what was done in the previous class
  • Next, we learn a new rhythm along with the connected cultural information  (the name, story and which ethnic group the rhythm belongs to) and then, the djembe accompaniment of that new rhythm.
  • We learn the signal for rhythm, how to start with the signal and how to stop at the correct point when the signal is played 
  • Time permitting, we do the other djembe accompaniment 
  • Time permitting, we play both accompaniments together or some technique phrases that go well with the rhythm taught
  • We recap what was done in class, record an audio/video of the material taught so that the students have a reference point in case they forget and then end the class with a happy selfie 😉 

Sounds like a lot, eh? Well that’s because it is. For those students who keep asking me how long it will take to learn the djembe, here’s your answer. West African drumming for beginners or advanced students is a vast area of study and can take a lifetime to master. It entirely depends on how much time and effort you put into daily practice .The more you practice, the more results you will see. TTMDA has a certification process which is optional for the students. But just for reference, there are 8 levels for the traditional drumming curriculum and each level has 7-8 rhythms. Each rhythm has 2-4 djembe accompaniments, 3 dunun parts and the corresponding historical / theory information. So it’s one thing to know this cognitively. To master it by playing you will need time, a community of people to play with and a good Guru to give you feedback. And it is all a part of the process needed for the student to go through to become a successful teacher and transmit this information further. In conclusion it (like all good things) takes time. Once you start it will take about 4-6 months of hobby playing to reach level 1. Thereafter, it may start going faster depending on how much time you put into it. 

This is in no way meant to discourage the student from learning but is to spread awareness amongst the future djembe students, teachers and players. The feeling of satisfaction when you have practiced one thing (at the risk of monotony and boredom) and you finally get the sound you have been aiming for is surpassed by none. The djembe will give you timely gifts. Trust the djembe, your teacher and the process…

I look forward to drumming with you at one of the classes… 

Come. Drum. Be One. 
Varun Venkit
Team Taal Inc.