Matoto

An advanced rhythm - not for the faint-hearted! It is named after the courtyard where Mamady played in Conakry, Guinea, which has become the scene of many newly forged friendships.

>120bpm 4/4 || 1 & 2 &  | 3 & 4 &  | 1 & 2 &  | 3 & 4 &  ||
         rl    r rl lrl   r rlrlrl   r rl  rl   r rl  rl
Djembe 1 SS || O.SO.SOO | S.SBOOSS | B.....SS | B.....SS ||
Dj1 Var. SS || O.SO.SOO | S.SBOOSS | B.SS..SS | B.SS..SS ||
"In Matoto courtyard you will find lots of people playing
 drums (out there), in the sun (out there)."

               r  lrlrl   r  lrlrl
Djembe 2    || S..BSSOO | S..BSSOO ||
"Cool! Matoto's really cool! Matoto's really..."
"Mad! My uncle's really Mad! My uncle's really..."

Bell 1   xx || .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.xx | .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.xx ||
+Sangban    || G.G....G | ..G...G. | .G...... | g...g... ||
"Matoto courtyard's THE place TO be,
 COME play YOUR drums here with MAmaDY!"

Bell 2      || x.xx.x.x | x.x.x.xx | .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.x. ||
+Kenkeni    || k..K.K.. | K...K..K | ...K.K.. | k...k... ||
"IN maTOTO the BEATS are NEAT the HEAT is HOT AND the RHYthm ROCkin'!"
"GONE to LEICESTER to SEE my UNcle ALbert WHO WAS a DRUNken SAIlor."

Bell 3=1 xx || .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.xx | .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.xx ||
+Dununba DD || .D...... | ........ | ........ | ......DD ||
"MATOTO courtyard's the place to be,
 Come play your drums here with Mamady!"


The rhymes for Dun Dun parts are CAPITALISED where you hit the drum.
Sangban+Dununba Bells 1+3 are the same.

Djembe 1 has a variation adding slaps at the end ("out there").


Seckou Keita's Dununba variation adds panic for a few bars:
Bell 3=1    || .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.xx | .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.xx ||
+Dununba var|| .D...... | D...D... | D...D... | D...D.DD ||

Notice how the Dununba and Sangban interlock:
Bell 3=1 xx || .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.xx | .x.x.x.x | x.x.x.xx ||
+Sangban    || G.G....G | ..G...G. | .G...... | g...g... ||
+Dununba DD || .D...... | ........ | ........ | ......DD ||


Mamady also taught three Djembe 'Techniques' (each 3 bars long!?)
to be played repeatedly as solos over the Main Rhythm. Note that
1st and 3rd Techniques share a similar ending.

1st Technique:

Count       || 1 & 2 &  | 3 & 4 &  ||
         rl    r rl lr    rl lr lrl
Djembe   SS ||:O.SO.SO. | SO.SO.S3 || +   (triplets at end)
               rlrl r l   r l r rl
Djembe      || SSSO.S.O | O.S.O.SS || +
               rlr        r   r rl
Djembe      || SSS..... | B...B.SS:||
                                ** S not played on last time

2nd Technique:

Count       || 1 & 2 &  | 3 & 4 &  ||
          r   lrl rlrlr  lrl rlrlr
Djembe    O ||:S3.OS3.O | S3.OS3.S || +   (all triplets)
              lrlrl lr    rl lr rl
Djembe      || O3SS.SS. | SS.SS.SS || +
               rlr        r   r  r
Djembe      || SSS..... | B...B..O:||
                                 * O not played on last time

3rd Technique:

Count       || 1 & 2 &  | 3 & 4 &  ||
          r   lrl etc---------->rl
Djembe    B ||:O3BS3BO3 | BS3BO3OO || +
               r rl l l   r l r rl
Djembe      || S.OO.S.O | O.S.O.SS || +
               rlr        r   r  r
Djembe      || SSS..... | B...B..B:||
                                 * B not played on last time


Here they are written out again more spaced out to better show
the complex timings, where OOO = three triplets.

1st Technique:

Count       || 1   &   2   &    | 3   &   4   &    ||
        r l    r   r l   l r      r l   l r   lrl
Djembe  S S ||:O . S O . S O .  | S O . S O . SSS  || +
               r l r l   r   l    r   l   r   r l
Djembe      || S S S O . S . O  | O . S . O . S S  || +
               r l r              r       r   r l
Djembe      || S S S . . . . .  | B . . . B . S S :||


2nd Technique:

Count       || 1   &   2   &    | 3   &   4   &    ||
          r    lrl   r lrl   r    lrl   r lrl   r
Djembe    O ||:SSS . O SSS . O  | SSS . O SSS . S  || +
               lrl r l   l r      r l   l r   r l
Djembe      || OOO S S . S S .  | S S . S S . S S  || +
               r l r              r       r     r
Djembe      || S S S . . . . .  | B . . . B . . O :||


3rd Technique:

Count       || 1   &   2   &    | 3   &   4   &    ||
          r    lrl r lrl r lrl    r lrl r lrl r l
Djembe    B ||:OOO B SSS B OOO  | B SSS B OOO O O  || +
               r   r l   l   l    r   l   r   r l
Djembe      || S . O O . S . O  | O . S . O . S S  || +
               r l r              r       r     r
Djembe      || S S S . . . . .  | B . . . B . . B :||



Better equidistantly-spaced version: (with some helpful phrases)

1st Technique:
"If you're feeling down and sad and tired and blue, didgeridoos
 are the best to unlock your mind. It's not
 difficult.   (One, two) If you're..."

Count       || 1     &     2     &      | 3     &     4     &      ||
        r l    r     r  l     l  r        r  l     l  r     l r l
Djembe  S S ||:O  .  S  O  .  S  O  .   | S  O  .  S  O  .  S S S  || +
               r  l  r  l     r     l     r     l     r     r  l
Djembe      || S  S  S  O  .  S  .  O   | O  .  S  .  O  .  S  S   || +
               r  l  r                    r           r     r  l
Djembe      || S  S  S  .  .  .  .  .   | B  .  .  .  B  .  S  S  :||


2nd Technique:

Count       || 1     &     2     &      | 3     &     4     &      ||
          r    l rl     r  l rl     r     l rl     r  l rl     r
Djembe    O ||:S SS  .  O  S SS  .  O   | S SS  .  O  S SS  .  S   || +
               l r l r  l     l  r        r  l     l  r     r  l
Djembe      || O O O S  S  .  S  S  .   | S  S  .  S  S  .  S  S   || +
               r  l  r                    r           r        r
Djembe      || S  S  S   .  .  .  .  .  | B  .  .  .  B  .  .  O  :||


3rd Technique:
"Boom tiddly (x5) Yes, cos
 drums/drugs(!) are good to relax your mind. It's not
 difficult.   (One, two) Boom..."

Count       || 1     &     2     &      | 3     &     4     &      ||
          r    l r l r  l r l r  l r l    r  l r l r  l r l r  l
Djembe    B ||:O O O B  S S S B  O O O  | B  S S S B  O O O O  O   || +
               r     r  l     l     l     r     l     r     r  l
Djembe      || S  .  O  O  .  S  .  O   | O  .  S  .  O  .  S  S   || +
               r  l  r                    r           r        r
Djembe      || S  S  S  .  .  .  .  .   | B  .  .  .  B  .  .  B  :||


Key to notation

(c) New African drum rhythm composed (in neo-traditional Guinean style) in 2007 by Mamady Keita as part of his "Evolution Of The Djembe", taught at his advanced djembe workshop in High Wycombe, England on Saturday 2008-05-24.
(notated by Malcolm Smith during the class; rhymes added later by Agents from Secret Bass, and more rhymes for the solos added 2011-11-27 by members of Bedford Djembe Group)