Sunu Jams, and other exercises for handing and timing

Do you know the feeling of a rhythm that knows you so well it always shows itself when you sit down to play? So you can’t shake it, as if it doesn’t want to let you go. You might call it your song. At least until the next one comes along.

Lately (like, the last ten years) I’ve been obsessed with a kind of Sunu groove, which I feel is the core of Sunu, the opening g – P T in 4/4, and so many variations thereof. Also what attracts me to the Sunu feel is its flexiblity to become triplets, or 6/8 meter, interchangeably with the 4/4, simply by an adjustment of timing between the notes, sometimes obvious and abrupt, sometimes nuanced, imperceptible.

So often what starts out as a straight Sunu soon morphs into a Lafe, or Aconcon, with a doubled tone to start. Or, what starts that way veers into Sunu before long, then into triplets and back again. (See the YouTube video I recorded from such a jam, with some patterns as indicated below).

Here are some of the patterns that turn up in such a solo practice jam, with many more variations just by mixing and matching the half bar patterns. Note that a switch of handing sometimes makes sense when lining up with triplets.

Note that in many of the above patterns, the key is to keep alternating right and left handing through the sequence of notes. That way the timing can be squeezed or stretched wherever you like, for additional variations whether sticking with 4/4, or giving a triplet twist.

Happy drumming!
—Nowick Gray

YouTube video: Lafe/Sunu practice jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXJbDQl187c

For more exercises and studies in djemberhythms, see the Roots Jam books available at DjembeRhythms.com (PDF and audio) or Amazon (PDF or print).