KeytoDrumsetNotation

(HANDS-STEMSUP,FEET-STEMSDOWN)

f h e
snaredrum snaredrum snaredrum snaredrum
cross-stick rim-shot ghostnote

o o
x x x
x

hi-hat hi-hatopen hi-hatopen hi-hatghostnote hi-hatfoot

(forline'slenght)

bassdrum tom1 tom2 tom3 tom4

x x x
x 1

ridecymbal crash1cymbal crash2cymbal splashcymbal cowbell

3
 Eyoum
Written by Patrice Bihina and Kassa Doumb
Love Lina Music, ASCAP / Mon Bebe Music, ASCAP

Kassa - lead and backing voices

Maciek Schejbal - drums
Henri Tanash - guitars
Fred Doumb - percussion, percussion programming, backing voice

Originally, this song was recorded without the drums but the intricate guitar parts are a perfect

match to play along one of the most interesting African grooves, mangambeu (this French spell-
ing is sometimes changed in English to mangambe). The mangambeu musical style comes from

the Bamileke people of Cameroons West Province. The rhythm was mastered, popularized, and
developed on the drumset by Brice Wassy, whose book Rhythms from Cameroon takes you deeper

into the subject.

One thing to mention is the way the rhythms of 6/8 or 12/8 are written and, more importantly,
felt. Though many people write the rhythms as 6/8 or 12/8, I prefer to write them in 4/4 with
triplet division. The 4/4 pulse, in my opinion, projects the feeling of forward motion better than

6/8 or 12/8 and thats what I sense playing, listening, or moving to African music and watching

African dance. Nevertheless, developing awareness and ability to switch between 6/8 and 4/4

feelings is an additional tool in a vocabulary of a well-rounded drumset player.

In addition to the drum part written in the chart, I have some suggestions for preparatory exercis-

es allowing you to hear the triplet subdivisions that are the basis of mangambeu. As a bonus, your

jazz playing will improve as your sense of triplet becomes more solid and the forward motion

more fluent.

I found this first exercise helpful when preparing for gigs with Kassa. Alternating between

four-on-the-floor and mangambeu kick of this two-bar loop should center your triplet sense and

lock the groove. Repeat the exercise many times using a metronome with triplet subdivision (feel

free to start the snare part from bar 2, the starting point is as flexible as in Afro-Cuban clave).

4
Drums
Also, at first, do not accent the second note of each triplet as in the chart. This can throw you off

before mastering the mechanics of every drum part (next exercise will deal with this issue):

x x x x x x e x x x x x x x x e x x x x x x x x e x x x x x x x x e x x .
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

c .
.
.

3 3 3 3

Before adding the accent, youd need to internalize it; otherwise you are prone to turning the beat
Drums
around and making it a shuffle groove. Heres an exercise that will force you to hear the second

eight-note triplet of each beat:

j j j j

3 3 33 3 3 3 3

c . x x x x x x x x .
.
x x
e
x x

x x
e
x .
x
3 3 3 3

Another issue is the mangambeu fills. What adds spice to them is a slight dragging of tempo but
before you do that, play them very tight, as written. I found these fills to sound great played with

one, leading, hand, though after a while of dealing with this music you might find that changing
the sticking might suit your own sound better.

Drums
Heres the most typical mangambeu drum fill you might like to build on. You can play the fills

without bass drum or replace the written bass drum pattern with the same one as in the previous

exercise:
Love Lina Music, ASCAP/Mon Bebe Music, ASCAP

3
j
3
. ..
3 3

c . x



x

Mangambeu examples:
Nouteussi from the album Dance Around The Fire by Jack Djeyim, drums by Brice Wassy
Wamba from the album Soro by Salif Keita, drums by Brice Wassy
Eyando from the album Scenes From My Life by Richard Bona, drums by Mokhtar Samba
Gwarir from the album Ifrikya by Karim Ziad, drums by Karim Ziad 5
 Mangambeu examples:

Nouteussi from the album Dance Around The Fire by Jack Djeyim, drums by Brice Wassy
Wamba from the album Soro by Salif Keita, drums by Brice Wassy
Eyando from the album Scenes From My Life by Richard Bona, drums by Mokhtar Samba
Gwarir from the album Ifrikya by Karim Ziad, drums by Karim Ziad

6
 Lead Sheet
Mangambeu Eyoum Patrice Bihina / Kaissa Doumbe

q=122.62

Guitar 1 E- F #o E-
# ..
>
& c


J
3 3 3 3 3 3 3

J J J
E- F #o E- d
# j
>

3

..
3 3 3 3 3 3

J J J
Guitar 2
# . j j
& .
3

3 3 3 3

# >
& ..



J
3 3 3 3 3 3 3

J J J
# j j j

3

..
3

3 3 3 3

# j
>

3

..
3 3 3 3 3 3

J J J

# . J J
Voice

.
3 3

J
3 3 3

#
!
3 3 3
3

# j J
J
3
3 3

#
!
3 3 3
3

Love Lina Music, ASCAP / Mon Bebe Music, ASCAP

8
 Eyoum
2

# j j j j j
& j j
3

j
3

3 3

3 3 3

# j j j j j j j
3

j
3

..
3

3 3

3 3

# j j j j j j j
3

j
3

3 3

3 3 3

# j j j j j

j j j j
3

3 3 3

3 3

3 3 3

#
Play 4 x's
# . j j ..
3 3 3 3 3

3 3

.
3

Play 3 x's
# . j j j j j
.
j j j
3

3 3 3

3 3 3 3

# j j j j j

j j j ..
3

3 3

3 3

3 3 3

# j j
#

3 3

Love Lina Music, ASCAP / Mon Bebe Music, ASCAP