PERCUSSION
pairs together in your stick bag with a rubber the inside bottom of the box just in case you SEE IN THE DARK
band, but despite your good , the pair can ever need them again. (I doubt you will.) This When the lights are dim, a triangle beater can
get separated. You can avoid the trauma of slight gap will allow for a better slap tone. Try be difficult to locate on a trap table. A strip of
separation by marking both sticks in a pair with inserting thin card stock (as a shim) to increase bright yellow or glow-in-the-dark tape around
a coding system. I simply write the month and the gap. Check out my video tutorial on this the implement’s handle will help you to quickly
year of the purchase on the shaft of each stick little cajon hack below. find a straying striker.
and it’s easy to reunite the couple.
SOUP UP THE SLAP
The top corners of the cajon’s front plate are Have you discovered or devised percussion
used for the ‘slap tone.’ A small tweak will hacks? Send your helpful hints over to me at
soup up your slap. The front plate of the cajon markshelton@verizon.net for possible inclusion
is usually attached with screws. Remove the in another percussion hacks article.
screws in the top corner areas so that a gap is
created between the front plate top corners and
the side panels. I suggest taping the screws to
CAJON 401: CAJON-PLUS GROOVES | Mark Shelton
The ability to produce a variety of tones ranging on the cajon using just one hand. With practice, from thumping bass to crackling slaps makes you can lay down a fairly active kick/snare the cajon a unique stand-alone instrument. rhythm with a single paw moving between the When
Why lug around anything else when you have bass tone and corner slap. Your other hand repeatedly, move on to SCORE #2. This pattern
a drum set in a box? is available for tasks such as playing another adds a rhythm for the other hand (notated on
percussion instrument or holding your coffee top of the staff). Use a striking motion on a
Oh, come on! We’re percussionists—the spice mug. Let’s stay with percussion, but don’t mounted tambourine or ride cymbal.
purveyors in music. Let’s add a little extra flavor forget the coffee idea.
dominant hand.
comfortable
playing
the
pattern
The variation in SCORE #3 adds more activity in
to a cajon-based groove.
The following exercises will lead you into playing
the top line.
While a previous article explored ‘cajon-only’ a ‘cajon-plus’ groove with both similar and grooves, the following sections will provide contrasting motions while requiring multi-limb Thus far, both hands have been engaged in
steps independence. If this type of coordination is a striking motions. Things can get a bit more
challenge, consult my article “Pat Your Head, challenging
patterns. Don’t worry. I won’t require you to lug Rub Your Stomach” involved. Go back to the previous exercise, but
around too much extra gear. Remember that exercises. play the top line on a shake tambourine or a
I’m a percussionist, too Play the rhythm in SCORE #1 with one hand. You shaker.
A fair amount of sonic territory can be covered can use either one, but I suggest your non-
for
instruments
134
including additional
into ‘cajon-centric’
percussion
rhythm
January 2019
for several helpful
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when
dissimilar
motions
are