• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Howcast

Howcast

The best source for fun, free, and useful how-to videos and guides.

  • Arts & Crafts
  • Entertainment
  • Food & Drink
  • Health
  • Home & Garden
  • Relationships
  • Explore Guides
  • Contact
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Explore Guides
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Entertainment
  • Food & Drink
  • Health & Wellness
  • Love & Relationships
  • Home & Garden
EntertainmentHow to Play African Drums

How to Play the Dundun Kuku Rhythm

Transcript

This is how to play the DunDun part for the rhythm Kuku from Guinea West Africa. The DunDun accents and it plays off the beat and inside Kuku you have many variation but we’re gonna keep it very, very basic today just so you can get hold of the rhythm and be able to repeat it.

The bell starts on 1, hitting the DunDun plays after 1. So if I say 5, 6, 7, 8… I start on the bell, ka, ka and then I hit the drum with the bell. I say 5, 6, 7, 8… And it’s really not a lot of notes on the DunDun at first, the basic pattern rides with the bell 5, 6, 7, 8, 1… 1… 1. – A little faster 5, 6, 7, 8, 1. – Hear how is feels a little syncopated? Let’s try it a little faster. 5, 6, 7, 8, 1… 1, 3, 4, 1, 3, 4, 1.

Traditional Kuku he DunDun player will look at the dancer and actually improvise a little bit. So I;m gonna play a couple very simple variation, but if you get confused you just stick with the basic pattern. 5, 6, 7, 8, 1… Now… Again, nod every time.

And can even get even more creative. 1, 2, 3, 4. – And you just have fun, relax, and this is how you play the DunDun part for Kuku.


Lessons in this Guide

How to Play African Drums with Wula Drum

Balafon Beginner Techniques

How to Play the Balafon

How to Play the Log Drum

What Is a Log Drum?

How to Play African Shakers

How to Play the Shekere

How to Play Claves

How to Play the Kalimba & Mbira

How to Play the Sangba Kuku Rhythm

How to Play the Dundun Kuku Rhythm

How to Play the Dundun

What Is a Dundun?

How to Tune a Conga

How to Play a Shuffle on the Conga

How to Play a Muted Tone on the Conga

How to Play a Slap Tone on the Conga

How to Play a Bass Tone on the Conga

How to Play an Open Tone on the Conga

What Is a Conga?

Djembe vs. Conga

How to Maintain a Djembe

How to Tune a Djembe

How a Djembe Is Made

How to Pick a Djembe Drum

How to Play 2 Djembe Drums Together

How to Play the Djembe Kuku Break

How to Play the Djembe Kuku Rhythms Combined

How to Play the Djembe Kuku Rhythm 2nd Accompaniment

How to Play the Djembe Kuku Rhythm 1st Accompaniment

Advanced Djembe Drum Solos

Beginner Djembe Drum Solos

Djembe Drumming Patterns for Beginners

How to Play Djembe Warm-Up Exercises

How to Play the Flam on Djembe

How to Play Muffled Slaps on Djembe

Copyright © 2026 · Howcast · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Ventures with Springwire.ai

Privacy Manager