Learn how to play the African tambourine as follows: To play the alto T (toot), the hand shape is the same as that of the bass. First place it in the position when hitting the bass, move the palm outward so that the roots of the fingers are in line with the bass. Hold the edge of the drum against it, use the bases of four fingers to strike, place the center of gravity on the belly of your fingers, and bounce up quickly when striking.

1. Fighting methods and postures

(1) Bass B (Dong) playing method, relax your arms, put your four fingers together, open your wrists and arms in a straight line, and the position of the blow is at Close to the center of the drum. The smaller the drum, the closer the hitting position is to the center. Hit with the whole palm. The belly of the hand must be on the drum surface. The center of gravity of the falling is in the palm. When hitting, it will bounce up quickly.

(2) To play the alto T (toot), the hand shape is the same as that of the bass. First place it in the position when hitting the bass, and move the palm outward so that the roots of the fingers are aligned with the edge of the drum. Use the bases of four fingers to strike, place the center of gravity on the belly of your fingers, and bounce back quickly when striking.

(3) To play the high-pitched S (da), relax and open your fingers. You don’t need to open them very wide. Use the pads at the base of your fingers to hit the rim of the drum. While impacting, hit the drum with your fingertips. The rim of the drum and the palm of your hand do not touch the drum head, only the fingertips touch the drum head.

2. Read the music score

The letter B in the African drum music score represents the bass, S represents the treble, T represents the alto, the number 1 represents the right hand, and 2 represents the left hand.