flams & finger rolls - how to execute flams & finger rolls?

[bolo30]

Hi all,

I am a very new bongo player (I used to play the djembe and guitar, so I have idea on rhythms and music theory) and I have some newbie questions that I hope don't bore you too much.
I started with the Trevor Salloum "Bongo Book", with martillo and its variations. Very good book, but I sometimes miss some video material and/or a more descriptive style. So, going directly to my problem:
1. How are flams executed? A stroke is done with a single hand or with both hands? (For those of you that have the BongoBook, it's about martillo variation 4 from page 15.) In BongoBook, the flam stroke is the 3+ stroke from martillo pattern, executed normaly with left hand. Should I introduce also right hand, or it can be done somehow magically only with left?
2. In the BongoBook, martillo variation 9 from page 15, there is a strange stroke notation for the 3+ stroke: the regular open stroke notation, crossed by three oblique lines. As I listened the attached CD, I recognized them as being finger rolls. Am I right? There's no explanation at the book about that stroke, so, can anybody give some details about how to do it?

Thanks a lot,
Florian Preknya

[Raymond]

I hope I can help you....don't have the book so I can't tell you what his notation means....

Anyway...my understanding of flams is that to make them sound better you need your two hands. With one hand is a challenge to get what I call is the "swing" of the flam. It is my understanding that they are used in a lot of solos.

The notation you see with an oblique in the 3+ could be the "muffled" part of the martillo that actually, for right handers, you slightly press the palm or part of the palm of left hand to the macho head and hit with your right index finger also in the macho head. (What follows is the hit with the right hand in the hembra). Does this makes sense to you?????

Have to tell you that due to the "syncopated" of our rhythms sometimes is better to listen and see somebody demonstrating it than reading them....It is hard sometimes...

I hope this helps...if not try explaining a little more of what exactly this book is doing in this part...(Variations of martillos, solo patterns, etc, etc.)

Saludos!

[Salseroberlinense]

Hi Florian,
for flams you use both hands, e.g. for martillo variation 4 from page 15 you use first your right, then your left hand.
I did not quite get what the notation means with the three lines either but I will ask my teacher. To me it sounds like several very fast strokes but I cannot make out how many.

[bongomikee]

Hi Bolo,

I would recommend you get David Romero's very reasonably priced dvd. Email him at bongoslap@earthlink.net
That will defo set u on the right path!

Better yet is to find yourself a good teacher.

Also, check sites such as http://www.bongomania.com, http://www.petelockett.com (all free lessons u can download) and http://www.afrocubanchops.com

Hope this helps.

Mikee

[Duke]

Hi Florian,
The flam is two notes played very close together, the first note is not played quite as loud as the 2nd note (this first note is called a grace note) the 2nd note is the dominant note - when a flam is played it sounds like two drummers are playing one beat (note) together, but one drummer is a little bit drunk and comes in just before the beat (the drunk drummers note would be the grace note), this is what a flam should sound like. As for the hand sequence in the case of the BongoBook, the flam stroke is the 3+ stroke from martillo pattern, executed normaly with left hand this indicates that the left hand is the dominant note, so there for your right hand will be playing the grace note - this is called a left hand flam (because the left hand note is falling on the beat).
As for the regular open stroke notation, crossed by three oblique lines, yes this is a roll (or finger roll), it is plyed as lrlrlr etc and would be played for the duration of the note value it takes up eg two eigth notes two quater notes etc.
I hope this helps you and not confused you even more.
Regards
Duke