In yesterday's presentation for the Vibes Congress, David proclaimed that he was NOT Satchitananda Guru. OK. I get it, but... I've spent time in both worlds and, given the things he was talking about, this made me have a moment of "things that make me go hmmmm."

First, since most of the folks who frequent this site are a bit young, Swami Satchitananda is probably not a guy who is a big part of your life; allow me to bring you up to date on who he was.

This is a one-man-band hybrid of Ewe (Ghanaian) percussion and repertoire using 4 sticks, voice, and ankle bells. The concept of 24/8 expands the grid of the bell cycle to achieve high levels of independence and composition.

I've been using the Burton grip to play balafon (see previous lesson posts) and recently developed a way to apply the grip to an array of African drums. When it comes to rhythm and independence, anything is possible.

Let your ears tell you what is happening. Train them to give you information.

I always make a stand along version of tunes I'm learning. How can I play them simply and what would I do to play them like that.

Trying to find ways to play tunes solo. By that I mean concepts and ways to simply play tunes on the vibes and improvise your accompaniment.

My Take!