Rhythmic Journey No. 1: Conakry to Harare for solo tar
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Rhythmic Journey No.1: Conakry to Harare
Solo for tar (can also be played on bodhran). The first in a series of "rhythmic journeys," this solo opens with djembe-inspired rhythms from Guinea and moves to Zimbabwean mbira rhythms. Hence the subtitle "Conakry to Harare" takes the performance from the capital of Guinea to the capitaal of Zimbabwe. Soloist performs polyrhythms with the foot (using ankle bells or pedal bass drum, jam block, cowbell, or just an audible foot-tap) against the drum patterns. Challenging!

Rhythmic Journey No. 1: Conakry to Harare
Intermediate
B. Michael Williams
Self published
This four-minute solo piece for tar (frame drum) uses the three charac-teristic sounds of the frame drum (doum,20slap, tak), shifting accents, ghost notes, and repeated phrases to build a work that “travels” from simple common time accent grooves through a 5/8 + 2/4 section prior to the closing 9/8 passage. The piece draws inspiration from West African djembe drumming motives, traditional African dance rhythms and a well-known rudimental snare solo. The middle section offers the player the opportunity to improvise. With a suggested tempo of 108, the player must possess mastery of tar technique, be comfortable with mixed meters, and be capable of executing fast double tak sounds with the fingers.
Reviewed by: Terry O’Mahoney, Percussive Notes
Review originally published: June 2009