Performing the Music of Mali for Beginners

[@mwachalaeric2577]

I watched this 3 yrs ago, went down the Derek gripper rabbit hole. Now I can't stop playing

[@adamdebesai]

Me too, best decision I have ever made. It has been a wonderful journey. Music from Mali is so much fun to learn and play.

[@davidosbiston9265]

Hi Derek, As a guitarist playing for 56 years, about 30 years I moved to the nylon string guitar and unusual tunings and lots of capos. I was at a festival near Exeter UK and I met a young Tata Dindin a kora player from the Jaobarti (spelling) family and I suggested we have a play. Anyway we got on well and we were still friends until his untimely death recently. He was very famous in The Gambia. Unlike u I did not learn to play like the Kora but to accompany it. I ended up playing in a trio and sometimes more with kora guitar and tabla. I use DADGAD and DADAAD mainly. Tata was always inviting me to The Gambia to show how I played. I never went, civil war and life etc. I now play music that has that circular feel and as much as I can play jazz etc I love the improvised aural way of playing. I love what u have done. Your bass string technique reminds me of the Chet Atkins thing that Tommy Emanuel has taken to new levels. Inspiring thanks.

[@PetrieRobert]

Mr Gripper is expanding the guitar repertoire with the music of West Africa. A wonderful contribution to the instrument.

[@severini8153]

That teaching is Perfectly paced. Thank for sharing these beautiful simple melodies.

[@thibaultuzu4522]

Probably the best guitar lesson I have seen and have taken pleasure to practice Thank you

[@patrickloughran6034]

agreed. well said

[@lomamansa]

I grew up in West Africa listening to this music and never took the time to learn then...I will now. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@rimun5235]

I am from Kenya and I actually snubbed our traditional music, now I miss it!

[@aliasdandavisofficial]

I know this is an older video, but I just found it this morning. This is the first time anyone has tried to explain this in a way that I understand - & also without dumbing it down to the point that it's only half of an idea.

[@dmgsoultogetherness6667]

Love it...mali has some incredible musicians

[@alishademi4347]

love how you explain it, so simple, slow and beautiful, thank you

[@fabiobatz776]

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart 🙏 it's a blessing to find tutorials for this kind of music 🙏🙌

[@marcelinogomez2377]

Thank you Derek, the first time I heard you playing that song, I decided to undust my spanish guitar, a marvelous song, Gracias.

[@adicarter6078]

fantastic lesson, can't believe I found this... thank you

[@scottgriffiths7108]

What a fantastic progression! Thank you for breaking it down so clearly!

[@EleneDOM]

Thank you! I can't wait to try it.

[@kentoskentos8428]

Great lesson, amazing teacher.

[@ciroolf]

Thank you so much!!!!

[@MilleMilles1000]

so interesting. thank you

[@StrayVet]

Thanks you!!!! A blessed lesson!!

[@kassargomelez6816]

Brilliant teaching. Thank you :)

[@TheIndigoEscape]

Thank you so much, that was a super tutorial!!!!!!!!

[@allanmunsami1767]

finally can learn this thanks Derek

[@andrenel6377]

Really cool to see South Africans doing their thing. Big ups from the eastern cape brother

[@maryjaneclaydon]

Excellent lesson! Thank you!

[@lucglaistermusic]

Ooo perfect video🎉

[@bruceboome]

Excellent teaching. I was able to follow right away.

[@joseignacioencinascalles5458]

Great lesson, thanks!!!

[@adamtelerman1676]

superb, as always, and great teaching. Such a great musician, congratulation !

[@cliky1991]

Thank you so much, this video was just what i was looking for, simply well teached introduction to this mali rythim

[@Geekamazigh]

what a great masterpiece !!

[@soerenbendixen.audiotect]

very cool

[@sturdyg63]

thanks to you i can now play like im from the old continent thank you so much for showing me this THANKS FROM THE U.S.A

[@luizeduardoscheinkmann3150]

Man, thanks for the lesson! Step by step until the intermediate level. Just perfect. Please keep doing for other Mali songs. Regards!

[@Deecat88]

Fantastic lesson. Cosmic sound. Thank you!

[@trinityesola4156]

Perfect video. Thanks so much for making this.

[@getthefffffoffme]

sweet - nice one. I learned something.

[@tomblake4404]

great teaching! thanks Derek!!

[@loontil]

very cool thanks

[@johnwise7693]

thank you-working on it now!

[@juicylucy5797]

Amazing!

[@robertkrueger2219]

I've been studying these lessons for several days. I appreciate the clarity and concision of the instruction regarding the form, harmonic, and melodic content of the composition. However, I have zero idea of what the song Jarabi means, who composed it, and why it is culturally important. I feel that I'm learning it as a fetish, like learning the "blues scale" without understanding why Blues music was created. Which is exactly how Mel Bay taught my suburban ass "the blues." Please give references to more African musicians.

[@NjN345]

Ali farka toure

[@LOEWE-MEDIA]

wearing Birkenstocks for a youtube video ... what a boss

[@ncarou]

Gracias

[@marcussfebruary9104]

Rep South Africa ♥️🌍

[@markgroesbeck2717]

Excellent tutorial. You’re a wonderful teacher. I love West n North African music. 2 questions: do you have TAB for your lessons? Also Can u recommendation a specific band that uses the exact style u just taught? Thanks!

[@mamadoutankedembele7013]

Vieux Farka Touré, Afel Bocoum, Bamada

[@markgroesbeck2717]

@@mamadoutankedembele7013 Thanks for the recommendations.

[@reneef7406]

Do you have this in sheet music? Or a website where I can purchase, and learn this style of music?

[@bouchaibehal6069]

super

[@baddgnard5114]

thanks you man 😁😂😍

[@sitaroutreachministry6289]

Is this in standard tuning, or an altered form? Very nice, either way (:

[@sidewalkmantra]

standard tuning

[@DerekGripperGuitar]

the tuning for the final version (which is in the score on my website) is DADf#be. If the video doesn't explain a tuning then it is in standard (I haven't watched it for years so I can't remember).

[@milanistderbeste]

I am a bit confused between what you say and what you play. You say the swing is made out of a long, short,short,long pattern. And as the pattern is made out of 3/3/2 the swing goes from one block of repetition over the other. Accordingly the first block of 3/3/2 would be played differently than the second. In the first, the base plays always the long note and when you continue the swing this shifts, so that instead of the "p-finger" the "i-finger" plays the long note. However, you don't play it that way. You repeat each block of 3/3/2 from beginning by modifying it so that you actually have a long,short,short,long,short,short,short,short, sequence. This way you are able to begin with a long note on the base again in the second block. It took me quite some time to play it the way you said and maintain the swing over the two blocks and it sound very different from yours. I wonder if you could comment on that or even try to play the swing throughout the two blocks. Much appreciated your video. Great vibe and great skills. You got me into something here. Thanks!

[@mylesfranco3545]

Just noticing the same thing

[@DerekGripperGuitar]

​@@mylesfranco3545 hi there the 332 makes 8 so the swing repeats over only one bar: 3(long short long) 3(short long short) 2(long short) - then the next long would be the first beat of the next bar. Sorry for the delay in responding.

[@aboubacarmaguetteconde5036]

I am lost at 8:06 , this swing thing is confusing... helpppp

[@DerekGripperGuitar]

two hands clapping on your legs. left right left right. evenly. Then make it 2 om the left and 1 on the right: which will be the swing. Once that is firmly in your mind play the 332 pattern. You will find you have LsL sLs Ls (also see the comment above). But don't think of it that way, just get the long short going in your hands, then play that same rhythm. It falls together naturally if yiuo listen play and don't think about it. :)

[@TheRoironm]

@@DerekGripperGuitar hey, thanks for those videos. I really love it. I am practicing and want more... Were can I have more, I visited your website and didn't see anything but jazz stuff.... Thanks again. Really good video.

[@DerekGripperGuitar]

@@TheRoironm busy making more...at present my Patreon page is the best place for lessons. Link on my website.

[@quaregeg2750]

I struggle with rhythm in general but I’m really lost here. I can’t tell how many beats to the bar in this figure. Can anyone enlighten this ejit! 🤡Thanks

[@DerekGripperGuitar]

Two ways to do this. First the complicated way (theory): The foot tapping is 4/4. S0 if you tap your foot 1-2-3-4 you would be saying 12 for each beat (or tap of foot) like this (the brackets are each one tap of the foot: (12) (12) (12) (12) which is one bar. Once you're good at tapping and saying 1-2 for each tap, keeping tapping and change to 123 123 12 while maintaining the same speed of tapping and the same speed of saying. But much easier to never think about how many beats in the bar and to play the right hand pattern over and over until it is comfortable. You will find eventually that you will start tapping your foot along with it. Every bar will have four taps. But you could tap in many different ways and each way is interesting. There is no one answer because in Mali nobody is counting the amount of beats in a bar. They're playing, talking, making tea and enjoying the rhythm of the music. (to generalise)

[@jungleninja8415]

Are you Irish ?

[@AngelHadzi]

Milonga