DrumHippy’s Blog

                                    Mountain Rhythm Drums

“We have a passion for the beats. We are inspired by great percussionists and the unbridled…

Begins the welcome page of this site. Mountain Rhythm drums are unique, well-made and have incredible sounds. Excerpt from the Circle Series Djembe:

The djembe is a powerful drum indigenous to Africa that offers amazing low bass tones and crackling highs. Lightweight and versatile, Mountain Rythym Circle Series Djembes are sure to turn heads. Circle Series Djembes are the perfect drum for all players from beginners to professional - these drums have no limits!
Featuring our patented “Simple Twist” Tuning System, these drums can be tuned up or down in a matter of minutes.

Mountain Rhythm drums come in various wood styles, such as pine, maple and mahogany.

Customer service is excellent! I needed to replace the head on my djembe, and all I had to do was supply them with the drum measurements (head) and approximately when I purchased the drum, and within a few days, I had a brand new head that had an even better sound than it did before!!

I strongly recommend, for cost, lightness and sound, that you check out your local music shop for Mountain Rhythm drums!

When I go to drum circles, I have gone either by myself or with friends and I have noticed a trend to those who participate in drum circles. You have a wide variety of drummers and non-drummers attending, some of whom can be quite disruptive and annoying! So I have listed below some examples of things to do and not do at a drum circle, and examples of those who can be disruptive, annoying or just don’t have any business being there! (more…)

First posted on Rhythmic Artists Magazine - San Diego, CA (October 1, 2006) 

Frank Lazzaro is a well known San Diego percussionist, who’s styles are as varied as the drums he plays. We had a little chat with Frank, and shared his life and love of hand drums and world music with us. (more…)

2.5 hours worth of 101 drum circle beats! That’s what this artist offers in a 2 CD set of various styles and beats for the drum circle.

Many times you sit there, staring into space, ‘what beat to do next?’. These CD’s offer you a wide variety of beats to choose from! Many are intermediate beats, some advanced, but most everyone should be able to play a majority of these beats!

Too many drum circles have the same sound, same rhythms and same pattern. These CD’s will break you of that habit really quick! Each beat lasts anywhere from 1.5 to 2 minutes. There is only one drum playing so it is easy to hear the beats, and no vocals or introductions to each beat. Just solid, unadulterated drum beat music!

The only drawback is the sound quality could be better. Most likely this was recorded with a basic mic attached to a computer, and no stereo or high end enhancements have been added. Sometimes the clarity of each tone does not come through, but it doesn’t effect all the beats. Overall, you can get a very good idea what tones and beats to mimic.

Check out this site for more information! You can purchase the CD’s from his website, or on EBay. Enjoy!

Rated 9 out of 10 for overall quality and sound

We saw earlier some basics of where to place the hands on the djembe and what tones we can get from the drum. In many drum circles, you will hear very similar, generic beats. There are some drum circles, however, where they only prefer to play African beats, Afro-Cuban or Samba-reggae. (more…)

The darbuka, or doumbek, dumbek, zarb, tonbak, is a Middle-Eastern, goblet-shaped drum that has its roots in various countries such as Turkey, Arabic, Persia (Iran), and Egypt. Like the djembe, the doumbek has enjoyed a surge in interest all over the world, especially in the U.S. where the term “doumbek” is most popular. (more…)

Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath…It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. -Natalie Goldberg

Drums are some of the oldest instruments known to humans. Drums and depiction of drums have been found as far back as 10,000 years. Drums have been used for entertainment, war, healing, and ritual. Today, we have tapped into that healing benefits of drumming through modern, scientific methods. While the foundations of wellness are unique to each of us, when it comes to our basic needs, we share much in common - physical, emotional and spiritual components of well-being are sacred and inseparable to each of us. (more…)

The bodhran (pronounced bow-ran) is a very old, frame-based drum that has it’s history rooted in many various cultures. (more…)

Welcome! This site has been re-designed, and my current project, “Fire on High” is on hold. For now, it will be a site to reflect my experiences and services as a drum and dance enthusiast. Thanks for stoppin’ by!!