Afoxe, Track 14. Voices + Drums
Lesson Length: 3:28 min
Speaking and singing these rhythms is how you embody them. In this track I sing all the parts to Afoxe, layered in one a time, then I slowly bring in the corresponding drum parts under each voice. It is fun to hear how the voice and drum blend into each other, and how the voice really is speaking the rhythm of the drum.

If you can say it – you can play it!

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Bembe, Track 13. Vocal Ensemble Lesson Summary
Lesson Length 3:35 min
In this track I sing all the parts to the rhythm, layered over each other, and slowly bring in the drums under the voices. As the track progresses I feature each drum and corresponding voice with in the mix of all the parts. This track summarizes the whole lesson and is a fun game to try with your friends: sing all the parts together then change to drums or vice versa.

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Djesse Muloumbo, Track 17. Vocal Ensemble
Lesson Length 2:41 min
In this fun lesson I sing all the parts of the rhythm and layer them in. Copy me and see if you can master percussive singing. I find this is the best way to learn, retain and transmit rhythms. Many cultures in the world use this method and it has direct impact on beatboxing. I created this track to summarize the entire lesson and to show how powerful it is to speak and sing these ancient patterns.

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Yan Valu, Track 15. Vocal & Drum Ensemble, Lesson Summary
Lesson Length 4:20 min
In this track I build up the whole ensemble with both voices and drums. I start with just voices, imitating the drums, and then slowly mix in the drums under the voice, then mix out the voices so only the drums are left. This is actually a master lesson in the whole ensemble and could be a guide for a very interesting vocal ensemble.

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Hi Life, Track 12. Vocal Ensemble
Lesson Length: 3:37 min
This track shows you what “If you can say it, you can play it” really means. In this track I sing all the parts, then fade the voices out and bring in the corresponding drum parts. The tempo speeds up, and I play are some nice variations on the bass part, with response by the high drum. When you”ve learned all these lessons, try getting a group of friends together to sing all the parts – it is great fun to learn to sing percussively.

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Track 12. Vocal Ensemble & Lesson Summary
Lesson Length 3:57 min
Vocal ensemble/full band with solo. In this lesson I sing each of the parts, by layering them in one by one, then replacing the voices with the corresponding drum parts. Once all the support drums are in the mix, I bring in the solo so you can hear the movements from the previous lesson over the basic groove.

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Pulsewave
... Kim breaks these rhythms down in every way possible and keeps your attention, while making listening and playing along to the different parts less like practice and more like fun.  He then builds the rhythms back up again in such a way that you get to hear every relationship between each of the parts played by the different instruments.  The best element in the series is his unique vocal adaptation of the different instruments played and sung in the rhythms. It is as entertaining as it is educational.

I thank Kim Atkinson for Sharing His Spirit with us in such a way that we can all become better players and facilitators
Pulsewave
"I just wanted to thank you for actually caring to develop a simple yet enormously powerful teaching method that has transformed my music playing, listening and also speaking ability. Coincidentally, its also helped me run further without being as tired....I think its due me being able to feel and attend to each step I take more like a rhythm than a battle, and maybe it's because I've been stepping the pulse - when I practice speaking the rhythms - in an oval around my room"
Pulsewave
"I really appreciate the way you have broken it down and shown how all the parts interweave.  It's a great way to get the whole rhythm into a non-left-brain part of my body." - Kathy
Pulsewave
"I often teach my students that if you can "say it", you can "play it".  In his Speaking of Rhythm series, Kim takes this concept to the next level. Using spoken syllables and playing drums, each part is explored separately and then in every possible combination with each other, and against both the underlying pulse and Clave. These highly effective CDs accomplish what could only otherwise be done by having a multi-track recorder available for every class. (Except of course they are MUCH easier to use, and work in your car!)

Another extremely useful feature is that a different syllable is assigned not only to each different drum sound, but also to each hand making the sound. Thus, by learning to speak the rhythm, students also learn the proper "sticking" at the same time.

I enjoyed the arrangements so much that I even adopted the Afoxe rhythms for use with my Brazilian Bateria. We now play the same Afoxe patterns on Surdos, Repeniques, and Caixas."
Pulsewave
"...the greatest benefit of your classes and CDs came to me as a salsa dancer, by improving my ability to hear and understand the Clave. ... this has made my enjoyment of salsa music and dancing that much better. Thank you again!"
Pulsewave
"I've had some great fun and learning from Kim Atkinson's CD's. Bembe, Makuta, Nigerian Highlife and others are great sets of rhythms I was glad to add to my repertoire. It was helpful to really get inside clave rhythms too. Kim knows his stuff, makes it clear and accessible... and he rocks!"
Pulsewave
WOW... Kim!! I spent about two hours enjoying and learning from your CD.. I was TRULY impressed with the format and success it gave me and will give others... YOU DID IT!

1) Connect the Syllables to Drum Strokes

Practice each drum stroke separately and speak the syllable as you hit the drum. Do this many times – you’re learning a kinesthetic language – connecting your voice and your hands.

If you need to review the syllables, hand positions and sounds on your drum, click here.

2) Speak Drum Language – Make Sentences:

Now learn the syllables for a drum pattern (for example, the tumba for Afoxé). Go slowly. Speak the sounds out loud and learn to say them effortlessly so they feel like a sentence.

3) Orient Yourself – Syllables with the Pulse:

Next, clap the pulse while speaking the syllables. This will show you how the drum part (via the syllables) relates to the main beat.

4) Make a Sentence with your Hands:

Now that you’ve learned a sentence in drum language map the vocal sounds to hand positions on the drum. (You can do this without a drum, but make sure you’re saying the syllables out-loud. You can practice this on a table, your body, anywhere).

5) Say the Sentence On the drum:

Say and play the drum rhythm. Notice that the drum is saying what the voice is saying and the voice is saying what the drum is playing.