Guitar , Africa ,

African Ensemble Guitar

niwel-tsumbu

After a crash course in Afrobeat, Malian pentatonic styles, South African chord-melody techniques, Coupez-Decale and Soukous you’ll feel completely confident playing a variety of African grooves.

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Become Fluent In African Guitar

Imagine knowing how to play amazing African guitar licks from Nigeria, Mali, Congo, Ivory Coast and South Africa. Then imagine how easy it would be to take your poly-rhythmic guitar mastery and fit into any band, in any genre whilst always having a wealth of exciting and unique guitar licks in your library to take inspiration from.

Key Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the African Ensemble Guitar course, participants will be able to:

Demonstrate Proficiency in African Guitar Techniques
Exhibit advanced skills in techniques such as alternate picking characteristic of Congolese music and fingerstyle chord-melody playing.
Execute Iconic African Repertoire
Perform significant African musical works, including Malaika, utilizing the chord-melody technique to integrate both harmonic and melodic elements in ensemble contexts.
Analyze and Apply Rhythmic and Ensemble Techniques
Develop and apply rhythm and lead guitar techniques appropriate for genres such as Afrobeat, with a focus on mastering syncopated rhythmic patterns and their interaction with other ensemble instruments.
Engage in Improvisation Using African Pentatonic Scales
Construct and perform improvisational lines based on West African blues and Coupe-Décalé, demonstrating an understanding of rhythmic phrasing and the application of the pentatonic scale in diverse musical contexts.
Investigate and Articulate African Musical Heritage
Critically explore and articulate the cultural and historical contexts of African music genres, including Afrobeat, Coupe-Décalé, and Malian blues, with an emphasis on the contributions of seminal artists such as Fela Kuti, Miriam Makeba, and Vieux Farka Touré.
Demonstrate Ensemble Performance Competence
Exhibit proficiency in performing within a full band setup, understanding the role of the guitar in contributing to the cohesive sound of African music ensembles.

Sample Lessons

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Learn With An African Guitar Specialist

Explore the vibrant roots and invigorating rhythms of Sebene with one of its most accomplished practitioners.

Back in the day, Niwel Tsumbu was borrowing bits of fishing line and bike cable to build his guitars. Now he’s performed the world over with the likes of Buena Vista Social club, Natty Wailer and Baaba Maal. He’s recorded with Sinead O’Connor, Nigel Kennedy and Michael O’Suilleabhgin. He’s even written a symphony for the radical 20-piece Surge Orchestra.

From Irish folk to jazz, classical, rock and flamenco, Niwel’s story is one of cross-genre, cross-cultural exploration, improvisation, collaboration and integration. But with this session he’ll take you right back to the fundamental rhythms of his African roots, bedded in Soukous, Sebene and Rumba. Where it all began. Niwel is a real one-off. Don’t miss the chance to benefit from learning with this master musician.

The Ultimate Learning Experience

African Ensemble Guitar

Backed by an expert rhythm section, this 1 hour 40 minute crash course begins with some of Niwel's personal favourite warm-up techniques before taking you on a trip to South Africa, Nigeria, Mali and Ivory Coast picking up some new guitar licks from each location on your journey.

Interactive On-Screen Notation

Our state of the art learning technology speeds up studying with innovative, interactive tools. Access on-screen notation, tablature, animated fretboards, variable tempos, and more today.