Four hand drums is displayed on your screen via this widget. They’re a set of four hand drums including a Tumba, congas, and bongos, which you can then play using the keyboard, mouse, or finger. Using the keyboard seems more responsive than click-based playing. It’s easy to use so you can begin creating some beats immediately. No need for external sound card or microphone here.
They are all laid out from low pitched on the left hand side to high pitched on the right hand. They include a Bongo Macho, a Bongo Hembra, a Conga, and a Tumba. There is more variety as each drum feature two playing areas. The larger central section generates an open, rounded sound. This carries your rhythm’s melody.
How to Use the Hand Drums
The outside rim is slapping in a sharp way that cuts across the mix and gives life to your groove. With only one instrument, you could play complex rhythms using both zone.
The sequencer can be kept in step or played fast patterns using the keyboard. The keys that are mapped appears in the middle of your keyboard set up. A, S, D & F are the open tones on the Tumba, Conga, Bongo Hembra, and Bongo Macho respectively. They are your main sounds.
Directly above these are the keys which produce the sharp slap sounds: Q,W,E & R. This arrangement lets you change from accent to tone without moving your hands, keeping both in a single place. There is no need to stretch out and find special function keys. Simply hit the letter keys and the widget will respond immediatey.
Beneath the drum set are controls that shape your performance. Below the drum set are pattern buttons that allow you to choose from a variety of preset grooves such as Combo mix, Martillo, or Tumbao. Each of these patterns powers the visual step sequencer that lights up to show what beat is being played. To start and stop the loop press the Play Rhythm button. When the loop is playing it automatically plays the drums in time to the chosen pattern. This allows you to improvise freely over the top keeping a solid backbeat going.
Adjusting the Tempo is done via the BPM slider. This affects the speed at which the loop plays. You can increase the speed for a lively feel or decrease it to help you practice slower.
Master Output Level is controlled by the volume slider. This lets you balance the volume of the widget along with other sounds on your system.
There are also utility buttons to improve your experience. The Fullscreen button makes the widget fill your whole screen. That leaves more space for seeing the visual feedback from the drums. This is especially nice with tablets or smaller monitors.
The How to Play button displays a help panel that briefly describes the mappings and controls. It is nice for remembering what each key does.
Visual feedback on the drums keeps you in sync. When you strike a head, the drumhead flashes. On rim strikes, there’s a ripple out from the rim. Even if you can’t hear what’s happening clearly, this visual cue verifies your input.
Experiment with adding layers of sound to get the most out of this instrument’s potential. Begin by selecting the Tumbao rhythm loop and set the tempo to something around ‘Moderate’. The lower drums will supply a solid pulse while the bongo keys allows for higher on-the-off-beat accents. Combining these sounds recreates the classic Latin percussion configuration.
Also, experiment with the slaps and open tones. Play a basic pattern on the conga. Next, play that same pattern but just use the slaps. Practicing in this way will make you familiar with the two striking areas.
On a touch device you can also tap the individual drums simultaneously using more than one finger. Natural hand drumming gestures is supported through multi-touch.
Try out the tempo slider and select a BPM that’s a challenge. Begin slowly until you’re timing it correctly. Once you get comfortable, gradually raise the BPM. Let the widget take care of the timing accuracy for you. Simply feel the beat.
If you’d like to change the feel of the beat mid-performances, swap out patterns. Each one has a unique groove that inspires a fresh idea. Use the volume control to keep the levels comfortable in your ears.
It’s been designed with the feeling of playing a real instrument in mind. The interface responds to your touch. And it gives you instant feedback visualy based off what you do. That will help your sense of timing and build your muscle memory.
Whether you’re new to music, or an experienced player, this tool is for you. There’s no special setup required to get started. Your browser instantly creates the sound.
Have a look around the various patterns and drum sounds. Use it in whatever way works best for you, there’s no right or wrong here. Listen to what happens when you click, tap, or press on the keys. Follow the visual clues with your hands. Make some beats of your very own.
It’s time to get rhythmic.