Cajon Drummming » Technique

Cajon Technique - Basic Slap

cajonkeith — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:35:42 +0000

This is a simple Cajon slap to deliver a solid standard sound which can be used for all types of beats and fills. With a snare type Cajon this gives a good snare drum type sound.

Technique
Slap the drum with the fingers around 2-3 inches from the top of the drum. Experiment with the position and try and obtain a note that is similar when played with each hand. If you have a snare type Cajon make sure you also find a position which gives a good snare effect. For accents simply hit harder.

Video Example
[See post to watch QuickTime movie]

Cajon Technique - Finger Roll

cajonkeith — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:03:00 +0000

Finger Roll
This uses the fingers to give a fast and roll sound. These can be worked in to many of the rhythms to add a bit of colour. When combined with the other hand you can make a drum roll effect.

Technique
Hit the drum with each fingers of you hand alternating between the fingers in succession. I find that a finger roll sounds best when ended with a single hit, either a high slap or bass hit sounds good. To generate a slightly shorter roll you can leave out the little finger and use three.

Video Example
[See post to watch QuickTime movie]

Cajon Technique - Foot Bend

cajonkeith — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:37:40 +0000

A nice little technique which give a pitch bending sound. Useful for fills and impressing a crowd.

Technique
Play the drum with your hands about a third of the way down around the same position of a standard slap. You want to try and aim for a sound which has a bit but not too much bass. Then with the heel of one of you feet slide it up the face of the drum with a little pressure while continuing to play the drum with your hands. This should create a pitch bending type sound. Try not to do this with both feet as you’ll fall off.

Video Example
[See post to watch QuickTime movie]

Cajon Technique - High Slaps

cajonkeith — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 21:55:52 +0000

A high slap gives a sharp crack or slapping tone and can be used in a similar way to a snare rim-shot to accent parts of your beats. Some Cajons allow the screws on the top side to be loosened which will give a sharper slap sound.

Technique
Sitting on the drum simply slap the top of the Cajon with the four fingers of your hand. Aim to hit around 1â€ from the top of the drum and keep you hand at the same angle of the drum. To deliver a louder slap simply hit the drum harder.

Video Example

[See post to watch QuickTime movie]