Lion Dance Drumming For Beginners

Learn the basics behind centuries of tradition

What you’ll learn
Learn the foundational rhythms of lion dance
Explore the cultural meaning behind lion dance
Create your own variations of drumming rhythms
Build your performance skills and learn an entire routine
Requirements
A pair of drumsticks and a drum are helpful, but not required
Description
Learn an entire lion dance drumming routine with this course!You’ll learn the basic rhythms and link them together to create an endless variety of drumming patterns. With lots of opportunity for practice, you will learn to combine rhythms to create music that completes a lion dance performance. The lion dance is a performance that brings good fortune and new beginnings. Colourful and eye-catching, the lion is supported by drums that bring the dance to life. This course will guide you in drumming, covering a blend of musicality, history, and athleticism. Our focus on the practical skills of lion dance drumming will get you hands-on as fast as possible. By the end of the course, you will be able to play an entire lion dance routine and bring your own creative touches to this tradition.Whether you’ve never picked up an instrument or compose your own music, this course will provide you with simple explanations to quickly learn the fundamentals of lion dance drumming. You’ll learn a simple system to write and keep track of the different rhythms you’ll learn. For those without a drum or drumsticks, easy-to-find alternatives are provided in the course. By the end of this course, you will have the skills to confidently play an entire routine and have a deeper understanding of the profound cultural meaning behind lion dance.

Overview

Section 1: Drumming 101: Getting set up

Lecture 1 Your goals and motivation

Lecture 2 What is lion dancing?

Lecture 3 Drumming equipment and alternatives

Lecture 4 Playing technique

Section 2: Basic Rhythm #1: Lion Walking

Lecture 5 Brief Music Theory and Reading Music

Lecture 6 Lion Walking: Our First Basic Rhythm

Lecture 7 Chaining Walking Rhythms

Section 3: Basic Rhythm #2: High Lion

Lecture 8 High Lion, High Tempo

Lecture 9 Chaining High Lion

Section 4: Basic Rhythm #3: Seven Star

Lecture 10 Seven Star: Highlighting the Action

Lecture 11 Chaining Seven Star

Section 5: Learning a Full Lion Dance Routine

Lecture 12 Intro to Sections: Stages of a Lion Dance

Lecture 13 Section #1: Waking Up

Lecture 14 Section #2: Exploring and Finding the Lettuce

Lecture 15 Section #3: Celebrating and Ending

Section 6: Playing the Entire Routine

Lecture 16 Linking the Three Sections

Lecture 17 Take the Lead

People interested in Chinese lion dance, drumming, martial arts, and Chinese culture