VIDEO GALLERY

Frame Drum Lesson 1: Upright Frame Drumming For Beginners

Upright frame drum lesson for beginners.

Necessary Endings

Featuring various non-western instruments, this piece tells the story of being in a volatile relationship that's difficult to get out of, but must end.

Obscure Diversity

Obscure Diversity was composed out of my long-time passion for non-western percussion instruments. I wanted to write something that combined drums from various parts of the world, but also have melodic content. Having performed Randy Gloss’s More like Chutney in my undergraduate studies, I knew immediately that I wanted my melody to come from the jal tarang, an ancient instrument of the Indian subcontinent made from ceramic or metal bowl tuned with water.  
The groove behind the melody is set-up using djembes from West Africa, a riq from the Arabic speaking world, a tar from the middle east and North Africa, and a combination of percussion instruments commonly used in western music; bass drum, cymbal, gong, shaker, and  triangle.  
Once the composition was completed, I remember thinking it was obscure to have such a diverse instrumentation....hence the name Obscure Diversity.

Sinuous Frame

Frame drum solo for intermediate to advanced players.

Global Positions

Fun piece for ghaval that explores multiple grips  for performing on frame drum.

Manta Ray Dance

Riq solo for those looking to expand their vocabulary on the instrument.

Please visit and subscribe to Richard Henson Percussion on YouTube to find more videos.