Drum Happy Rhythm Jam (Drumming & Percussion)

Drum Happy is the rhythm-jam side of Elk Burland, a Manchester-based musician and sound engineer, and it does just what the name says: it gets a whole room drumming together for the sheer good of it. The point is to play together, not to perform. Instruments are provided, so you can turn up empty-handed and get stuck in. If you would rather bring your own, you are welcome to.

Drum Happy’s rhythm jam is one of the easiest things to join in with, whatever your age or experience. Away from the drum circle, Elk runs Purple Elk Productions, a professional sound and production company whose usual work is audio for weddings, festivals and concerts — so the person leading the beat genuinely knows how to fill a hall without ever overwhelming it.

What a rhythm jam is

A rhythm jam is a group playing simple patterns together on hand drums and percussion. There is no sheet music and nothing to read. You are led through rhythms a step at a time and build them up as a group, so the sound grows without anyone needing to be a musician. If you lose the beat, you just pick it back up on the next one.

What taking part feels like

Group drumming is good fun, and it is surprisingly absorbing. Keeping a rhythm going gives your hands and your attention something straightforward to do, and there is a real lift that comes from a room of people locking into the same beat at once. People tend to arrive unsure and leave grinning.

Who it suits

This suits absolutely everyone, which is rather the point. No experience is needed, no talent is required, and you cannot play a wrong note in a rhythm jam. It is a good choice if you fancy something active and sociable rather than quiet, and it is easy to join at whatever level of energy you have on the day.

Something to try this week

You do not need a drum to feel what this is about. Put on a track with a clear beat and tap along on a tabletop or your knees, holding the pulse steady all the way through rather than speeding up. It is a small thing, but keeping time with your hands is oddly satisfying, and it is exactly the knack a rhythm jam builds on.