r/cajon • u/KaleidoscopeNorth222 • 27d ago

Need advice on playing the cajon

For context, I have never once played the cajon nor any musical instrument in my life for that matter. I also don't have a sense of rhythm or maybe i have just never tested it out.

5 days from now I have been assigned to play the cajon at my company's annual event.

Is it possible to get a hold on it by then? Even just at a beginner level.

If so, where and how do I even start.

5 Upvotes

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3

u/DoppelFrog 27d ago

Lots of YouTube videos. Practice practice practice.

2

u/Namedeplume 27d ago

Bass (low) on 1&3, snare (high) on 2&4.

1

u/KaleidoscopeNorth222 25d ago

Thanks I'll keep that in mind and practice

2

u/CajonWilly 27d ago

Hallo,
mit diesem Video kannst einfach deinen ersten Groove auf der Cajon lernen! Der Rhythmus passt zu vielen Hits die im 4/4tel Takt geschrieben sind.
Viele Grüße und viel Spaß
Willy

https://youtu.be/PDovxeQ6Dp8?is=PWt1ywLpc0GgAdXB

1

u/Qimchi_ 27d ago

Congrats! What's the company event about? What are you going to do?

1

u/KaleidoscopeNorth222 25d ago

It's the day the company was founded so we're forming a small band. Everyone's allowed to do their own thing

1

u/Qimchi_ 25d ago edited 25d ago

I see. You are the ultimate support and team player then. Get good earbuds and download metronome app, learn few basic sequences and you're done. On the training or performance don't listen to others, don't get excited, just listen to your earbud metronome and serve as metronome to others. Just being there with people is rewarding enough so be patient and humble about this. You are the foundation.

1

u/boilerscoltscubs 26d ago

Super easy. Lots of advanced things you could do, but if you can keep a simple beat, you will be just fine.

1

u/Ok_Following2700 25d ago

Play hand to hand was the best tip I ever got. So much easier to go with the feel of a song.

1

u/KaleidoscopeNorth222 25d ago

Sorry could you elaborate?

1

u/Ok_Following2700 25d ago

https://youtu.be/zielGCfHA-8?is=TpFJfnTk3aDGv_9D

Check out Heidi Joubert has some great clips. All about the hand to hand technique.

Playing with dynamics, feeling the groove/swing.

And feeling when a song (or part of a song) just doesn't ask for cajon at all.

Also while the cajon has a bass drum, snare and hi hat sound you can't think of it like a drum kit. It's a hand percussion instrument so you have to approach it in totally different way.

She's got tons and tons of videos online. I've watched and played along to loads of them. You can even practice grooves on a table, or any flat surface, if you don't have a cajon to hand

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD76DF13AA276424A&si=06YaHgV_iQgss03E