nagado bachi (usually larger diameter, maple or magnolia wood)
socks for spinning
earplugs
Welcome
Spin Exercise
(1) 1/2 Spins
-- Chose a "lane" on the wooden floor. Place your feet perpendicular to the wooden panel and starting from one end of the room, do 1/2 spins until you reach the other side of the room. Try to keep your footing within the wooden "lane".
(2) Full Spins
-- Chose a "lane" on the wooden floor. Place your feet on top of to the wooden panel and starting from one end of the room, do full spins until you reach the other side of the room. Try to keep your footing within the wooden "lane". Your foot will always be in front of the other; like tightroping.
(3) Alternate
-- Choose a "lane" and spin across the room, alternating 1/2 and full spins.
Beat Exercise
(1) Quarter/Eighth/Sixteenth
-- The teacher play a continuous rhythm. In the mean time, one at a time, the students strike a quarter note without disrupting the rhythm/flow of the beat. Then (again, one at a time and without disrupting the rhythm) the students strike an eight note. Then finally the sixteenth note.
Things to Remember
This exercise is to help individuals keep a steady beat and know when to play their part (even if someone makes a mistake during a piece). Try not to listen to the previous player's hits, but rather listen to the teacher's kept rhythm and play without distractions.
Pattern Exercise
In turn, everyone plays the segment of the pattern before moving onto the next.
(1) 1/4, 1/8, Split 1/8 (x2), 1/16
(2) 1/4, 1/8, Split 1/8 (x2), 1/16, Split 1/16 (x2)
(3) 1/4, 1/8, Split 1/8 (x2), 1/16, Split 1/16 (x2), Split split 1/16 (x4)
Improv
Using Bar 1 as the Ji-Pattern, take turns improving. The length of the improvisation must be 4x Bar 1. Immediately transition back to playing Bar 1 while the next player improvises.
Things to Remember
This exercise is meant to train players to "feel" the length of one bar. It's hard to actively pay attention to what others are playing, while you try to make up patterns on the spot. So, by "feeling" the time, you can know when you're suppose to end and start playing the next segment.
Closing