mcp_opendaw_create_djembe_ensemble
Generates a layered West African djembe and dunun ensemble with interlocking ostinato patterns, call-and-response structure, and customizable styles like danza or kuku.
Instructions
Create a West African djembe/dunun ensemble — cyclical ostinato with call-and-response.
West African drumming (Mali, Guinea, Senegal) is built on layered cyclical patterns. Three bass drums (dununs) play interlocking ostinato patterns that define the rhythmic foundation. The kenkeni (highest) plays the fastest cycle, the sangban (middle) plays the core pulse, and the dundunba (lowest) plays the slow anchor. A bell (kenken) plays the timeline — the reference pattern all drummers orient to. Two djembes play lead and accompaniment parts: djembe 1 improvises calls and echauffements (heating-up sections), djembe 2 plays a fixed accompaniment (accompagnement) that interlocks with the dununs.
Unlike samba (parade ensemble) or songo (drum kit), West African drumming is cyclical: the accompaniment loops indefinitely while the lead djembe improvises on top. The structure is call-and-response: the lead plays a signal (appel) and the ensemble responds, then the groove continues.
styles (traditional rhythms): "danza" — Malian welcoming rhythm. Kenkeni steady 8ths, sangban pulse on 1+3, dundunba on 2+4. Bell timeline E(3,2,3). Djembe 2 accompagnement: slap-tone-slap-bass. "kuku" — Guinean celebration rhythm. Kenkeni offbeat pattern, sangban syncopated, dundunba sparse. Bell E(7,12). Djembe 2: rolling 16th tone-slaps. "djole" — Sierra Leonean rhythm (originally on sikko drums). Kenkeni 16ths, sangban 3-3-2, dundunba on 1. Bell E(3,2,3). Djembe 2: spaced bass-slap pattern. "doundounba" — The "dance of the strong men" (Guinea). Sangban drives with a dense 16th pattern, dundunba on downbeats, kenkeni sparse. Bell E(3,2,3). Aggressive djembe 2.
bars: Pattern length (4-16, even). style: Rhythm name (danza, kuku, djole, doundounba). velocity: Base velocity (0-1). kenkeni_pitch: Kenkeni (high dunun) MIDI pitch (35 = B0). sangban_pitch: Sangban (mid dunun) MIDI pitch (36 = C1). dundunba_pitch: Dundunba (low dunun) MIDI pitch (38 = D1). djembe1_pitch: Lead djembe MIDI pitch (42 = F#1). djembe2_pitch: Accompaniment djembe MIDI pitch (46 = A#1). bell_pitch: Bell (kenken) timeline MIDI pitch (50 = D2).
Args: bars: Pattern length in bars (4-16, even). style: Rhythm style (danza, kuku, djole, doundounba). velocity: Base velocity 0-1. unit_index: AU index. track_index: Note track index. start_beat: Starting beat position. kenkeni_pitch: Kenkeni MIDI pitch. sangban_pitch: Sangban MIDI pitch. dundunba_pitch: Dundunba MIDI pitch. djembe1_pitch: Lead djembe MIDI pitch. djembe2_pitch: Accompaniment djembe MIDI pitch. bell_pitch: Bell timeline MIDI pitch.
Returns notes created, instrument breakdown, and rhythm info.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| bars | No | ||
| style | No | danza | |
| velocity | No | ||
| bell_pitch | No | ||
| start_beat | No | ||
| unit_index | No | ||
| track_index | No | ||
| djembe1_pitch | No | ||
| djembe2_pitch | No | ||
| kenkeni_pitch | No | ||
| sangban_pitch | No | ||
| dundunba_pitch | No |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |