Today I’m going to teach how to play one of my favourite pop songs on cajon – “Seven Days” by Sting.
The Song
The song features a groove-based melody and a catchy chorus. It tells the story of a brief romantic encounter between two people who meet in a restaurant and spend seven days together before going their separate ways. The lyrics describe the ups and downs of their relationship, from the initial attraction to the eventual heartbreak. The song was a commercial success, reaching the top 30 in several countries and earning Sting a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
The Drummer
The drummer that created the grooves of the seven Days is Vinnie Colaiuta. Vinnie is considered one of the best drummers of all times, and his performance in Seven Days is very well know by the subtle nuances and great grooves.
The Grooves
I’m going to teach you how I’ve adapted on the cajon the grooves of the verse and chorus of the song. The grooves you are going to learn here are not complicated patterns but it can be a bit difficult at the beginning if you are not used to play odd time signatures.Seven Days is played in in 5-4 instead of the conventional 4-4 time signature.
I suggest that you follow the lesson with the notation of the grooves available in the Free Tools Area.
Let’s get started!
And that’s it! Now you have these grooves in 5/4 time signature to practice on the cajon. I suggest that you take your time working on the exercises and start slow before trying it with the song. As this is a different time signature it’s important to start slow to internalise and feel the different pulse.
Remember, If you want to learn how to play the Cajon, I suggest that you get started with these Free Resources available here.
Thank you so much for watching and I hope this lessons was helpful.
I’ll See you soon in the next one