I've been playing, teaching and performing with the djembe for many long years and especially giving concerts with other artists.

And I have noticed that there are 3 primary rhythms that a djembe player should know how and when to use. With these 3 beats there is a high chance that you'll be able to play to most songs.

Usually, when you get to an event as the drummer, somebody is going to introduce their songs to you - with these 3 beats in this video, you'll most likely going to be ready to play along to most songs.

The first of those three beats is what drummers all around the world call The Straight Beat. It get's its name from the fact that it only has 1 bass stroke in it, and 1 loud slap, all the rest is exclusively quiet strokes only.

The second beat it what I call the "332". I see a comment saying it's also called the "malfuf". I'm sure different people in different places all over the world call it many different things.

The third beat is one which is comprised of 16 strokes. First, you should try and get the groove of the Main Strokes of this beat - that is, the bass strokes and loud slaps only (no quiet slaps). Following the "332" naming strategy, one could call this beat the "33424".

These 3 beats are super important to be able to play with any tempo and also any volume (quietly, too, if necessary).