broad categories; 1. Danceable music which can be further broken down into; i. A 12 point set which can be similar to 6/8 music (ex. ••• ••• I ••• •••) ii. A 16 point set which can be similar to 2/4 music (ex. •••• •••• I •••• ••••) 12 point tends to be used for formal occasions while 16 point tends to be more casual 2.Music that is not considered danceable which can be further broken down into; i. A cross-set with a 12-point set with tuplets ii. A cross-set with a 16-point set consisting of triplets This style is typically reserved for ritual or worship Form West African songs can usually be broken down into two categories; The solo part, which; i. Can be heavily altered by the vocalist ii. Tends to not be accented 2. The chorus, which; i. Can act as a refrain to the solo part ii. Tends to be accented similar to Western music. Pitch can effect how the vocal parts are accented; i. High tones are slightly accented ii. Low tones have no accent This accenting is a result of the local languages, where the pitch and accenting can determine what word is being said. Compared to rhythm, melody is unimportant and can be altered at the musicians' discretion. Drum ensemble The drum ensemble is critical in preserving the rhythm of a song. The responsibilities of the ensemble are typically divided into two categories; The ostinato – background drummers who focus on maintaining the circular rhythm The master drummer - “projects” rhythmic manipulations within the time structure The master drummer’s role can be further divided into; Extrapolation and masking set units Staggered subsets and supersets Set interpolation Instrumentation Percussion Djembe Rhythm is the foundation of West Africa's traditional music, so percussion instruments play a major role in constructing its sounds. Traditional music of West Africa incorporates the use of a variety of percussive instruments, the most popular of which is the djembe. Known also as the 'magic drum' or the 'healing drum', the djembe is spiritually important to West African tradition as it is believed that three spirits reside within the drum. These spirits are those of the tree which provided the drum's wooden frame, the animal which gave its skin for the drumhead and the carver or drum assembler. The sounds of the djembe vary from low-pitched bass sounds (achieved by beating the