Drum of the Week

Too frequently, I've read local journalists' reports of drum circles or other community gatherings that included drumming, and the writer reports that the drummers were banging on bongos. Maybe the alliteration is supposed to be clever, but this makes me cringe. So I'm taking it upon myself to do a little drum education.

Bongos are not the only type of hand drums out there. In fact, bongos are a pretty rare sight at drum circles. So each week, I'll feature a different type of drum that is likely to show up at a community drum gathering. Bongos will be included eventually. :P Take the drum challenge and read on, and you'll astonish your friends next time you pass a group of drummers at the park and you can point out all of the different types of drums by name!



It seems just and right to feature the DJEMBE first, as this truly is the drum most frequently seen at drum gatherings. The djembe is a goblet shaped drum that originated in Africa. The drum's body is sometimes made of synthetic materials, but traditional djembes have a wooden shell. The type of wood varies according to where the drum is made. The drumhead is typically made of goatskin, but a drum with a synthetic body will most likely have a synthetic head as well. It's the goatskin that gives the drum its characteristic firey sound.



Synthetic drums may have metal clamps for tuning (as in the tiny djembe photo above), or there may be no tuning option at all. Traditional wooden djembes use a rope tuning system. There are metal rings that hold the drumskin in place, and these rings are pulled down by tightening the ropes. This pulls the skin tighter and raises the pitch of the djembe's sound. If you'd like to see how it's done, check out this video my girlfriend produced...



Drums are my passion, so I could go on and on. If you have any djembe questions, just let me know! And stay tuned for the next Drum of the Week!