So you're in the market for a djembe drum but not sure if you should go with a wooden based shell or a synthetic shell. Well, you've stumbled onto the right site. Shopping for a djembe drum can at times be a bit overwhelming. There are such a wide variety of choices, sizes, and features that sometimes you lose sight of what you want. Hopefully after reading this blog you'll have a better understanding of the distinct differences between wood and synthetic djembe drums so you can make a more informed decision.

One of the biggest differences between wood and synthetic djembe drums is that synthetic shells are much lighter and tend to have an extremely bright and almost tinny sound. The brighter tone produced by synthetic shells can be good for cutting through the mix of an amplified band. Additionally, synthetic shell djembes are typically less expensive. After all, it's cheaper to manufacture synthetic molds on an assembly line than it is to carve a single piece of logwood by hand.

Traditional wooden shells have a much more warmer and fuller sound. Most professional players choose wood due to its warm and natural sounding tone. Plus wooden djembe drums are much more authentic and traditional. They just sound better!! Synthetic djembes will be slightly less affected by changes of weather and temperature whereas wood responds more to atmospheric changes, but since they are all tunable that may not matter too much.

If you're planning on gigging out a bunch and transporting your djembe around town, keep in mind that wood tends to show scratches more easily, though both are very durable. A drum usually gets most of its scratches when traveling, so be sure to transport your drum in a djembe bag to reduce the chance of damage.

QUICK REFERENCE:

X8 Djembes produce a traditional line of high quality wooden shell djembe drums made from a solid piece of mahogany logwood. Mahogany is a wonderful hardwood known for its resonant acoustic properties and used in many types of wooden based musical instruments.

Toca Percussion manufactures a PVC shell in their Toca Freestyle Djembe series. PVC is essentially a hard plastic.

All Remo djembes are manufactured using a synthetic shell called 'Acousticon' which essentially is fiberglass. Additionally, all Remo djembe heads are fitted with a synthetic material called 'Fiberskyn'.

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When shopping for a djembe drum it's important to consider the environmental ramifications of purchasing a djembe that uses illegal wood. Unfortunately, many djembe drums that are being imported into this country, from West Africa, are made from wood that has been illegally harvested. Read more about African djembe drums here.

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Labels: african.djembe, djembe, Djembe.Buying.Guide, hand.drumming, jembe, world.beat

The very first djembes made from staved Siam Oak as opposed to being carved from a solid piece of mahogany or hardwood.

There's a new djembe in town and it rocks! Back in November of 2006 Tycoon Percussion partnered up with Dancing Drum, a company based in Santa Barbara that specializes in the drum circle and educational market. They expressed to Tycoon the need for a high-quality but affordable djembe and so together they embarked on creating one, hence the name: "Tycoon Percussion - Dancing Drum Signature Series".

These drums are just absolutely amazing both sound-wise and through their appearance; I can say without any reservations that these djembes sound great! You can view some video clips of the drums being played right here.



They created a huge buzz at the NAMM show back in January, and were used in the annual Remo drum circle! As a testament to their quality, Remo's drum circle coordinator himself put these drums in the very front row.

Made from sustain-ably harvested Siam Oak hardwood, the Dancing Drum Signature Series Djembes are designed from the inside out, with sharp, defined contours, to produce tones that have a deep bass, rich mid-tones, and crisp highs. They're the very first djembes that are made from staved Siam Oak as opposed to being carved from a solid piece of mahogany or hardwood. Not only does this make the drums much more environmentally friendly, they make them sound great as well. The skins are pre-selected hand-shaved natural goatskin so every kind of material used in the production of this drum is absolutely top-notch. That is what separates them from other drums on the market.

Available in three sizes, the Dancing Drum Signature Series Djembes offer an exceptional combination of professional quality, value, and sound.

Next: 7. How To Start A Drum Circle

Labels: african.djembe, dancing.drum.signature.series, djembe, Djembe.Buying.Guide, drum, goatskin.head, NAMM, siam.oak, tycoon.percussion

Below is a step-by-step guide in replacing drumheads. After reading the information, you will be able to replace drumheads on frame (ex: tambourine, african djembe) and ceramic drums.

1. You will need: masking tape, yellow wood glue, a straight edge (i.e. yardstick, etc), a utility knife and a clamp, along with your drum and the replacement goatskin head. An extended hose clamp works well. A strap and ratchet system may work. Remember that your clamp must provide even pressure around the drum.

2. Estimate the size of skin you will need by fitting your drum with a sheet of newspaper. It should cover the head of the drum, the area to be glued, and have enough excess to maneuver and clamp it. If the skin is too small you will have to start over with a larger skin.

3. Soak your goatskin in water for approximately 15 minutes. The skin should be pliable when you begin to re-head your drum.

4. Affix the masking tape to the upper part of the drum. Align it approximately one inch below the top of the drum. The tape is used to keep the glue from running down the side of the drum and gives a sharp edge to your replaced head.

5. If the old skin is still in place, use the skin edge as a guide to affix the masking tape. Remove any decorative trim. Place the tape on the drum adjacent to the skin edge. Peel off the old skin and dried glue. You do not need to clean the drum completely. Do not use cleaners or handle the lip surface, as this will leave residues.

6. To affix the masking tape without the old skin as a guide, place your straight edge across the top of the drum. Measure down, about one inch, from the yardstick to the drum's upper edge. If you need to, make a pencil mark on the drum. Do this around the entire drum. Affix the upper edge of the tape along this mark.

7. Apply the glue to the drum surface when your new skin is almost ready. Cover the drum surface from the top inside opening to the upper edge of the tape. Apply the yellow wood glue liberally. Let the glue slightly overlap the tape edge for a even fit.

8. Remove the goatskin from the water and blot it dry.
Drape the skin over the drum and center it. Do not squeeze out the glue. Smooth out the wrinkles.

9. Secure your clamp on top of the masking tape. Do not fully tighten the clamp. The skin should be sandwiched between the tape and clamp. You do not want the clamp to be above the tape edge. It will squeeze out the glue and leave indent marks in the new head.

10. Pull the skin edges to tighten the skin over the drum. Alternately tighten the clamp and pull the skin. For Ceramic Drums the goatskin should be pulled as tight as possible. If you are replacing a Fishskin head, pull it snuggly, but not as tight as possible or it could rip. IMPORTANT: for Frame Drums, the skin should have a slight droop of no more than 1/16 of an inch below level. The skin shrinks as it dries and will naturally tighten.

11. Allow the skin to dry 24 - 48 hours.

12. Trim the excess skin. Carefully, with a utility knife, cut along the upper edge of the tape. If you placed the clamp on evenly and it is level you may be able to use the clamp as a cutting guide. You should be able to feel the edge of the masking tape under the skin.

13. Remove tape. Wipe off your drum. If you wish, you can finish off the raw edge of the skin with colored electrical tape or fabric trim.

14. Enjoy your new drumhead!

Labels: african.djembe, ceramic.drum, drum.skin, drumhead, frame.drum, goatskin.head, tambourine

The African djembe (also jembe, jenbe, yembe, sanbanyi in Susu; pronounced "ZHEM-bay") is a goatskin covered drum shaped like a large goblet and meant to be played with bare hands. Traditionally crafted djembe drums are carved in one single piece from hollowed out hardwood trees. Specific types of wood depend upon the forests accessible to the drum makers. Some West African hardwoods used for musician quality instruments (carved in Guinea, Senegal, Mali, and Ivory Coast) include dimba (bush mango), lenge, bois rouge, acajou, iroko, hare or khadi, and dugura.

As a result of the large goblet shape and the goatskin head, there is a significant difference in the tones produced. Striking the skin near the center produces a bass note; striking the skin near the rim can produce either a tone or slap note, depending on the technique used. The slap has a higher pitch than the tone. Some consider the djembe female and the Ashikos to be male. The djembe is said to contain 3 spirits. The spirit of the tree, the spirit of the animal of which the drumhead is made and the spirit of the instrument maker. The African djembe is also known as the magical drum.

The African djembe is used for ceremonial purposes such as a wedding, full moon or the start of a harvest season for farmers. There is general agreement that the origin of the African djembe is associated with a class of Mandinka/Susu blacksmiths known as Numu. The wide dispersion of the djembe drums throughout West Africa may be due to Numu migrations dating from the first millennium A.D.

The Malinke, an indigenous people who are spread throughout West Africa, use the djembe to help spread their message of peace. In the Malinke culture it's an expression of joy. And is often used as a way for the African people to share their thoughts about the world. African drummer Mamady Keita, named best djembe drummer in Africa by the Pan-African Festival in Algers puts it best: "For us personally it's a way for us to share our own thoughts about the world. It helps us show through music that all our problems are not needed, and that we can come together as people because we can come together to play music."

Next: How to Play the Djembe

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The following is an unbelievable story I recently read regarding women in Africa who are literally being disowned by family members for playing the drums. That's what many members of the Amazones (The Women Master Drummers of Guinea) have to deal with in their native African homeland of Guinea.

The instrument of choice in The Amazones performance is the djembe. Traditionally played by men in Guinea, the djembe is forbidden for women to even touch. Several of the women in the group have been shunned by their families, where in one case a mother of one of the djembe players not only disowned her but told her to look for another job, and even burnt her performance costume. It's wild to think that this is happening in the 21st century. "The mind couldn't get it that the woman decided to do this," said the Amazones' founding director Mamoudou Conde.

Conde said he encouraged the Amazones, a group of up to 14 women, to push past the criticisms and to stick with the djembe. "One of the reasons for bringing the girls on this instrument for me, is really to speak out," Conde said. "Part is a fight for African women and their rights." Conde added that after nearly a decade of performing worldwide, the women's families are starting to see inspiration in the group's determination, and even young girls are becoming exposed to the instrument.

"Many girls now are picking up some of these instruments," Conde said. "They see their mother doing something they want to do. This really gives girls courage and ability to do what they want to do.

Labels: african.djembe, amazones, djembe, drum, drummers, guinea, percussion.instrument

One of the largest U.S. manufacturers and suppliers of ethnic musical instruments, Mid-East has been family owned and operated for over 33 years (since 1973). They've stayed in business this long because they offer top quality products, and stand 100% behind everything they make.

The inception of Mid-East occurred back in the early 70's when Alice was working as a belly dance instructor. Belly dancing was the rage in the 70's and one of Alice's tasks, as a teacher, was to find the most reasonably priced materials for her students. Enter husband (Steve). At that time Steve worked as a stockbroker dealing with financial numbers all day. When Steve found out what the zills (finger cymbals) were costing he said "I could make them better and for less." And he did. After supplying Alice's students, they began to manufacture and supply zills to a number of dance studios. It wasn't long before their living room was turned into a makeshift factory. All four of their boys helped to count, clean, and bag zills. Within a few years Steve quit his stockbroker job. The family was in business. Customers began to show interest in a number of other instruments, and as they did, Mid-East began to manufacture and import bongos, tambourines, African Djembe's, Dhol's, and more ethnic based instruments from around the world. Today the company is housed in an 18,000 square foot warehouse in West Melbourne, Florida.

Don't be surprised if you have difficulty selecting that one special piece from our Mid-East line of percussion instruments. If you have questions, our knowledgeable staff at X8 Drums is dedicated to providing friendly and helpful service. We want our customers to know that Mid-East makes well crafted instruments at an exceptional value. We only carry the best!!

Labels: african.djembe, bongo, dhol, ethnic.instruments, mid-east, tambourine, world.percussion