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

Labels: african.djembe, african.djembe.drum, Djembe.Buying.Guide, goatskin.head, goblet.drum, hardwood, jembe, malinke, mamady.keita, rope.djembe, west.africa