X8 Drums Blog

There’s nothing worse than a shooting pain in your lower back or shoulder in the middle of playing your drum set. You’re in the groove, doin’ your thing and ZOW! You’re in agony! Plenty of drummers experience the natural aches and pains of drumming, like sore muscles, blisters on the fingers or hands or blurred vision from over-drumming (it happens!). But, when you’re finding yourself in a chronic pain situation from drumming, fixing it could be as simple as adjusting your drum kit to your …

Some hand drums just stand out above the others, whether with their sound, size or even just the way the drum looks. Most hand drum players start with finding the “right” sound of a drum, whether a djembe, doumbek or a set of bongos. But, appearance can always be a factor that sways even the best drummer – we’re human, after all, and we aren’t afraid of a little snazz on our drums.If you already have a djembe, for example, you can always add some personal touches to it like ksink ksink or …

Plenty of people consider the djembe drum a staple instrument in drum circles or in performances that highlight African culture. These popular hand drums are also responsible for exciting experiences in schools, for motivating employees in team building exercises and forging connections within communities. So, why is it so shocking to see a djembe drum in a place of worship?For many, it isn’t; djembe drums are just another musical way to worship.Back in the day, djembe drums served a varie …

Because drummers like to be different, we tend to gravitate toward the complexities of life. Such as choosing the right drum or drums for the music we want to play. Everyone knows that drums come in all sorts of different styles, sizes, brands and configurations. There are hand drums like djembes, doumbeks and congas or drum set and component drums like snares, toms and bass drums. While all drums have different drum heads to consider, drum set drummers may have the most intriguing spectru …

Are you a bongocero, a fan of the bongos, a lover of paired percussion? We sure are. But, we get that not everyone wants to sit behind a drum set and pound away on snares, toms and cymbals. Just like not everyone wants to sit on a box and play the cajon, or walk around with a djembe strapped to their neck. We think those people are all a little nuts, but, we love all the drums, so, we’re a bit biased.Some of our favorite drums come in small packages, and even better, they come in sets. Like …

There are as many mallets to choose from as there are keys on a marimba, and really, there are probably more than that. For anyone who is just getting into the wonderful world of idiophone percussion instruments, like the marimba, xylophone or vibraphone, you’ve probably already realized there is a lot more to these instruments than you first thought. Most percussion instruments are seen similarly – after all, how hard can it be to bang something to make a sound?It’s not easy. In fact, eve …

Being a drummer, percussionist or rhythmic artist has a lot of perks. You get to have the entire spotlight on your talent, be seen as the center of the band or the raging force in the drumming community. You are the greatest thing since music was first heard and your skills on that djembe, the congas or behind the drum set are unparalleled. Then, someone comes along and asks you to teach them how to be just like you.What do you do?If your first answer was something like, “no way you’re goi …

There are so many reasons to drum and be one with the beat, we’re often caught off guard when anyone says they don’t “get” drummers. So, maybe you aren’t the kind of person who can spend hours behind a drum set, pounding away with your drumsticks and learning the intricacies of the hi-hat. Maybe you’re not that much into drum circles, or djembe drums and the fun of community drumming. Maybe the obvious drumming traditions aren’t all that exciting for you, and you need more pomp and splendo …

Handpan or Hang drums are pretty great. They’re new, funky, and the more that people get into them, the more varieties are developed. The original PANArt Hang Drum was just the beginning, and it wasn’t even that long ago that it busted onto the drumming (hand percussion, idiophone, music) scene. In 15 years, the delightfully odd and harmonic sound of handpan drums has captivated more than just street performers and drum circle attendees. These crazy percussion instruments are finding their …

We don’t want to toot our own horns, but, we’re pretty smart when it comes to drums and percussion. We love the smiles and fun that a drum can bring into the mix and the unstoppable benefits of rhythm for the brain. We support music education for all ages (you’re never too old to groove!) and as advocates for drums and rhythm, we’re often asked what the best instrument is to tie it all together and make some noise, from preschool through the golden years.Well, drums, of course… djembes, bo …