X8 Drums Blog

As fans of Middle Eastern music and the belly dancers who inspire the “doum-tekka-tek” in our hearts, we’ve often been asked what kind of drum is best to learn these nuanced rhythms and help keep the shimmies going long into the night. The answer? The doumbek drum. The other answer? The darbuka drum. There are never simple answers in drumming. Ever. Darbuka drums, doumbek drums and even djembe drums are all very similar instruments in terms of the construction, shape and materials …

If you have been playing hand drums for a while, you know there are plenty of differences between a djembe and the bongos. Really, if you’ve been playing for a while, you know there are differences between a rope-tuned djembe and a key-tuned djembe, not to mention the thousands of other nuances that those drums offer. Loving your djembe (or any hand drum) will inevitably lead you down a path of expertise about your drum, as well as drums that sit alongside it at the local music store or …

There is something special about the cooler seasons of the year that bring out the best in everyone, including elaborate costumes and the fantasy worlds of times past. Renaissance fairs and festivals are a part of the lives of millions of people around the world, taking advantage of open air settings that once proved a glamorous backdrop for knights, queens, sorcery and so much more. At any point in the year, you can be assured of venturing into a Renaissance fair and seeing a wide rang …