Everything There Is to Know About The Djembe Drum

I've decided to write a comprehensive article on the djembe drum since it is becoming very popular in western cultures and most people haven't heard about it yet.

Played with bare hands, the Djembe drum is a traditional African drum covered in skin. The unique sound of this drum is achieved with very little effort because the Djembe is built with one concept in mind...maximum results with minimum efforts.

Usually with a single Djembe drum you can create entire songs and rhythm patterns. When you strike the skin with your palm near the drum's center, a bass note is produced. The slap sound or tone can be achieved by striking near the rim.

There are entire techniques, routines and notes to learn. In western cultures, you can easily learn to play such a drum by finding a Djembe master who teaches to a small group of people or who offers private lessons. What the master won't be able to teach you is how to actually create rhythms...he or she will only show you the basics. You'll learn how to create different notes and sounds, but you'll need to use your creativity and imagination to play a song at the Djembe.

The construction of Djembes evolved over time. In this time and age you can even create your own Djembe drum, but I advise you to buy it since it will save you lots of time and effort. Lenge tree was used to carve traditional African drums. This tree didn't have only great acoustic qualities but it also had a sacred, spiritual meaning to African people. Now, the Djembe is manufactured with steel hoops, rubber tires, nylon rope and other similar industrial materials. Also, the animal skin used as a drumhead can make a very big difference in the sound quality. Goat skin is most commonly used, but I've seen a Dejmbe drums with zebra, antelope or even deer skin. While the basic materials have changed, the sound created by the Djembe drums remained the same or even improved.

A little known fact about the Djembe drum is that it needs similar tuning to a guitar. The tuning will be made by the manufacturer and can be adjusted afterward.

If you're interested in playing a Djembe drum, it's best if you do some online research and find more about the subject. In this article I've covered the basics of the Djembe. You can find free samples of Djembe drum rhythms and you can even learn to play this drum on your own, just by listening to some demos.