Djembe Help; Please

[louis]

i am looking into buying a Djembe and would be very grateful for any help and advise you could offer.

i was just wondering what sort of things i should look for and look out for. i want a quality drum that will last and sounds beautiful but obviously i don't want to be spnding a load.

i found this
>> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=007&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=170125502742&rd=1&rd=1
and from the feedbak and description it seems to fit the bill.

any thoughts would be a great help as i dont know an awful lot about percussion

thanks, louis x

[jayp]

I'm not sure but I think I remember hearing that the more knots the djembe has most likely the better quality and sound it will have.

[Kenneth Nishimoto]

I'm not sure but I think I remember hearing that the more knots the djembe has most likely the better quality and sound it will have.

Yeah, with djembes, the knots essentially form the djembe equivalent to a tuning lug. So, the more knots you have, the more evenly pressure will be distributed across the drum head, and the better the drum will sound.

Personally, I really like the Toca cannon djembe, it's pretty inexpensive for the size, and it's 14 inches, which is pretty sweet. It's synthetic, though, so it's different tone from wood.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Toca-Freestyle-Cannon-Djembe-with-Bag?sku=449859

[louis]

Thank you for your help so far. That one does seem pretty good but i think i wanna stick to the authentic wood. What did you think of the one i found on eBay??

Also is 12" quite a standard size or are bigger ones common too??

thanks again, louis x

[Deathmetalconga]

I would recommend you get a bolt-tuned djembe. They're easy to tune or de-tune, as weather dictates, and you don't have the hassle of rope tuning.

[druid]

I have a Remo 14" Djembe ( Earth color)...it is a really nice drum but I would not say it is neccesarily 'better' than rope tuned. I have played some real rope drums as well...and they can project and sound better IMHO. However I do like my Remo and after playing with several others and learning more about better tunings I have quite an authentic sounding Djembe at this point.

Hope this helps!

[Drummer Karl]

I wouldn`t personally go for such an African Djembe which is rope-tuned.
I know that Meinl, Latin Percussion, Schalloch and Toca make very good quality percussion, including Djembe drums.
I`m especially impressed with Latin Percussion`s and Schalloch`s sound. Though I`m really no percussion expert. lol

But maybe something like this?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Schalloch-Djembe-Drum?sku=444772

I really like it`s sound, it`s nice and open, pretty resonant and has a nice timbre.

Karl

[Deathmetalconga]

I wouldn`t personally go for such an African Djembe which is rope-tuned.
I know that Meinl, Latin Percussion, Schalloch and Toca make very good quality percussion, including Djembe drums.
I`m especially impressed with Latin Percussion`s and Schalloch`s sound. Though I`m really no percussion expert. lol

But maybe something like this?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Schalloch-Djembe-Drum?sku=444772

I really like it`s sound, it`s nice and open, pretty resonant and has a nice timbre.

Karl

I agree about the rope vs. bolt tuning. All of my hand percussion - djembe, dumbek, bata, ashikos, tablas, cuica, bongos and more is bolt tuned. I don't much care for messing with ropes when I can tune the drum instantly with a wrench. There's a reason Western drums haven't been tuned with ropes in more than 150 years.

I have the LP djembe and I have done lots of playing and recording with it. It's a very good drum, but somewhat expensive. Toca is the LP budget line and Afro is the Pearl line and these are good drums for the money. Never heard of Schalloch.

Karl is right, there are other good manufacturers out there other than LP. Meinl makes great stuff and is a very underrated company. I own a lot of Meinl instruments because they're very innovative and makes quality instruments.

[Wile E. Coyote]

I wouldn`t personally go for such an African Djembe which is rope-tuned.

I would definitely do it. The difference with factory djembes is far too big.
Do you know any african djembe player? Buy his!! (no kiddin') Or ask where to get one like his.
Otherwise go for the Remo, but the bass sucks and it will cost twice as much as a handmade.

[louis]

thanks a lot for all your advice. very insightful.

but in the end i went for the African style rope tuned drum. after a slight disaster (the origional drum was crushed under a reversing delivery van!!!!) i recieved the new drum yesterday and so far so good. im loving the sound, the feel and the authentic looks.

thanks again it has been good to get your advice. in the future i may consider a bolt tuned drum for gigging etc. as it seems that the pros of that style - the light weight materials, ease of tuning, reliablity (ie getting the same consistent sound) seem to sway that way.

louis x

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s186/louis3789/IMG_0308.jpg

[Garvin]

Does it sound like this?

Click here to hear Saboninkun (http://media.putfile.com/Saboninkun)

Just posted this link on another Djembe thread, but thought it might be nice to have here as well. This is Djembe played by a master.

[pcmckay]

thanks a lot for all your advice. very insightful.

but in the end i went for the African style rope tuned drum. after a slight disaster (the origional drum was crushed under a reversing delivery van!!!!) i recieved the new drum yesterday and so far so good. im loving the sound, the feel and the authentic looks.

thanks again it has been good to get your advice. in the future i may consider a bolt tuned drum for gigging etc. as it seems that the pros of that style - the light weight materials, ease of tuning, reliablity (ie getting the same consistent sound) seem to sway that way.

louis x

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s186/louis3789/IMG_0308.jpg

Good choice! I teach African drumming and my Djembe was made in a village in West Africa on the Ivory Coast. You can't go wrong with a traditional djembe. If you are not familiar with how the drums are roped up and you need to tighten it there are a couple of different ways to do that without having to untie everything. The first way is to use a rubber mallet, strike the top ring in a downward angle without hitting the side of the skin. Do this all the way around the drum as many times as you need to until you get the desired pitch, you have to strike it very hard. This will help pull the top ring down further which in turn will tighten the head. Or another way is to use the Mali weave or diamonds. Basically you twist each group of ropes which tightens the goat skin also. There is a lot of information on the internet with instructions on how to do this. But stay away from mass produced Djembes, they really do not have the traditional sound. Rope tension is the best way to go. Where was your Djembe made?

[voldak]

But stay away from mass produced Djembes, they really do not have the traditional sound.

I'm looking into purchasing a beginning/intermediate level djembe. I am totally lost. I've got a few recommendations from some people .... drumart, also drum skulls percussion. But, these are fairly costly and I'm looking for something with a good sound and not overly expensive. any recommendations?

[louis]

voldak: i recieved your personal message but thought it would be best to reply here for the benefit of everyone.

this is my first djembe, and i am very, very pleased with it. i would deffinately reccomend it. i bought it on eBay, from a shop, not an auction. it is called Goldcoast Arts >> http://stores.ebay.co.uk/GOLDCOAST-ARTS . the service was excellent and the quality outstanding. AND reasonably priced too!!

i know how you feel, i didn't know where to look initially but this buy has done me well and i hope it lasts me for a good while.

louis x

[Deathmetalconga]

But stay away from mass produced Djembes, they really do not have the traditional sound. Rope tension is the best way to go.

If by "traditional" you mean uneven bearing edges, fussy tuning and inconsistent head quality, then I am very happy to play my top-of-the-line mass-produced LP stave djembe. I use a racheting box-end wrench to adjust tuning within seconds.

There's a reason why Western trap drums haven't been rope-tuned for more than a hundred years. Rope tuning is unreliable and can't easily be changed to account for temperature and humidity. For those willing to put up with the inconvenience of rope tuning, maybe there is a difference in sound, but I haven't been able to tell.

I'd even put a Fiberskyn head on my djembe if Remo made them. As you can tell, I'm not a traditionalist.

[Garvin]

Deathmetalconga it's always refreshing to hear your opinion on djembe's. I guess I would consider myself a traditionalist, but I've never actually played on a well tuned or high-end mass produced djembe. I know you are knowledgable about these things and were it coming from anyone else I'd jump all over them, but I grudgingly accept your personal preference for these drums which frankly send chills down my spine.

Conversely, I've never owned a low quality "traditional" djembe and therefore have not experienced poor bearing edges, low quality skins, or tuning issues which I know exist in the poorer quality drums that flood the market. Pulling a knot is actually quicker than tuning with hardware in my experience and I've only had to replace a head one time because I was an idiot and left my drum sitting in my car under the desert sun in the middle of summer.

I do own a set of fiberglass Bobby Allende congas with synthetic heads on them so I'm not a total purist about these things. Though I did put a real skin on my quinto.

Professional quality djembe$ can be found at www.drumskulldrums.com www.rhythmtraders.com and www.motherlandmusic.com.

[pcmckay]

If by "traditional" you mean uneven bearing edges, fussy tuning and inconsistent head quality, then I am very happy to play my top-of-the-line mass-produced LP stave djembe. I use a racheting box-end wrench to adjust tuning within seconds.

There's a reason why Western trap drums haven't been rope-tuned for more than a hundred years. Rope tuning is unreliable and can't easily be changed to account for temperature and humidity. For those willing to put up with the inconvenience of rope tuning, maybe there is a difference in sound, but I haven't been able to tell.

I'd even put a Fiberskyn head on my djembe if Remo made them. As you can tell, I'm not a traditionalist.

Your lack of experience and knowledge on this topic is very apparent. Your comparing trap drums and djembes, thats like comparing apples and oranges isn't it? For conventional drum kits yes rope tension is not the best set up, but for a Djembe a plastic drum head and metal hardware is not the best set up for it either. It's a different animal, you can't take a western approach to it because it's not a western instrument. Now there are some poorly made Djembes out there I'm not denying that, but if know where to look and find a reputable supplier you would be amazed at the drums from Mali, and the Ivory Coast. I wouldn't completely dismiss traditional Djembes without hearing and seeing the real article being played by a professional African drummer. You need to check out Mammady Keita his drums are made by hand for him and yes the bearing edges are perfect, the sound is better then any plastic head can produce and you can't get the same sound out of a LP or Remo djembe guaranteed. It's just like anything else there are professional grade and entry level and Djembes are no different. Just because a drum is made by hand from Africa doesn't mean that it's crap, they have been making these drums for thousands of years and I'm pretty sure they know what they are doing.

[Garvin]

PC, I know Deathmetal is perfectly capable of defending himself, but I think its dangerous to get caught in the trap that I used to find myself in. I have played and studied West African music with several amazing drummers including Mamady. I know what the real drums sound like, and so far I don't believe it's possible to replicate that sound on one of these modern drums. However, I also respect the fact that there are some folks out there that prefer to use these modern drums for whatever reason, and can't fault them for their preference. I've heard these modern drums in a lot of Brazilian and Argentinian music. There's a definite time and place to use these drums. For the traditional West African music that I've heard though, I would find these same drums extremely out of place. Finally though, if you put those drums in the hands of a Mamady, or Fode Bangoura or take your pick of any of the masters, I promise the high end synthetic or stave drums would probably still sound pretty good, though nothing like the traditional ones.

Out of curiosity who do you study with? What's the West African scene like in your town? I ask because I'm always curious who's teaching where etc...

Peace.

[Deathmetalconga]

Your lack of experience and knowledge on this topic is very apparent. Your comparing trap drums and djembes, thats like comparing apples and oranges isn't it? For conventional drum kits yes rope tension is not the best set up, but for a Djembe a plastic drum head and metal hardware is not the best set up for it either. It's a different animal, you can't take a western approach to it because it's not a western instrument. Now there are some poorly made Djembes out there I'm not denying that, but if know where to look and find a reputable supplier you would be amazed at the drums from Mali, and the Ivory Coast. I wouldn't completely dismiss traditional Djembes without hearing and seeing the real article being played by a professional African drummer. You need to check out Mammady Keita his drums are made by hand for him and yes the bearing edges are perfect, the sound is better then any plastic head can produce and you can't get the same sound out of a LP or Remo djembe guaranteed. It's just like anything else there are professional grade and entry level and Djembes are no different. Just because a drum is made by hand from Africa doesn't mean that it's crap, they have been making these drums for thousands of years and I'm pretty sure they know what they are doing.

My main reason for preferring mechanical tuning is convenience. Tuning method is only one thing that influences the sound of a drum. I think shell composition and thickness, correct tuning, bearing edge, head type, diameter, playing style and hand size also influence the sound - maybe even more than if the drum is rope or bolt tuned. I've heard some mechanical AND rope tuned djembes that sound terrible and some that sound great. A good quality drum, no matter how it's made, is most important. The tuning method for me is mainly a matter of convenience.

Performers like Mammady Keita value authenticity and equate that with traditional construction. While his instruments are custom-made, that's only part of his special sound as the other part is his unique touch.I believe he could get that same sound from a bolt-tuned djembe, if it were made to do that. But if he really did play with a bolt-tuned djembe people would probably laugh at him, as authenticity equals traditional design with many audiences and performers.

Then there may be other reasons that have nothing to do with sound. For example, I have a bolt-tuned LP itolele bata drum. Many musicians at bembes won't play a bolt-tuned bata as Chango (the orisha of thunder, dance and drumming) is the mortal enemy of Oggun (orisha of iron and technology). Combining those two on a drum would be asking for trouble, at least in that musical context.

I dispute your claim that my "lack of experience and knowledge on this topic is very apparent." I know enough for what I do, but I can always learn more.

[pcmckay]

PC, I know Deathmetal is perfectly capable of defending himself, but I think its dangerous to get caught in the trap that I used to find myself in. I have played and studied West African music with several amazing drummers including Mamady. I know what the real drums sound like, and so far I don't believe it's possible to replicate that sound on one of these modern drums. However, I also respect the fact that there are some folks out there that prefer to use these modern drums for whatever reason, and can't fault them for their preference. I've heard these modern drums in a lot of Brazilian and Argentinian music. There's a definite time and place to use these drums. For the traditional West African music that I've heard though, I would find these same drums extremely out of place. Finally though, if you put those drums in the hands of a Mamady, or Fode Bangoura or take your pick of any of the masters, I promise the high end synthetic or stave drums would probably still sound pretty good, though nothing like the traditional ones.

Out of curiosity who do you study with? What's the West African scene like in your town? I ask because I'm always curious who's teaching where etc...

Peace.

I respect your opinioin and thank you for your comments. Deathmetal's response just hit me the wrong way, I felt that it had a really negative tone which was completely uncalled for. I took it personally because I have some very good friends who are from the Ivory Coast who make absolutely amazing Djembes. These drums are works of art and a lot of pride, blood, sweat, and tears go into these drums, and for someone to just completely dismiss all rope tensioned Djembes as crap really hit me the wrong way.
I have studied under Mamady, Dr. Paschal Young, Asane Mbae, and I also have attended a few of Jim Donovan's work shops as well. This summer I had the pleasure in studying under Dr. Djobe from West Africa. He is an absolutely brilliant drummer, I probably learned more from him then anyone else. He is a very personable guy who is a lot of fun jamming with. This summer there has been a lot of late night jam sessions it's been great!
I am a African drumming instructor for a wilderness program here in West Virginia. I work with troubled youth from all over the U.S. who have had drug and alcohol issues and we use drumming as part of their therapy. I teach traditional African rythms and encourage the students to write their own rythms for drum circles. Also before they leave the program I help them construct and make their own Ashiko out of staves, with the hope that they continue drumming after they leave the program. It's really the coolest job I have ever had and very satisfying. I feel that I am having a very positve influence on these kids, the drumming just really speaks to them and gets them out of their "funk" so to speak.

[LarryMullen3]

Looks Authentic. Good Buy.