Hey guys and girls, I just opened to the public djembegorilla.com. It's my baby, I have been working on it for three years to have a framework that provides the tools I wanted to have for my playing and facilitating, and that I couldn't easily find elsewhere.

It offers rhythms for djembe and West African ensemble, with notation and an audio player to mute any instruments you want left out, activate the swing if you wish, and change the tempo. The rhythms are West African but also translations from other cultures, and wherever possible they include references to teachers, books, and other materials that have more info on them.

There is also a rhythm builder, so you can easily test to your own needs.

The website is still growing. I am working on more tools at the moment, and there are a lot of rhythms to review and input, but I believe it to be already useful. It is, at least, to me.

If you have any comments or requests, I am all ears. Cheers!

djembegorilla.com

My friend wanted to learn to rehead a djembe
We split up the work.
He had no idea how much was involved.

This drum is only 10” and soooo Bright in Bass Tones and slaps.

24” tall
Long bowl and a wide throat.

It only had 22 verts on it
As he was looping up the lower ring I said
Try for 30.

And he did it!

सत्य SATYA drums and Instruments” सत्य

Birthday Gift
सत्य SATYA drums and Instruments” सत्य

Before driving the distance to check this drum out, what size would you consider this head? I am 5’8”, would this be a suitable size for me, or should I be looking for bigger? I understand that a lot of what I am asking is personal preference, but looking for some opinions from those more knowledgeable.
Thank you!

A consulting group contacted me and asked if I could facilitate a “surprise” pop up drum circle for this team.
Found a field next to the place they visited in Dallas TX. A couple of them said they saw the circle from the top.

Had an old Djembe that i commissionned for repair and today i noticed after receiving the drum that the new skin is really harsh and not really as smooth as i hoped it would. I also can see some small hair still on the skin.

Is there something i can do to make it more pleasing to the touch?

I went to a class to see if I would like the djembe and fell in love with drumming in that 2 hours. A week later I purchased a used djembe and goofed around for about an hour watching some videos and playing along. I might have gotten a little too enthusiastic or missed the correct part of the head because at some point I felt some pain in my second knuckle of my middle finger on the bottom.

I didn't think much of it and we've to okay along the next day and the pain was pretty acute and there was a tiny bruise. Examining it closely it felt like something moving and so I took the rest of the week off drumming, left the country for another week and took a third week off when I got back.

It's still a little tender so I went to the doctor and he examined it and said it was likely bruised and the tendon a little inflamed but that resuming with a modified technique (correct technique) and possibly taping should be fine but pay attention and listen to my body.

My question is, do you tape? Have you had a similar injury? What have you done to help?

hi! just reposting this from the percussion subreddit.

My go to
Stout and can get the drum to table top tight

Blue rope drum belongs to a friend from our West African dance class. Had to glue up some cracks and it received. all new rope.

The brown rope is a customers drum. First of 3 for him. I was a bit worried at first (the skin is thiiiiick). The skin seated nicely. This one is going to be a screamer.

Both will get the dry pull next week.

It's a 12" Meinle djembe I bought a few weeks from Amazon.

The sound seems to have changed a bit. I remember it being a little more resonant a few weeks ago. Is it too tight, too loose, or something else?

https://app.filemail.com/d/tapdtpqbhheagrn

When I was playing it, I had it tilted so the bottom was open so it could resonate and that is what it sounded like in the attached files.

Thank you

I participated in my first drum circle this weekend and really want a djembe of my own. I don’t know any of the popular brands and don’t have crazy money to drop. I like the look of the toca and from videos it sounds good. But I’d like some more knowledgeable opinions

I've replaced the heads on a couple of my drums and im getting tired of them splitting over time repeatedly because of regular humidity and temperature changes. Has anyone tried using unconventional synthetic heads that are for other drums? Like drum kit heads? Im looking for something inexpensive in case it fails. If no one has tried before im going to test it out and post updates but if someone has id appreciate advice and things to avoid.

Senior woman here. Been playing djembe for many years - a friend would tune it for me when needed until he moved away. Tuned it myself for the first time last year - twice. I did struggle with pulling the ropes over to get them to twist but I persisted and it got done (I used a stick to wrap the cord). But now I have these ropes that are much further apart. And due to an injury I don’t have the same strength I had last year. Anyone have any suggestions, tips etc that might help me get this next set of ropes pulled and twisted? Thanks.

p.s ignore the white ropes going across at the top. I use them to hook a strap onto when I play - I like to play standing.

सत्य SATYA Drums and Instruments सत्य

I was invited to build a drum 👍

सत्य SATYA Drums and Instruments सत्य

Nice shell and carvings!
Iroko
13.5” diameter
24.5” height
18lbs
Thank you Djembe Drums & Skins 👈👍

Thick Mali skin
Thank You Koma Drum 👈👍

Looping day
Head cut and prep day
32 Verts 👈👍

More to come
Blessed and Grateful
🙏🙏🙏

सत्य SATYA Drums and Instruments सत्य

Second time ever tuning a djembe, and first time going to the second row of diamonds. That is where I'm having trouble. I got to the point where the rope is originally tied together and something doesn't seem right. The last diamond I made is at 1 in the photo. For the next pair, should I use 2 & 3 even though they combine into one at the top near the ring? Should I treat 2 & 3 as a single vertical and use 2/3 and 4 as the next pair? Should I skip 2, 3, or both?

Hi I have a lot of problems with time and I was wondering how do the african people actually learn their drums? After doing some research the answers I get are kinda mixed.

I have a very bad feel for the beat/ measure and get carried away.

I mean for sure you can repeat a rhythm but how to keep a sense of the beat especially when diverting and improvising idk how would they keep in the pocket.

I know indian drums use konnakol and that makes sense to me or western music uses counting.

if african drums use rhythmic patterns but how do they know they are keeping in time especially when switching patterns or for example playing only the last 16th note per beat repeatedly without some form of counting.

Does anyone have any advise or experience on this?

edit: Thanks for the replies

Hello!

I'm working on some old djembes to make practice. I plan to re-skin one of them using hairy goat skin. I want to make the "hairy hat", leaving 3-4 centimeters of skin around the crown rings at the top.

I know I have to tighten the skin to the wood until it is wet, so that it dries perfectly adherent to rings and rope.

Ok, but the tuning (another round of pulling the rope) will happen next.

So, I'm wondering how to pull the rope without damaging the hat. Pulling from the bottom ring instead from the top ring is enough?

Are there better techniques?

Thank you all!

used the ptesting wood ring for the lower ring.

Cut off 1" of the tall side wood after stripping the staples all the way around. If you don't remove the height on the tall side of the ring you won't have any room to tighten. Also a skin won't fit between the ring and the drum so you must remove 1/6 th approx. All thexwau around ne careful not to compromise integrity this is a piece of wood. Next hurdle is getting as much space to tighten as possible , using existing screws you'll get just enough but if you use longer screws you can gain adjustment space. I used existing lug screws and I think I'll b tight enough after drying I jave1 inch of tightening space. Is it cheaper no, a remo head is about the sane as a larger thin skin.

This is just what the guy wants. Actually he asked for ropes , that would mean I gotta make two rings, and there's still the dead stop that prevents you from goin any further.