What’s the Best Djembe for Me?
The djembe can be played by anyone, no matter their age or skill level. You don’t even need to know anything about music to make a djembe sound great. But the question is: which is the best djembe for you? This Guide has been put together to help you find out. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact us!
What is it? | What do I need to know? | Size | Materials | Head | Tension | Accessories | More
1. What is a Djembe?
As suggested by the shape, a djembe is a so-called ‘vase drum’. This percussive instrument originated in West Africa and is played with the hands. Just like the cajon, the djembe is an incredibly intuitive instrument and can be played at a high level without the need to learn anything about music, making it great for any skill level and any age. The djembe can be played as a solo instrument, as part of an ensemble or band, and is often played in drum circles.
2. What’s the Best Djembe for Me?
There are many features that need checking before picking out a djembe. The size, the materials used to build it, and the way the djembe is tuned: all of these details have an effect on the sound of the drum. Of course, you might also have a budget you need to stick to. To find out what kind of djembe would best suit all of your needs, simply read the rest of this Guide.
3. What Size Djembe Do I Need?
If you’re an adult, it makes sense to go for a djembe with a diameter of 11 inches or more, but definitely not less. It’s generally the case that a djembe head (skin) with a larger diameter has a deeper and fuller sound.
There are also smaller djembes available. These are usually made for small children but are also popular with backpackers and street performers since they’re lightweight and take up little space. They can also look pretty cool sitting on a window sill. Any djembe with a head diameter that’s smaller than 10 inches will have a higher pitch and is less likely to have a full and deep sound.
Djembes Smaller than 10”
10” Djembes
Djembes Larger than 10”
4. What Materials Should a Djembe Be Made of?
Traditionally, djembes are made of wood. Wooden djembes usually have a much more rich and full sound than models made out of plastic or fibreglass. However, the advantage of plastic or fibreglass djembes is that they are a little lighter. Also, wood is notoriously sensitive to moisture and temperature changes, so will need tuning more regularly.
5. What Kind of Head (Skin) Should My Djembe Have?
For a really warm and earthy sound, there’s nothing better than a natural skin. Most of the time, this will be made from goathide. While natural skin tends to feel better and sound better, it’s also much more sensitive to moisture and temperature changes, meaning that it will need tuning more regularly. These days, you can get some great djembes with imitation skin heads that deliver exactly the same kind of sound while being much more stable in terms of tuning.
Djembes with Imitation Skins
Djembes with Natural Skins
Djembes with Plastic Skins
6. What’s the Different Between a Djembe with Rope-Tension and a Djembe with Mechanical-Tension?
Traditional rope-tension djembes are generally better looking and produce the richest sound. They’re also much more comfortable when playing slaps. However, tuning a rope-tension djembe can be intimidating if you’ve never done it before, and takes a bit of muscle, so children will need help with it. It’s also incredibly important that none of the ropes is stretched, since this will mean that the drum can never be properly tuned again.
Mechanical-tension djembes are definitely recommended if you’re a drummer. Tuning these drums is a lot faster and easier, however, you do lose out on the good looks and rich sound. Most of the time, drummers aren’t too bothered by this, since the djembe is not their main instrument.
7. Do I Need Anything Else for My Djembe?
Most of the time, no. A djembe is simply played while sitting down, is held with the skin pointing forwards (so, away from you), while the body is clamped between your legs. If you want to play the djembe standing up, then you’ll need a stand. In any case, a djembe can’t be played when it’s sitting flat on the ground, since this prevents the sound from coming out of the soundhole in the base.
If you’re taking your djembe on a trip and want to keep it safe, a protective bag is an essential accessory.
