Hare, Djalla or Lenke?

[kostadjembe]

At the moment I only have 2 djembes. One Jina (heartwood) and a Guinean (djalla). I am trying to have the best of both worlds and I am really happy so far. I try to play with both of them as much as I can, depending on the situation.

However, I need/want something better (dont we all???? ). I prefer a djembe that is more suitable for performance. So big sound, crisp tones/slaps. I ve got my eyes on the Mamady's signature series but 1000 Euros plus postage its a bit intimidating especially if you havent played it! I really believe in the connection between djembefola and djembe.

So...I am trying to research as much as possible in the different types of wood and how are they treated. What is the difference in the sound of the djembe.

If you use the same skin on each of them,they all have the same size bowl and height, what will be the difference in sound?

Cheers
Kosta

[Rhythm House Drums]

The sound of the wood itself is very vague and this differences is minor. Any hardwood that djembes are commonly made out of is going to have a similar sound, lenke, djalla, khadi, etc. Some people swear by a specific wood, but the fact is if you listened to a CD with a few drums being played, I don't know anyone that could say for sure.. hey, that's khadi wood. There are so many factors that go into the overall sound.. I believe that the wood used has a very small impact. The skin thickness, and the size and shape of the djembe and the tension on the head are what really give the djembe a voice.

I'd be more concerned about the shape of the drum and the quality of the build... Go with a wood that looks good to you.

http://www.rhythmhousedrums.com/lenke-djembe-1123-p-185.html

This drum is a good size for a loud drum with lots of projection. A tight skin will make this the perfect solo djembe.

[FreekAce]

although i'd love one of the Mamady signature drums, i think they are too expensive. half that money would buy you a drum of excellent quality just as good. think there's a lot of novelty that comes with this drum (which is awesome) but if your just looking for a good drum, there are cheaper alternatives.

i'd love a Pete Townhend Signature Gibson SG. Not much different from a regular SG except its a hell of a lot more.

maybe Michi can chime in, i think he's actually one of the lucky people owning one of these

[Djembe-nerd]

My experience id with Hare, lenke and Iroko, If you want to see it with a number value, IMHO the variables affecting sound in approx % are as below

Wood : 10% (Difference between the hard woods only lenke, Hare, Djalla, Iroko)
Bowl shape : 20% (volume and character)
Skin : 20%
Bearing edge/tight rings : 20%
Tuning it right with proper tension all around : 30%

[freefeet]

I think you missed a % for player ability. If you can't hit a drum properly the rest ain't gonna make much difference at all.

But i do agree, the wood itself is a minor variable in the whole equation, a lot more things affect sound more in a drum. A good softwood drum will sound better than a bad hardwood one.

[michi]

I currently have four djembes, a medium-size lenke from Mali, a very large and squat Jina from Mali (gueni/hare), a lenke from Guinea (Drumskull), and a djalla from Guinea (Mamady).

I also think that the wood has very little to do with sound, as long as it's proper high-density hardwood. I think Nerd's 10% are probably about right, maybe even a little on the high side. It's a different story with less suitable woods, such as teak, mahogany, or tweneboa. These definitely make for poorer-sounding djembes.

If pressed to describe the sound difference, woods at the softer end of the spectrum (djalla, acajou) sound a little warmer and drier than the woods at the hard end (hare, gele, iroko). The harder woods reflect sound more readily, so they tend to sound a little brighter, with slightly more sustain and emphasising the higher harmonics a little more. Lenke and dimba fall somewhere in between.

But I think that these differences get completely swamped by the size and proportion of the drum and the interior carving. For example, changes in the interior surface texture will have a much larger influence on sound than the wood itself. A good illustration of this are Bali imitation djembes that have been turned out on a lathe. I've had the opportunity to compare djembes that had a smooth interior with ones that had a spiral pattern texture added after they were turned. The drums were otherwise the same. There is a noticeable difference in sound between the two. Much less ringing and more body in the tones with the drums that had a textured interior.

The bowl shape and size, as well as the diameter of the port also make a big difference. Of all my drums, the Jina is the loudest, followed by Mamady's, followed by the Drumskull shell, followed by the medium-size Mali shell. It's not a coincidence that this also describes their sizes, from largest to smallest. Larger drums are louder, it's as simple as that.

I don't think that the bearing edge has any influence at all, assuming that it is level and round, without undulations, and has a clean sharp edge where the skin transitions from the bearing edge to the playing surface. I'm saying this because I think that an improperly shaped bearing edge is an easy-to-rectify defect, so mis-shaped bearing edges don't count. (Having said that, a bearing edge that looks like roller coaster will affect sound negatively.)

Proper tuning is important too. Uneven tension, over-tightening, and under-tightening all make for bad sound. I'd agree with Nerd that tuning can account for 30% of the sound. But then, seeing how easy it is to tune evenly, and that it's not that hard to find the tension where a skin "comes alive", I'm not sure I'd be willing to admit that as a factor influencing sound when it comes to comparing different woods and shells.

To me, the most influential factor in sound is the skin itself. I don't know exactly how many dozens of skins I've fitted to my drums over the years, but it's a fair few (except for Mamady's drum, which still has the original skin I got it with in September, yeah! ). I have learned over the years what thickness of skin I prefer on each drum, and I usually select my skins carefully to fit the drum I'm about to rebuild. Yet, despite all my efforts in selecting skins, it can be a complete surprise what a drum will actually sound like once I've fitted a new skin. If I've had a skin on a drum that sounds brilliant, and I carefully select a replacement skin that is as similar as possible, it sometimes happens that I end up with a drum that sounds really poor. Lifeless, anaemic, discordant overtones, and simply unpleasant. The lesson is that skin variation can make the difference between a truly world-class sound and a well below average sound.

So, a good shell is a necessary prerequisite for good sound: a bad shell won't sound good no matter what skin you fit or how you tune it. But a good shell is not a sufficient prerequisite for good sound: the world's best shell can sound poor with the wrong skin.

And finally, technique probably accounts for another 30% or so. The difference between good technique and poor technique in sound is staggering. I've had quite a few students come to me and tell me that they want a "better" drum. When I take their drum and play it, it usually sounds pretty good and they realize that the problem is between chair and drum

Cheers,

Michi.

[e2c]

My thought is that the care with which the shell is shaped and finished - especially re. the internal carving of the bowl - is probably about 75% or more of the equation.

But that's just my impression, based on having had the chance to spend a good deal of time trying out different djembes (in class, mostly), made mostly from lenke and hare (also from picking shells for custom builds). *Although* - I have played a gorgeous-sounding melina djembe that I wish I could have bought. (It has a good home know, afaik. ) The interior and overall bowl shape of that drum were very close to what's being sold by Wula Drum, though it wasn't one of theirs.

I think that ultimately, the choice depends on the player - and on the drum. (And not to sound like I'm a shill, but... Wula's having a big sale right now. You might want to check out their store.)

[Dugafola]

If pressed to describe the sound difference, woods at the softer end of the spectrum (djalla, acajou) sound a little warmer and drier than the woods at the hard end (hare, gele, iroko). The harder woods reflect sound more readily, so they tend to sound a little brighter, with slightly more sustain and emphasising the higher harmonics a little more. Lenke and dimba fall somewhere in between.

i wouldn't call iroko hard at all. in fact, i can dent the wood with my finger nail. that's why iroko shells are cut so thick. they aren't dense at all.

dimba aka dugura aka douki is the densest out of the lot on average. gele/bele/cele is up there as well. hare behind those. lenke then djalla then iroko.

imo, hare and gele are guaranteed to be 'bright' sounding drums.

[michi]

I got the relative hardnesses from a wood density database. I've had iroko shells that were hard as anything, comparable to hare. I suspect also that the density varies with each individual tree. Various sources on the web about wood densities list ranges of hardness and density. Density for hare, for example, can vary from 0.8g/cm³ to 1.0g/cm³. So, maybe it doesn't make sense to talk about an absolute scale here.

I have no experience with gele, but I'd also say that hare is definitely a bright sounding wood, and that lenke is a warm sounding wood. Iroko, in my experience, falls somewhere in between.

Cheers,

Michi.

[e2c]

were you using the Janka scale, by any chance?

I've found that it's not always accurate re. wooden musical instruments, and I think your hunch about variance from tree to tree is right.

[Djembe-nerd]

The bowl shape and size, as well as the diameter of the port also make a big difference. Of all my drums, the Jina is the loudest, followed by Mamady's, followed by the Drumskull shell, followed by the medium-size Mali shell. It's not a coincidence that this also describes their sizes, from largest to smallest. Larger drums are louder, it's as simple as that.

I think its more complicated than that. I have 5 djembes and the loudest ones are a Guinea 14" Hare from Wula and 13" Lenke from Guinea. Next comes a Mali 13.75" calf skin from DSD, then a Guinea 13.5" Hare from DSD and least loud is 13.75" Iroko from RHD (BTW the earlier skin on this one was almost as bright as the other ones)

I think I will reconsider the % and give skin a 30% - 40% along with tuning a 30% too, so there is very little left as the main variable for a good sounding drum.

Playing capability is not considered in this 100% thats another thread

[kostadjembe]

So guys basically you are saying that what I do with the cell will make the difference from a good djembe to a professional one!

It is really hard to buy something online if you cant actually see and feel the djembe. However, as far as I understand I have to focus who and how will skin my cell.

My limited experience pushes me towards a lenke because of the spiritual meaning. If Mamady only plays with Lenke and if there are ceremonies thanking the tree it must mean something.

From a science point of view obviously the thickness, density and how it is curved will make a small difference.

Cheers
K

[kostadjembe]

Michi have you got any photos of Mamady's djalla or the lenke from Drumskull?

Did you get them here skinned? or you did it yourself?

How can you get a skinned djembe through customs?

Cheers
K

[e2c]

kosta... I think the best way to choose a drum (or any other musical instrument) is to be able to try different drums in person and then choose.

I do not think the type of wood is about spiritual things so much as it is about personal preferences (for Mamady, too...).

Get a drum that you like - the type of wood is only one part of the overall sound of the drum. The craftsmanship is (I think) more important than the type of wood. If the drum is well-crafted and you like the way it sounds and feels when you play it, well... get it!

(Although for me, I've had to choose between several different drums that I liked, all for different reasons...)

[kostadjembe]

kosta... I think the best way to choose a drum (or any other musical instrument) is to be able to try different drums in person and then choose.

I totally agree with you. I like trying to find a wife from the net...