Hands affecting sound

[James]

This has come up a few times with various people.

I don't believe that your hands have to be like wood to play djembe, but some people do believe that hard calloused hands bring a better sound.

I would argue that the persons technique is good and their hands are hard as a result?

What do you reckon?

[Dugafola]

]This has come up a few times with various people.

I don't believe that your hands have to be like wood to play djembe, but some people do believe that hard calloused hands bring a better sound.

I would argue that the persons technique is good and their hands are hard as a result?

What do you reckon?

technique to me indicates proper attack, evenness of sound and clear distinction b/w tone and slap.

volume is something else though...having calluses on your fingers and ‘ball’ of your hand can increase your volume along with proper technique.

Some people have tons of calluses from very poor technique.

Mamady Keita has super soft hands and has incredible volume so go figure.

The loudest djembe player I can remember hearing is Fode Seydou Bangoura. I’ve seen him onstage with Les Merveilles, Ballet African, street parties in Conakry and dance conferences full of other Master drummers…he blows it up loud and clear.

[rachelnguyen]

I am getting some big callouses, and even split skin on some of my fingers... so I asked my teacher to check my technique to make sure I am not doing unnecessary damage. But I do think that toughening up my hands is part of the process. I notice that I can play for a LONG time without soreness, so it must be that the skin is getting tougher.

About volume- It seems to me that the drum itself has something to do with that. My new drum is MUCH louder than my old one, even when I hit with the same amount of force. My teacher's drum is louder still. I think it is partly the skin and partly the tuning. And yes, he has very calloused hands, but even when I have played his drum, it is louder.

So, a combination of things?

[kawa]

I can have the loudest sound (and I played with professional and famous djembefolas), and my hands are soft.

It depends on your morphology, and on your technique.

My explanation for this is that with practice you learn to have more sound with less contact from your hand on the skin.

This is not true however if you play on cow skin. If I were to play on those skins regularly, I am sure my hands would be more callous.

Also I don't know what would happen if I were to play 8h a day for months, like many ballet players. Maybe I would get a hard hand. That's why djembefolas with a killer technique can still have a hard hand, it's because of the amount of time spent on the instrument.

Toughening up the hand is surely part of the process, but they are different way of toughening it.

The most important one to me is when key areas of your hand get toughened so that you don't bleed anymore from them (eg: fingertips).

But it's another level when you get your hands hard as wood. It happens to very strong and skilled players.
Would the hand become less hard with more technique ? I can't say. Would it soften if they practiced less hardcore ? I think so.
But does callousness = technique ? I don't think so. The people I know who have outstanding technique don't have hard as wood hand.
Maybe people who have harder hands are less sensitive so they hit the skin stronger ? I can't say, maybe.

Hope it helps.

Kawa
http://kawatvinternational.wordpress.com/
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