New 7" djembe, have a couple of questions

[AmsuJackal]

Hi all. I havent been playing djembe for long (but have played traditional western drums a bit) and i purchased a 7" Toca Synergy Freestyle djembe. I had gotten used to playing djembe at drum circles, but never anything below a 10" head. the head is about the size of both of my palms when i put them together, so following along with traditional instructional videos for djembe can be quite hard, as i have to modify my hand placement.

I am attempting to play it, and the only 2 tones i can get out of it are a bass and a slap on the rim, im having extreme difficulty playing a tone, everything thats not a rim slap sounds like a bass note.

Is this a common problem for the smaller djembes, and does anybody have any suggestions or general tips for playing on a 7"?

EDIT: i thought maybe the issue was the tuning as i hadnt tuned it when i got it. i added another diamond in the rope (one section of 2 vertical strands) and re-tied it. it tightened up the head a bit but im still having the issue.

[bubudi]

hi and welcome to the forum!

if you want a djembe that is playable with the traditional djembe technique, you will need to go with at least a 12" djembe, and even larger if you have bigger than average hands.

if the traditional sound of the djembe is what you're after, go for a genuine african djembe made in one of the countries where the djembe originates from (e.g. mali, guinea), rather than a brand.

if the traditional djembe sound and development of good technique are not important to you, you can still get some decent sounds out of some smaller djembes. if you put your hand on a 7" drum the way you would to produce a tone on a regular sized djembe and put slightly more focus towards the tips of the fingers, you will end up with a bass sound. to get the other two basic sounds, experiment with your fingertips. the more towards the rim you play, the higher the sound. then you can also 'grab' the skin to produce other kinds of slaps. just find the sounds that are pleasing to your ear.

the information you find on the djembe on this website and elsewhere tends to be based more on traditional djembe music and technique.

i would suggest hooking up with a good djembe teacher who will be able to advise you on developing your playing, technique, and on purchasing a good drum if you choose to go down that path. if you tell us your location, we might be able to point you in the direction of a good teacher.

[AmsuJackal]

thank you for the info! its good to know. i feel it's important to know the history and culture of any instrument i play, and i have been listening to a lot of djembefolas' work and videos of them playing. it is a beautiful culture the djembe has created in it's legacy.

Im not looking to play any traditional rhythms at the moment, i create my own beats and i had wanted to add the djembe into my collection. I currently live in an apartment and i went with the 7" due to loudness issues, or i would have gotten a 12" like i almost did lol. dont need the police called on me during a session

I'm currently in oklahoma, but am moving to denver, CO within a month and im going to make sure i get a place where i can get a larger drum.

[bubudi]

in denver you should have no problem finding a teacher and people to play with. abdoul doumbia (from mali) is the man. he's based in boulder which is not too far away to drive regularly. he also runs regular workshops in denver. fara tolno from guinea is also a great teacher with phenomenal energy and he's also based in boulder. also contact nate velinga who is a member on this forum and lives in denver. i'm not familiar with teachers around oklahoma, but possibly someone else on the forum will know someone.

as far as playing a regular sized djembe without the police being called on you, many of us have had the problem of neighbours complaining and there are ways around it. firstly, dampen the sound by putting a towel over the skin. this may actually help to develop technique (much the way practicing on crappy rubber drum pads will make it easier to get sweet sounds from a drumset). also, practice getting sweet sounds with minimal force, which will also make for quieter playing. with a djembe, you don't always have to play indoors. as long as it's not raining and the temperature's not near freezing, you can take your drum to the park (you will warm up quite a lot during continuous practice). actually i find it a much more pleasant way to practice.

communication is also a good way to avoid complaints from neighbours. stay friendly with your neighbours and be interested in what they're up to. find out when they are out, or ask them when a good time would be to make some noise for an hour or so while you wrestle with your goat skin

[Waraba]

as far as playing a regular sized djembe without the police being called on you, many of us have had the problem of neighbours complaining and there are ways around it. firstly, dampen the sound by putting a towel over the skin.

If you have children, you can borrow one of their stuffed animals and stuff it up inside the djembe. This is what my then-four-year-old did for me one day. I was about to reprimand him when I discovered that in fact he had greatly reduced the sound level without compromising the contact nor sound quality between hand and drum skin.

[freefeet]

When having to practice quietly, which i used to do when i live in apartments, as well as the towel on top (or t-shirt) i would also put a cushion or two underneath to stop any direct floor transmission of sound. Every little helps to keep those neighbours on your side.

You can also look for places near where you live that you won't disturb anyone - like underneath a road or rail bridge.

[Waraba]

You can also look for places near where you live that you won't disturb anyone - like underneath a road or rail bridge.

Potential muggers can be slammed in the head with the djembe; melina drums are less effective in these situations--go for the hardwoods.

[rachelnguyen]

You can also look for places near where you live that you won't disturb anyone - like underneath a road or rail bridge.

Potential muggers can be slammed in the head with the djembe; melina drums are less effective in these situations--go for the hardwoods.

You know, I have to tell you, as a woman, I have an incredible sense of safety and invincibility when I am carrying drums around. It is almost supernatural, LOL. I just feel, well, stronger, when I have my drums on me.

[EvanP]

Rachel,
You ARE stronger when you carry your drums. Just like Helen Reddy said: "I am woman hear me roll, in a voice too big to ignore..."

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[e2c]

You know, I have to tell you, as a woman, I have an incredible sense of safety and invincibility when I am carrying drums around. It is almost supernatural, LOL. I just feel, well, stronger, when I have my drums on me.

Me too... not sure why, but there it is!

[AllenBey]

You know, I have to tell you, as a woman, I have an incredible sense of safety and invincibility when I am carrying drums around. It is almost supernatural, LOL. I just feel, well, stronger, when I have my drums on me.

Me too... not sure why, but there it is!

I am with you both on that one...