Easy way to raise pitch on rope tuned djembe?

[tremens0]

Hi

I've just bought a djembe (toca freestyle 14" fibreglass with goatskin & rope tuning).

I've read lots of pages about how to tune but i'm not sure how this applies to my drum - not sure where i should undo and not sure if the existing pattern is a mali weave.

It's a bit low at the moment but playable.

had an idea - would a possible way to raise the pitch without having to undo the rope be to tighten a rubber 'belt' around the ropes about half way up the ropes to push them in towards the fibreglass and increase tension?

thanks for any help you can give. anyone else got a toca freestyle djembe?

[James]

Hi Tremens.

The elastic idea you suggest isn't going to help much, you really need to get to grips with the mali weave.

Firstly, is there spare rope on your drum? Is there an end of rope that would allow you to start weaving.

If you don't have any rope left, you can tie another piece of rope onto the drum.

I believe your trouble relates to starting a new row of the mali weave. When you do the Mali weave, you do it all the way around the drum in a straight line and when you meet where you started you start another line.

This may seem a little tricky at first but is not difficult. Check this document under "The Mali Weave", this will explain how to start a new row.

I hope this helps, I may take some photos in the future when I have time...

James

[tremens0]

hi,

thanks for your reply. i can find a loose end and it looks like the spare rope has been made into a carrying handle. so if i untuck the loose end i should be able to use the spare rope currently being used as the handle to weave with.

it looks like if i unravel the handle and track the rope back, then the rope before the handle is not doing a weave but rather is just going around the drum snaking between the ropes (not going back and forth- look at the top line of rope on the bottom part in the following picture - that is the drum i have):

http://www.promusicaustralia.com/drum/T ... Djembe.JPG

so, should i undo to this point and then try and add a full round of the mali weave?

[tremens0]

this looks much like what i'm seeing:

http://home.planet.nl/~inibara/images/koordgb.jpeg.JPG

sorry i'm confused... do i just need to try and add another row of the 'tensioning cord' as shown in the above, using the spare rope?

thanks for your help.
Paul

[James]

Hi Paul,

Yes, in your picture it says tensioning cord, that is refering to the extra line and it also kind of represents the next row you are about to do.

That diagram isn't great in my opinion.

Once you've started the new row it's going to be plain sailing. I suggest you follow the instructions for "Mali Weave" in the document I linked to.

Don't worry about making mistake because you can take it out again easily. you need to get your spare tensioning rope, go under 3 verticles and up another level diagonally upward if your drum stands on it's feet.

The 3rd verticle should have a gap between it and the 2nd verticle. Once you've gone under the 3rd, go back over the 3rd and under the second. When you pull this tight it should snap the rope into position as seen in your diagram...

[tremens0]

hi,

I just went to my local drum shop and the guy happened to be tuning another djembe so i saw him do the weave and untie the handle i was talking about above. sure i'll be ok with the weave now, just the starting of the new row i'll have to be careful with.

thanks,
Paul

[James]

Cool, have fun and mind your hands

[bubudi]

you should post that stuff up for the newbies. it wouldn't hurt to have something on the 3-vertical guinea knots, either

[James]

I may get round to that some time...

[kapitan]

I just found a very good article on tuning the Djembe...also covering what to do if you don't have enough extra rope...how to make minor adjustments etc...

http://djembedirect.com/about/tune_djembe.html