Frame Drums / Medicine Drums
A frame drum is a drum that has a drumhead width greater than its depth. Usually the single drumhead is made of rawhide or man-made materials. Shells are traditionally constructed of bent wood (rosewood, oak, ash etc.) scarf jointed together; plywood and man-made materials are also used. Some frame drums have mechanical tuning and on many the drumhead is stretched and tacked in place. It is the earliest skin drum known to have existed. Frame drums are one of the most ancient types of musical instruments. They have a simple structure with strong spiritual and entertaining effects. They are usually round, made of wood with animal skin and sometimes metal rings or plates incorporated into the drum to provide jingle. They have different sizes; the larger drums are played mainly by men in spiritual rituals and medium size drums are played mainly by women.
Frame drums originated in the ancient Middle East, India, and Rome, and reached medieval Europe through Islamic culture. The similarity of the names of frame drums in these regions shows the common history of these drums.
Frame drums originated in the ancient Middle East, India, and Rome, and reached medieval Europe through Islamic culture. The similarity of the names of frame drums in these regions shows the common history of these drums.
Djembe
Djembe is pronounced 'jembe', the name djembe means “tree-goat”, a literal description of the shell carved from a tree, and the drum head of a goat skin. Even today, goat skin is nearly always used on djembes, as it seems to be ideal for producing the wide range of tones that make the djembe so popular.
Although its history is as long as any other African instrument, it has only been relatively recently that the Djembe has been common on the world market. In recent years though, it has had a large popularity boom, and now almost rivals the conga in popularity.
The Djembe has its roots firmly in West African and Guinean culture, and is always associated with dance. Each dance celebrates a different stage in life, like the passing into adulthood or sewing the fields etc. The djembe’s were reserved for ceremonial purposes, often times having there own “house” and caretaker, with offerings of food and drink for the spirits that inhabited them.
The goblet-shape of the Djembe, produces quite a distinct tone which is lower in pitch than one might imagine. The narrowing of the opening is what causes this lowering of pitch. The head is animal skin, and is played with the hands to produce three main sounds - the 'slap', the 'tone', and the 'bass'.
Although its history is as long as any other African instrument, it has only been relatively recently that the Djembe has been common on the world market. In recent years though, it has had a large popularity boom, and now almost rivals the conga in popularity.
The Djembe has its roots firmly in West African and Guinean culture, and is always associated with dance. Each dance celebrates a different stage in life, like the passing into adulthood or sewing the fields etc. The djembe’s were reserved for ceremonial purposes, often times having there own “house” and caretaker, with offerings of food and drink for the spirits that inhabited them.
The goblet-shape of the Djembe, produces quite a distinct tone which is lower in pitch than one might imagine. The narrowing of the opening is what causes this lowering of pitch. The head is animal skin, and is played with the hands to produce three main sounds - the 'slap', the 'tone', and the 'bass'.
Ashiko
The ashiko was developed in late 19th century, in response partly to fact that too many trees were being sacrificed for the purpose of producing the popular djembe. The ashiko is a conical shaped drum, made from staves of wood coopered together similar to a wooden barrow. Producing similar sound to the djembe, the ashiko is played in the same manner using the same hand positioning during play.
Congas
Conga drums probably originate in Africa, the origin is unknown. The type of conga drums that are still used there are now quite different to the Latin-American Conga drums, as they have remained fairly authentic. The Latin-American Conga drums are single headed, often with a shell that bulges in the middle, musicians strike the head with there fingers and their entire hand. Usually played sitting down with the drum between your legs, the conga may also be played while standing with the instrument mounted on a stand, or suspended by a strap hung from the shoulder. Like the djun djuns congas come in different sizes depending upon pitch. The highest pitched conga is known as the Quinto, which is used mainly for soloing and introducing new rhythms. The middle pitch being the Conga and the lowest is referred to as the Tumbadora, witch are mainly used for the base rhythms.
Bongos
The bongos are a pair of Afro-Cuban drums fixed to one another. They are similar to the conga drums, also played with the hands and are using headed with real animal skin, but much smaller and shallower. The bongos that we know today originated in Cuba around 1900 and are popular with Latin dance bands, rhumba bands and Western rhythm bands. The bongo player is usually a highly regarded musician in a Cuban band and is often called upon to solo. When playing just a rhythm part, the bongo player almost always sticks to a rhythm called "martillo" (The Hammer!) which drives the music with its sharp steady pulse.
Djun Djuns
Played with a stick and a small metal rod, Djun Djuns are two-headed cylinder shaped drums, played in conjunction with an attached bell. Accompanied with the djembes and /or ashikos the djun djuns are played as a base for a given rhythm. The djun djuns can also be player as stand alone instruments, often being played in groups of three or more by the same person. Three distinct sizes make the different tonal ranges for these drums, the low tone being known as dununba, the medium tone sangban, and the high tone kenkeni.