hand drum recommendation

andyhix

andyhix

:dank:
If I wanted to buy a multi-purpose hand drum(s), what should I be looking for? I don't know the difference between a Djembe and a bongo. Primarily I'm thinking for adding a little something to more mellow acoustic folky stuff, but maybe able to evoke a bit of a tribal feel as needed.

What kind of drum?
What size?
What type of skin?

I'm hoping to find something nice and cheap on craigslist, but would like to know what to avoid.
 
I have a djembe, theyre really fun and sounds cool.

I got mine from Sagemandrums.com, and mines a 10".

You could also look into getting a pair of bongos or congas.
 
I'd recommend something like this to start with: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Remo-14-inch-key-tuned-Djembe?sku=446920

Unless you're going to take the whole trip with hand percussion it's perhaps better to get a tuneable-with-plastic-head drum, as tuning a regular rope-strung Djembe can be difficult, and plastic of course is not affected much by the elements. Also, the head on this one is closer to a nice skin sound than those larger tubby Remo Djembes.

After you get a hand drum, do yourself & everyone else a favor: get someone who knows how to play these sorts of things to give you lessons in getting at least the basic sounds out of it, as people who don't often sound like crap.

Not only will you sound better, you'll reduce the possibility of hurting yourself.
 
Alright. This drum forum is a ghost town. Anyway, I passed on the drums in the above post. I'll keep looking.
 
A djembe may be the right choice. They provide high end slaps and low end bass (if you buy the right drum). I'm a fan of carved wood drums with skin heads and rope tuning (these normally provide the best tone) - but they cost more. A low cost djembe a probable in the $130 range. The key is to really test the low end (almost any djembe can give you a slap - but low end that shakes your inside only comes from larger carved wood drums.

I really enjoy cajon box drums which can also provide high end slap and low end bass - in fact a well designed cajon can have a broader tone range than a djembe. A low cost cajon probably runs about $160. If I were to recommend a drum - I would suggest a cajon over a djembe.

The lowest cost option would likelike be a set of tunable bongos (which can run as low at $39) - but bongos don't lend themselves to as braod a range of styles as a djembe or a cajon.

While any instrument requires a level or technique to get the most and best tones - I find the cajon to be rather forgiving (you don't need massive technique).
 
I would be cautious - that crack looks rather large. They indicate the crack was repaired - but....how well???

While a wood djembe with an animal skin head and rope tuning almost always sounds better and deeper than a plastic head with tuning rods - the rope can eventually start to become slack and must be "re-roped" (this is something that requires skill).

To repair the crack well, I would almost think the rope had to come off - if so, the tuning/tension of the head could be suspect.

By the way that first picture with the non-tunable drums - you did well by passing. In my opinion most drums that can't be tuned are nothing more than toys.
 
mikeh said:
I would be cautious - that crack looks rather large. They indicate the crack was repaired - but....how well???

While a wood djembe with an animal skin head and rope tuning almost always sounds better and deeper than a plastic head with tuning rods - the rope can eventually start to become slack and must be "re-roped" (this is something that requires skill).

To repair the crack well, I would almost think the rope had to come off - if so, the tuning/tension of the head could be suspect.

By the way that first picture with the non-tunable drums - you did well by passing. In my opinion most drums that can't be tuned are nothing more than toys.
Click to expand...

Thanks again mike. Your posts have been quite helpful. If the seller of that djembe gets back with me I may go check it out. For $25 it might be worth it. (maybe I can be a real cheapskate and try to get it for $20)
 
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