How to Change a Djembe Drum Head

Djembe drums, which are small hand drums commonly used in drum circles and percussion ensembles, originated in West Africa and come in many styles and materials. The drum head, which is made of goat skin, needs to be replaced periodically depending on the amount of play. Replacing the drum head itself isn't difficult, though adjusting and tightening it may pose a challenge.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Goat Skin
• Water
• String
• Scissors

1. Buy a new drum head from a trustworthy dealer. Ask a percussion or drum circle expert in your area if you aren't sure where to go. Depending on the sound you want, you'll need to choose between a light, medium or heavy goatskin drum head. Heavy skins produce muted tones while light skins produce ring-like sounds.

2. Put the new Djembe drum head in warm water for 15 minutes. This will soften the goat skin and make it easier to place inside the retaining ring.

3. Study the lacing that runs down the sides of your Djembe drums. You'll have to re-lace the vertical strings after replacing the drum head.

4. Find the Djembe drum's handle. Undo the lacing by untying the end knot by the handle and working down. If there's extra rope at the bottom of the Djembe drum, you can take the lacing off the drum by beginning there instead.

5. Slip out the old Djembe drum head from its retaining ring. If you desire, you may use string to hold the new drum head in place until it's secure inside the retaining ring while you change it.

Resources

• Find out more about Djembe drum head replacement tips

[derekethridge]

on 8/19/2009 This is the worst 'how to' article I have ever seen. It says nothing about how to actually change the head. Total waste of time. I get the feeling this person has never actually done it.