How to Make Bass Sounds on a Djembe Drum

The djembe is an African drum meant to be played with the hands. Due to its goblet shape, as well as the density of the wood and the type of skin used, it can produce a wide range of sounds. It can produce one of the lowest bass tones of any hand drum. There are three primary notes that the djembe can produce: bass, slap and tone. Learning how to properly play the bass notes out of a djembe will get you one step closer to being able to play the whole range of notes available to you on this unique instrument.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Djembe drum

How to Make Bass Sounds on a Djembe Drum

1. Place the djembe drum between your knees, with the bottom of the drum tilted so that it is not sitting flat on the ground as this will mute the drum. The drum should be tilted so that the bottom half of the drum is underneath your seat.

2. Sit upright before your djembe drum. Correct posture is important, as it allows you to play the drum more easily. It also allows a fuller sound to be produced from the drum, as it can be struck harder and with more precision.

3. Make a flat palm out of your hands. Your fingers should be pressed up against one another and there should be no curve in your palm.

4. Lift your flattened palm over the djembe drum. It should be right around your chin.

5. Bring your flat palm down, striking it against the center of the djembe drum head.

6. Allow your hand to come back up off the drum immediately, so as not to mute it. This allows the sound to resonate.

7. Repeat these steps using your other hand, switching back and forth between the two. Practice until perfected.

Tips & Warnings

• As the djembe drum is a very loud instrument, it is not always recommended for apartment playing.
• Do not come down on the drum too hard or you may cause bruising to your hand.
• As the djembe drum is a very loud instrument, it is not always recommended for apartment playing.

Resources

• Video Tutorial from Expert Village