The main advantage that our African style drums, which are made in Pakistan over those from Africa, is the rosewood. It almost never cracks and is very tolerant of severe weather conditions. Our experience with drums from Africa has been that they have a very high rate of weather cracks within a year or two.
- What can I do if my natural skin drum head is affected by heat and humidity?
- What is the difference between an African drum with hair versus one without?
- How do I tune a standing drum, ashiko, or djembe?
What can I do if my natural skin drum head is affected by heat and humidity?
If the head is loosened due to humidity, one can tighten the head with a damp cloth placed on the head for about 15 minutes. Then let the head dry naturally. It is important to make sure water does not get into the glue joint. If the drum is a tabla, water must not get on the gaab (center black dot). Also, applying heat from a hair dryer will tighten the head.
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What is the difference between an African drum with hair versus one without?
A skin with hair on it still has the natural oils which produce more subtle and lower bass tones. Also, the hair (and therefore, natural oils) promotes strength. A skin without hair produces a crisper sound with higher pitches.
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How do I tune a standing drum, ashiko, or djembe?
These are all rope tuned (unless you have a tunable model which uses a tuning wrench) and the heads are tightened by tightening the rope. Click here for instructions.
