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TUNING AN AFRICAN DJEMBE:A well tuned djembe drum has a lot of contrast between bass and tone. A new djembe also has a minimum of "diamonds", which you'll add later. Drums go through an initial stretch and then level off. It's time to crank it up when the contrast is gone. Tuning raises the pitch of the tone (edge). The bass (center), though, is built into the drum and can't be tuned. It will, however, become more pronounced when the drum is tuned up. Read on for the simple instructions! |
DJEMBE TUNING INSTRUCTIONS: | |
 FIGURE A: Copyright © African Rhythm Traders. All photos were taken by and are property of African Rhythm Traders and cannot be reprinted or used. |
 FIGURE B: Copyright © African Rhythm Traders. All photos were taken by and are property of African Rhythm Traders and cannot be reprinted or used. |
| Here is the simplest way to tune your drum. Take
the excess rope and go under 2 vertical ropes, and then back under the first (See Figure A) It should look like an S. Now, wrap the rope
around a stick and pull tight (Figure B). That's it! Repeat until you have good contrast between bass & tone. In our diagram, we're moving left, you can also do this moving right. When you finish a row, jump up and start another. You need not finish a whole row. Be careful not to over tighten!! | |
DJEMBE TUNING TOOLS: | |||||||||
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African Rhythm Traders'
Clamcleat Puller:
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African Rhythm Traders'
Djembe Puller: Drum builders, our nifty djembe puller makes tightening verticals on your djembe a cinch...and will give your back and hands a break. Use it with vice-grips and a pair of gloves. Ours is made of sturdy steel, and features:
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DVD HELP: | ||||||||
| Skin It, Tune It, Play It:
NOW ON DVD!! This DVD shows you the process of re-heading djembes and ashikos. It discusses the materials you need and the entire procedure from selecting rings to "pulling diamonds". | |||||||||
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| NEED A NEW HEAD? ROPE? RINGS?: Not only do we sell great djembes, but we also have been repairing and selling djembe supplies (skins, rings, rope, metalwork, bags, stands, straps, and more!) for over 16 years! Check out our djembe supplies at: DJEMBE SUPPLIES Looking for a new Djembe bag or a djembe strap? Check out our cool gear: DJEMBE GEAR Check out our djembes, Master Djembes, dununs, and more African drums: AFRICAN DRUMS |
 Copyright © African Rhythm Traders. All photos were taken by and are property of African Rhythm Traders and cannot be reprinted or used. |
| If you are looking for our other sites: | ||
 Latin Rhythm Traders For all of our Latin drums and percussion, CDs, DVDs & instructional materials. |
 RT Drum Sets & Cymbals For drum sets, cymbals, & accessories for the kit drummers. |
 Rhythm Traders, Inc. For all the info on classes & workshops, our newsletter, and our company. |
