Wood djembe drum, 'Kente Pillar' (Ghana)
Poised in the hands of a rhythm conductor, the African djembe drum comes to life as sound travels from the taut goat skin head, plummets to the depths of the body, resonates in intense waves of power, then exits the drum magically, drawing the gathered crowd into its alluring beat. This djembe is hand-carved from wood by Joseph Aboagye and wrapped in patterned cotton kente cloth to enhance its visual appeal. An exquisite example of percussive craftsmanship, this instrument makes a wonderful gift for the dedicated musician. To play, sit on the edge of a chair with ankles crossed, the top of the drum fitting neatly between the knees as the base of the drum rests behind the heels. This way the drum is angled away from the player. Sitting up straight with hands resting on the drum's playing surface, the wrists should become flat and be in position to create the standard djembe sounds. Djembes produce three basic sounds: bass, tone, and slap. BASS: With the hand flat and fingers together, place the hand at the dimension of two fists above the center of the playing surface. Allow the hand to strike and bounce back to the original position above the center. TONE: This is the high-pitched sound produced by striking the top surface nearest the edge with firmly placed fingers. SLAP: Strike the playing surface's edge first with the heel of the hand, and then allow the fingers to naturally bounce down towards the drum's center.