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How to Easily Make a Djembe

The djembe is a hand-carved and hand-stretched drum that originates from West Africa. Since djembes are traditionally made by hand, they can be made fairly easily and without many specialized tools using traditional methods. However, the djembe̵7;s sound is affected by the density and type of wood and skin used. So, for the most traditional sound, traditional materials, such as mango bush wood and West African goat skin, should be used. Other materials may not reverberate in a way that leads to a good sound and are more likely to break due to the drum̵7;s tension.

Things You'll Need

Mango bush trunk section, 2 feet high and 1 to 1 1/2 feet in diameter
Pick
Sand paper
1/2-inch diameter metal wire
Mallet
Shears
Welding torch
Welding mask
Palm oil
1/4-inch diameter rope
Lighter
Goatskin
Straight razor

Instructions

- 1
  Hollow the trunk to create a straight chute approximately six inches in diameter using the pick. Continue hallowing the interior of the top half of the wood into a smoother, bowl-like shape. Smooth the bowl-like area using sand paper. Smooth the hallow area on the bottom half of the wood, but don̵7;t increase the diameter of the hollow area and don̵7;t curve it.
- 2
  Use an axe or pick to shape the exterior of the trunk into a bowl-like shape on the top half and a narrow, straight chute on the bottom half. Stop shaping and narrowing the wood when the edge between the exterior of the wood and the hollow area of the wood is approximately 1 to 2 inches thick. Smooth the exterior until it is as smooth as the interior.
- 3
  Cut the metal wire so it fits on the wooden djembe base you just carved, where the bowl area meets the narrowed area. Shape it around the djembe base and hammer it with the mallet for a fairly snug but not tight fit (it should move an inch or two further down the djembe when you drop it). Repeat to make a ring for the widest, top part of the bowl-like opening of the djembe. Put on the welding mask. Weld the rings so they̵7;re secure. The wide ring should be welded off the base, but the narrow ring must be welded while on the base.
- 4
  Spread palm oil liberally on the interior and exterior of the drum base. Allow the oil to soak into the wood and wait until it dries.
- 5
  Knot the rope around a metal ring, placing two slipknots right next to each other every 1 to 2 inches, evenly spaced around the ring. Tie off the end of the rope when the entire ring is encircled in rope and then cut off the excess. Burn the cut end of the rope with a lighter to keep it from unraveling. Repeat for the other ring.
- 6
  Place the goatskin fur-side-up on the bowl-like end of the base. Arrange the skin so it̵7;s centered and flat. Place the wider ring over it. Fold the edges of the goatskin over the ring and push the ring as far down the djembe base as it will go, making sure to keep it level. Continue pushing to stretch the skin until it̵7;s as taut as possible.
- 7
  Tie a piece of rope to the smaller ring. Weave the rope underneath a loop between slipknots on the wider ring holding the skin in place, pull the rope snug, pass it over the slipknot and pass it underneath the loop on the other side of the slipknot. Draw the rope back down to the lower ring and repeat the process of passing the rope over the slipknot so it goes underneath the loops on either side of the slipknot. Continue until the entire bowl-shaped area of the drum base is encircled with the rope passing from the narrow ring to the wider ring. Weave the rope between the vertical lengths of rope to keep them in place. Tie off the rope, cut the excess and burn the cut ends.
- 8
  Trim the goatskin with a knife so that it extends 1 to 2 inches past the metal ring on the bowl-like portion of the base. Sheer off the fur with a straight razor.

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