The djembe drum size you require will depend on your own size, level of ability, and, of course, the musical purpose of the drum. These types of drums can be played whilst standing up or sitting down so it is important that you get the correct size for you.
Generally, an adult will need a djembe with a 12" head or larger. Children should go for a 7" to 10" djembe drum. In order to work out what sized drum you will require you will need to place the heel of your hand on the rim of the djembe and stretch your hand across the drum head, your fingers should just cross the centre of the drum. If the drum head is too small, your hands will be too large and it will be difficult to play
The positioning of the drum between the legs is an important consideration when determining the best size djembe. Some of the very agile are able to control the position of the drum with their legs, and actually move it, with smooth, minute squeezing and loosening motions of the knees against the drum's body. It is possible to pick up the drum and beat it for an extra explosive resonance, by just using the knees.
Once you have purchased your drum it will take a few sessions of playing to feel comfortable with it. One should play the djembe whilst in different positions, in the comfortable position of sitting down, to the awkward position of standing up.Doing this would help one fathom out if they have selected the right size drum. This follows the concept of the "Suzuki" method of learning music which was once popular. Little children mastered how to play the violin and become familiar with the musical instrument by walking around with it whilst playing. The point here is simply that one's body must get familiar with the drum. Size is an important factor to get right. The djembe is truly a spiritual instrument and one does not want to start off with it in an awkward relationship.
Once the size of djembe which you need has been determined the next consideration is style. Once this has been established you can then go on to decide if you would prefer a wooden djembe or a fibreglass djembe, roped tuned of mechanically tuned and finally the style of the djembe.
Generally, an adult will need a djembe with a 12" head or larger. Children should go for a 7" to 10" djembe drum. In order to work out what sized drum you will require you will need to place the heel of your hand on the rim of the djembe and stretch your hand across the drum head, your fingers should just cross the centre of the drum. If the drum head is too small, your hands will be too large and it will be difficult to play
The positioning of the drum between the legs is an important consideration when determining the best size djembe. Some of the very agile are able to control the position of the drum with their legs, and actually move it, with smooth, minute squeezing and loosening motions of the knees against the drum's body. It is possible to pick up the drum and beat it for an extra explosive resonance, by just using the knees.
Once you have purchased your drum it will take a few sessions of playing to feel comfortable with it. One should play the djembe whilst in different positions, in the comfortable position of sitting down, to the awkward position of standing up.Doing this would help one fathom out if they have selected the right size drum. This follows the concept of the "Suzuki" method of learning music which was once popular. Little children mastered how to play the violin and become familiar with the musical instrument by walking around with it whilst playing. The point here is simply that one's body must get familiar with the drum. Size is an important factor to get right. The djembe is truly a spiritual instrument and one does not want to start off with it in an awkward relationship.
Once the size of djembe which you need has been determined the next consideration is style. Once this has been established you can then go on to decide if you would prefer a wooden djembe or a fibreglass djembe, roped tuned of mechanically tuned and finally the style of the djembe.
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Looking to purchase a djembe drum? The Djembe Drum Shop has a variety of djembe drums, both tradition and modern, in a variety of styles and sizes - visit www.djembedrumshop.com.