Djembe Lesson: Bass Slap Pairs

[@sacredsounds4234]

This guy grows on you in a good way

[@damon123jones]

best instruction

[@patconnor5742]

hey I really like your videos and your djembe sounds great! Could you tell me a little about your djembe? where did you get it? what type of skin is it? what type of wood? keep up the great videos, thanks!

[@djembeweaver]

Hi. My djembe is fairly standard (goat skin and lenke wood|) and comes from Iya Sako. The sound has more to do with technique than anything else, although a good drum certainly helps...

[@patconnor5742]

djembeweaver I agree that technique determines the sound you get out of a djembe. I've played several and some are much easier to get distinguished tones and slaps. You really have that nice "go go, ga ga, go go, ga ga, thing going on :)

[@djembeweaver]

Pat Connor Yes you're right that some djembes have better sounds than others, but technique is still the biggest factor. For good tones focus the energy further towards your fingertips using all your fingers together. Keep them as relaxed as possible while keeping your fingers together and working as a unit. Make sure you use your wrist too...that's really important. Slaps are all about getting the fingertips to bounce off the skin very fast. If the whole length of your fingers contacts at the same time then you'll get tone harmonics in there and that makes it all sound mushy.