Repair and Tune a Djembe - Fix Broken Djembe Drum Skin - Replacing and tuning Djembe Drum Head

Bring your broken djembe drum back from the dead! Give it new rope, rings, a fresh African goat skin, tune it up, and play! The entire process from removing old skin to final tuning stages is demonstrated here. May you find it helpful in repairing your baby!

[@paulmonkcom]

Wassa Wassa Djembefola! Good job, I have 3 tips - 1. At 16:25 in your video, instead of pulling the goat skin down against the top rings, put your djembe on its side on the floor, go at the skin from the underside pulling up and across the drum, de-creasing the skin and rotating as you work your way all around the drum. This will ensure that the top rings don't end up too low on the drum and prevents the rings slipping, especially when it's cranked up to solo pitch. 2. A bendy double sided razor blade works brilliantly for shaving the skin, push your thumb in at the back of the blade to make an arc 3. Use a small pair of Maul Grips instead of pliers to pinch the ropes when tightening, then you still have both hands free. 🤘🏽 8~)

[@goldenrockmedia]

I've watched 5 other videos on reskinning a djembe. This was by far the best, most thorough and most educational. Thank you so much Len!

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

Sooo glad to help another drum sing! Thank you for your kind words.

[@kimberlycoy7509]

Hey, Len! This is your cousin, Kim Coy (Toni's daughter). I was texting with your mom recently, and she told me about your channel. How cool is your life??!! I love your spirit and your love for life and all things nature. It is so amazing to watch! I am now a subscriber, and will look forward to following along on some of your adventures and journeys!

[@claricehirata3303]

Thank you so much for this video. My djembe head broke and I am going to have it fixed, but wanted to know what was involved, and whoa, it's quite a process! So grateful for your thoroughness, I have a full understanding now.

[@therealrondeau]

Awesome video. I’ve never had to replace my drumhead in all these years with my beautiful djembe but it’s cracking and made me worry. Now I have the confidence that I can do this repair myself. Thanks so much, friend!

[@bluesipher3832]

Hey I went and got skins at Wula Drum in Queen NYC today. You're so right those guys are great. Michael just happened to be there but advised me to call ahead next time to make sure he is there. There's sign on the street so you have to go in the building and go downstairs. They have so many beautiful drums, skins and rope. It really is a find. Thanks so much for this video and for the recommendation !

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

That’s awesome! I love Wula! And Michael is fantastic! I’m glad you go to meet him in person.

[@briangraham7139]

Great to have you explain how to restring the rings couldn't have done it without your guidence. Thanks so much. Brian

[@pauloalima1740]

Thank you

[@user-dy6fj4sv7p]

Going to do this!!

[@Sakuntu]

Great job Lenn!!!! Loved that dry shave technique!

[@davidmcaninch4714]

To all the goats who sacrificed their lives for our djembes: you did not die in vain.

[@seanas80]

Kudo's to you man. I don't think I have the patience for this, I'll find a music shop that specialize in djembe repair I'd ask you but I'm in the UK lol. I mean I can repair computers and technical stuff but this, My goodness this has got me. I love Djembe drums and sad the skin on mine split from drying out but repairing them it looks so much more tedious than I thought, you did a good job man very informative video showing the process.

[@afrodrumming]

If you're anywhere near Reading, UK, we do reskinning :)

[@clairehelfrich8166]

Hello. I have been trying to fix my djembe and have found your video very useful! I've been working on it for the last few days. However, my skin did not stretch down below the head in some places and I worry that this will be a problem. I'm anxious to just trim the excess skin and shave it, but I think I need to be able to pull that skin down further. Also, I don't have enough paracord to do the tuning process. I should probably get more of that first as well. I may take it all apart, resoak the skin, and try it again...

[@fessah3467]

Where can I get the pull tool. All the stainless boat cleets I have googled were for 6mm rope.

[@bucknards1898]

That was cool to watch dude! Djembe Fola 😁👍

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

Djembe Fola! Wangi!

[@jonc4226]

What kind of wood is that?

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

@@jonc4226 it’s my friends drum, made of cherry I believe ☺️

[@RamelanMusic]

Question. If my skin dried but is not level on top can I keep trying to pull the top ring down? Or even if need restart and soak again to try from the beginning? Will it damage the skin?

[@user-md2qy5qi8h]

How to take care of djembe skin oiling will do it ??

[@ghostdog7306]

excellent video thank you for taking the time to do that. you're the first person I've seen do an entire reskinning job. I could sure use one of those rope tightening tools. I have and ashico that was never pulled tight enough. could I get one of those tools through wula? thank you so much!

[@RyanBurchfieldMusic]

Great video

[@marffvmarffv5438]

Hello and Thanks for your video. When soaking the skin, does it smell very strong ?

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

It can, though the smell shouldn't be foul. If it is really strong it could be that you got a male goat skin, instead of a female goat skin, and their natural odor is very goaty. :-)

[@MauriceArt]

You might want to use i grip plier with the tightening of the robe. It will give more flexibility because you have the hand free if you clipped the pliers on the robe.

[@MauriceArt]

maybe with a second grip pliers you can even clip both rings when level. Then you can finish the first rounds very easy because you only need to focus on getting the bottom ring level. Or might that not work? Preparing myself to repair my djembe

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

vice grips are a great idea!

[@sanityisnofun]

seems that some people say 'wrap the ring you are using for the skin to wrap around.. with a cloth.. to make a better seal .. ( long life or skin? -- others' don't mention it at all.' thoughts? - I have some very durable cloth' i was thinking of wrapping it with.. (it'll disapear under skin anyway.. (especially (maybe) in extreamly varieying tempiture/humidity areas like Florida.. shrugs* .. about to put my djembe back together.. ( and more importantly: ( after soaking putting head on.. and tightening as it drys.. ( get to a 'not tuned' i would say but 'stretched' point.. as you were showing in this video'.. and then wait (a day or 2.. (in humid area like here) and finish tightening.. ( i mean i guess i am afriad of poping it if i tighten too much while it's still wet.. but maybe i should be afraid of the opposite .. .. ( it seems to be a continuem of we/tune - dry retune) but you seem to be saying tune up as much as you can/want while still wet is that correct?? ( been playing 24 eyars... but always had people redo my heads.. now with Covid i am doing it myself ~~wawa lol

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

I have popped skins that were over tightened while wet, so you definitely don't want to push it too far, and sometimes the skin can be a bit over stretched if pulled too much while wet...:-)

[@user-gq5uf6vb4j]

This is an incredible video. But do you offer a service where I can send my jembe to you and pay you to rehead the drum? I’m an older fella and just don’t have energy to do this. Or where could I send this. Im in California and i don’t know where to go.

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

Feel free to give me a ring 585-317-6370

[@sheryle3476]

Hi, my djembe skin is starting to rip 3 cm between the top 2 rings. So not in the centre of the head, just on the side. What can I do to stop it from tearing further?

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

Super glue and prayers,! and avoid tightening it, that will extend its life, but, unfortunately, all good skins become compost in the end

[@romanusantonius1655]

Nice fellow.

[@dreadyhobo7972]

can you show the rough tuning part from another angle possibly?

[@dreadyhobo7972]

also the rest of the video was totally great and informative thank you. if we already have deer hides that we tanned ourselves will that work well?

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

Yes absolutely! Thanks for the feedback! what angle would be best to communicate it for you? As for andjembe

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

For the djembe you’ll want a raw hide, untanned. The ideal is an African goat, female, for the best resonance and no goaty smell! But you could pair any raw skin w your drum and it will ultimately have a different sound that may be quite beautiful.

[@dreadyhobo7972]

@@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey just from above it like so we can actually see the head of the tightening tool

[@rasspear3467]

What type of rope you used?

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

static climbing rope

[@driftwood1105]

What robe did you use ?

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

Ideally you want static, non-stretch rope. 4mm is good.

[@rasz4734]

I wish you’d put the camera on your hands.😢

[@kintheself3328]

Where did you get that hat??? Kool vid dude :)

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

an old clown friend of mine, Otto Czeropak :-)

[@stevenbuck07]

Nice demonstration. The Wuladrum site is out of stock for the rope, (guess i need 80 ft. for my 12'' drum) and where could i get the rings or hoops for my 6'' drum. Also is the outside dia. how it's measured?

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

static climbing cord will do the job well. yes measure outside diameter for 2 metal rings with 1/4-1/2 in added for rope to fit

[@stevenbuck07]

@@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey Thanks. By the way, I ended up (since it's my 1st time) I called a number on a message board, took the drum for this lady to do ($150) which I probably should have asked to assist so maybe if I need to fix one of my 5 1/2 dia. Oh well, live and learn. I'll start out on the smaller one I believe. Also, my goat skins only took a week to get here from that site, $34 so I got 2.

[@marciagibbons3981]

I was enjoying your video, however you missed a step. You didn't show how to start the lacing. It was already starting. It didn't help me

[@AncientEarthSkillsLenMackey]

Thanks for letting me know! I really appreciate it! You begin with a loop at the top and end with what is left over from your rope. weave it down into the bottom and tie a half hitch, and begin tuning.

[@LZDILLC]

Tip, Point the camera to the strings instead of you..

[@OL9245]

No surprise that your djembé has no sound at all. So many mistakes in your process. At least one crucial error at each single step. Very difficult however to find a good video of djembé skin mount. Consider subscribing to Baragnouma channel. They have a full video on the subject which they're going to release soon. Filming is done but still lots of work before they can post it. Stay tuned.

[@decembersaint3610]

of course cos the skin is still wet you wait it till its dry ,,dah??🙄🙄🙄🙄