DfS Djembe Buyers Guide Version 2

DJEMBE BUYERS GUIDE How to avoid Djembe Dilemmas and make the most of your Budget Djembes. There are just so many different makes, models, heights, diameters, shell materials, skin materials, tensioning methods and shell designs out there. How can you be sure you’re getting the best djembe for your setting,and not making an expensive mistake?

At Drums for Schools, we know djembes inside-out. We’ve been making them for nearly 20 years, collaborating with music hubs and teachers to ensure they work perfectly in the classroom. And we’ve seen those sad cupboards full of broken instruments and drums too small for children’s hands.

To help you make the best possible buying decisions, we’ve distilled our knowledge and experience into this Djembe Buyer’s Guide. We hope you’ll find it useful and that you’ll get in touch if you need any further information or assistance.

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The 10 absolute essentials to get right The 5 hidden pitfalls to avoid

6 Expert Tips for Maximising Budget 8 key quality indicators Djembe Buyers Worksheet (incl.Checklist and Workflow)

Anatomy of a Djembe

10 Essentials to get right 01

Head size Don’t throw your budget away by buying djembes that are too small.

They need to have playing heads that are big enough for comfortable two-handed playing. This is so important.

See our blog for detail on choosing the right size, but as a quick rule of thumb, for KS1 you’ll need an 8” overall diameter djembe, for KS2 you’ll need 9” and for KS3 and above you’ll need at least a 10”. Bigger diameters are great, but beware going too big as bigger means more expensive, more storage and heavier drums.

See our blog here.

02

Weight Avoid backache and storage hassles: choose djembes that are easy to move and store.

As a rule of thumb 5 to 7kg is as heavy a drum as it’s easy to move around.

More than that and you may start dreading setting up and putting away. 3 to 5kg is the sweet spot. Translating this into djembe size, our 8” overall diameter wooden djembes tend to be 2 to 3kg and our 10” diameter djembes will usually be around the 5kg mark. But our djembes are relatively light, thanks to their wide tops and you’ll find that other makers’ wooden drums may be significantly heavier. Synthetic drums are much lighter than wooden ones, so even 12” diameter synthetics will weigh in at less than 5kg.

03

Skin quality Great sound and durability: prioritise high quality skins.

A good skin is essential for a good sound, but it’s also a key part of the playing experience, and it’s also generally the weakest part of the djembe, so you need it to be as tough as possible, consistent with sound and ease of playing. This means not bleached or very thin, not very thick and unresponsive, and not damaged. Synthetic skins should be Mylar (a Dupont plastic).

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04

Shell quality Smooth finish, resonant sound: select djembes with high-quality shells.

The shell is another key determinant of the sound, as well as of the playing experience. You need it to be smooth and well finished inside and out. Small knots and marks won’t make any difference, but avoid cracks or holes that go right through the shell from inside to outside. If you’re buying a synthetic shell, check the thickness and finishing - if it’s too thin it may be too resonant and produce a boomy sound.

05

Good, stable tuning Easy maintenance.

You’ll need skins which are well tensioned/tuned and which keep their tension. It’s also a good idea to have skins which can be re-tensioned if needs be, so, as well as choosing djembes which arrive well tuned, other things being equal, go for rope (double knotted rope tuning is the best for holding pitch) or mechanical tuning systems.

06

Satisfying playing experience An enjoyable playing experience is key.

Ensure the djembe feels good and encourages playing. For this pretty well everything else needs to be right too: head size, weight, skin and shell quality, and proper tuning. And while natural materials enhance tactility and vibrations, we understand some prefer synthetic options, and fortunately there are some very good synthetics now available.

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07

Ethical considerations Keep your conscience clear.

You’ll want to be sure that the materials used are sustainable (ask to see the wood certification), and that the production process is ethically managed. If you don’t wish to use animal products and opt for a synthetic skin, make sure it’s top quality Mylar and will have a long life.

08

Special needs Those essential extras.

Can your supplier provide djembe stands and slings for players unable to hold the drum between their legs? What about stackable storage bags?

09

Ongoing support Expert support every step of the way.

Get the Guidance You Need. We’re here to answer your questions, resolve issues, and provide teaching support for using djembes effectively in the classroom.

10

Guarantee The guarantee is your insurance cover in case of problems.

Last but least, make sure you’ve got a great long term guarantee without small print exclusions. You’re making a serious investment and you need to be sure it’s a good one.

Help!

Feeling overwhelmed? Schedule a chat and let us help you cut through the djembe jungle.

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5 Pitfalls to Avoid 01 Playing head diameter

Overall diameter

02

Confusing overall diameter with playing head diameter When you’re deciding the drum size you need, keep in mind that suppliers usually advertise the overall drum diameter, and that the “playing head diameter” is generally 1” less than the “overall diameter”. So a djembe advertised as 10” will have a 9” playing head diameter (fine for all ages up to KS3). If you can’t measure the djembe diameter for yourself, take the supplier’s advertised figure and use column 6 of this table to check the age group suitability. Link here for table.

Poor wood quality - splinters, cracks Cheaper wooden djembes may use soft or poor quality wood and be badly finished. As a result they may have shorter useful lives as well as being a source of splinters.

Very heavy djembes

03

Hard wood shells are generally lovely and resonant, but can be very dense. As a rule of thumb 5 to 7kg is as heavy a drum as is easy to move around. More than that and you may start dreading setting up and putting away. 3 to 5kg is the sweet spot. Our 9”, 10” and 11” djembes all weight under 5kg.

04 Overall diameter (OD)

OD/H > 0.5

Height (H)

05

Over-sized drums Big playing heads are great (and everybody likes a big drum!), but consider whether you really need drums that are tall - are they worth the extra cost and do you have you got the space to store them? And tall drums may be too tall for smaller children to play comfortably. Drums should be carefully sized for the players. We recommend going for djembes which have wide diameters for their height. Rule of thumb: go for overall diameters that are 50% or more of the drum height. This also makes the drums less expensive and lighter so you’ll win on storage, budget and ease of moving them around.

Very thin, very thick or damaged skins Choose skins with care - too thin and they’ll quickly wear out; too thick and they’ll produce a muffled sound and be very hard on the hands; nicks or holes or other weak spots may quickly develop into tears.

Choose skins with care - too thin and they’ll quickly wear out; too thick and they’ll Help! produce a muffled sound and be very hard on the hands; nicks or holes or other weak

Very thin, very thick or damaged skins

Feeling overwhelmed?

Schedule a chat and spots may quickly develop into tears. let us help you cut through the djembe jungle.

GET IN TOUCH

6 Expert Tips for Maximising Budget 01

02

Consider mixing in hand percussion as a way of getting more pupils involved for less money. Buddy pairs (or trios) sharing a djembe and shakers can make for equally effective learning at a fraction of the cost.

Buy as many djembes at a time as you can, to obtain the maximum discount on price. See what extra discount you can leverage by buying everything you need for a year at a time.

05

04

03

Use our checklist here to make sure you choose high quality djembes and that they’re not too small, or too big, for your setting.

06

Overall diameter (OD)

OD/H > 0.5

Height (H)

Go for djembes with high diameter to height ratios - this will give you the lowest overall cost and storage requirement without sacrificing quality. As a rule of thumb make sure your djembe diameter is at least half the djembe height.

Drums for Schools Wide Top djembes have the best in class diameter to height ratios.

Make sure the djembe guarantee is at least 5 years (and preferably 10) and covers skins as well as shells - so that your budget carries on working long term.

Get a drum head protector for each drum (damage to skins usually happens between drumming lessons!). Good quality storage bags will also help to maximise the life of your drums, and you’ll really appreciate them if you need to move the drums around regularly.

Choose skins with care - too thin and they’ll quickly wear out; too thick and they’ll Help! produce a muffled sound and be very hard on the hands; nicks or holes or other weak

Very thin, very thick or damaged skins

Feeling overwhelmed?

Schedule a chat and spots may quickly develop into tears. let us help you cut through the djembe jungle.

GET IN TOUCH

8 key quality indicators 01

02

03

Skin

Sound

Double knotting

Natural colour, tight, line across centre (or Mylar skin for synthetic djembes)

Resonant, not boomy

Sign of a professional quality djembe

04

05

06

Rope

Base

Handle

Non-stretch nylon with extra spare length wrapped around the waist (useful for tuning up the djembe)

Rubber protector

Comfortable to hold and well made

07

08

Shell

Feel

Circular cross-section, smooth inside and out

Holding a djembe should feel good! Do you fell you want to embrace it?

Choose skins with care - too thin and they’ll quickly wear out; too thick and they’ll Help! produce a muffled sound and be very hard on the hands; nicks or holes or other weak

Very thin, very thick or damaged skins

Feeling overwhelmed?

Schedule a chat and spots may quickly develop into tears. let us help you cut through the djembe jungle.

GET IN TOUCH

Djembe Djembe Buyers Buyers Worksheet Checklist This 5 Step worksheet will help you to: 1. Clarify your requirement and define the djembe specification that meets it 2. Put together a short list of djembes that meet your spec.

3. Systematically compare your short-listed djembes, checking that they meet your specification and requirement 4. Calculate costs, negotiate price reductions and finalise your order 5. Provide evidence of your buying decision process for ACE. Using this worksheet will help you make the right djembe decisions, and it will also give you the information you need to negotiate competitive pricing. Last but not least, it will provide you with clear documentation to support your decision-making process.

Once you’ve downloaded the spreadsheet, we recommend you make a copy of the spreadsheet on your local drive and create new spreadsheet tabs for each project.

Make sure you keep copies of all the completed worksheets.

Very thin, very thick or damaged skins

Choose skins with care - too thin and they’ll quickly wear out; too thick and they’ll produce a muffled sound and be very hard on the hands; nicks or holes or other weak DOWNLOAD THE WORKSHEET spots may quickly develop into tears.

Anatomy of a Djembe Variants

SKIN Requirements Tough enough to withstand intensive daily use over many years. Matched to shell so as to produce a warm sound Tactile and pleasant to play.

SHELL Requirements Tough enough to withstand intensive daily use over many years. Resonant and matched to skin Compact - good diameter to height ratio. Manageable weight.

TUNING MECHANISM Requirements

Goatskin - the most widespread traditional skin, comes in various thicknesses, depending on the age and gender of the goat.

Pros Warm sound, natural, tactile.

Authentic feel.

Cons Sensitive to temperature and humidity, so best kept in dry environment. An animal product (though goats are not killed for their skins; djembe goatskins generally come from muslim countries, where goats have been killed for religious ceremonies or for food).

Plastic, made from oil-based chemicals, not natural Some harder plastics can produce a tinny sound.

Synthetics - a variety of plastics with a range of sounds, from rounded to tinny.

Water-resistant.

Easily cleaned.

Hypoallergenic.

Hardwoods such as lenke, iroko, mahogany, mango.

Warm sound, natural, tactile.

Authentic feel.

Bigger sizes can be heavy.

Softwoods, such as aweneboa, melina.

Lower cost and weight.

Prone to cracking.

Our recommendations We recommend a medium thick goatskin, traditionally treated and not bleached (bleaching weakens the skin).

If you prefer a synthetic skin, then “fibreskyn” and others made from mylar (a polyester plastic) are amongst the best.

We recommend a compact hardwood shell with diameter to height ratio of at least 0.5 - this will reduce the weight and minimise storage space requirements.

For settings where very lightweight drums are needed, or where animal products are not welcome, go for synthetic drums with PVC shells and mylar heads.

Synthetics - fibreglass, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride).

Lightweight.

Made from oil-based chemicals, not natural.

Rope and metal rings.

Traditional “authentic” tuning system. Fine tuning is quick and easy. Wide price range.

Significant re-tuning needs some technique. Replacing skins takes time and effort.

Pretuned.

Low price.

No scope for re-tuning.

If budget allows, go for double knotting and non-stretch rope.

For tight budgets single knotting is fine, providing the rope is nonstretch.

Relatively expensive Non-traditional.

Some settings prefer mechanically tuned drums, and these are particularly useful in settings where the drum heads get damaged frequently.

Keep pitch/tension.

Adjust pitch/tension.

Mechanically tuned.

Tuning and replacing skins is simpler than for rope-tuned.

Anatomy of a Djembe

SKIN Requirements Tough enough to withstand intensive daily use over many years. Matched to shell so as to produce a warm sound Tactile and pleasant to play.

Variants

What to look for

What to avoid

Goatskin - the most widespread traditional skin, comes in various thicknesses, depending on the age and gender of the goat.

Backbone line across middle of the drum head (this indicates it’s the strongest part of the animal’s hide).

White, bleached or thin skins, small holes or indents.

Skins that can be easily deformed by finger pressure.

Very thick skins - these can be hard on the hands so best for hardened professionals!

Synthetics - a variety of plastics with a range of sounds, from rounded to tinny.

Mylar skins.

As goatskin above.

Tinny sounds (often from transparent skins).

Hardwoods such as lenke, iroko, mahogany, mango.

Smooth finishing (no splinters) inside and out. Rubber base.

Certified sustainable.

Cracks that go right through from inside to outside -look inside Very heavy drums. Cracks and splinters.

Softwoods, such as aweneboa, melina.

Smooth finishing (no splinters) inside and out. Rubber base.

Certified sustainable.

Cracks that go right through from inside to outside -look inside Very heavy drums. Cracks and splinters.

Synthetics - fibreglass, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride).

PVC shells.

Brittle plastics that may crack.

TUNING MECHANISM

Rope and metal rings.

Double knotting.

Non-stretch rope.

Thick metal rings (won’t bend under tension).

Thin lower ring, or rope ring - these won’t support long term tuning.

Requirements

Pretuned.

SHELL Requirements Tough enough to withstand intensive daily use over many years. Resonant and matched to skin Compact - good diameter to height ratio. Manageable weight.

Keep pitch/tension.

Adjust pitch/tension.

Mechanically tuned.

Quality tuning accessories Standard spanner size.

Our recommendations We recommend a medium thick goatskin, traditionally treated and not bleached (bleaching weakens the skin).

If you prefer a synthetic skin, then “fibreskyn” and others made from mylar (a polyester plastic) are amongst the best.

We recommend a compact hardwood shell with diameter to height ratio of at least 0.5 - this will reduce the weight and minimise storage space requirements.

For settings where very lightweight drums are needed, or where animal products are not welcome, go for synthetic drums with PVC shells and mylar heads.

If budget allows, go for double knotting and non-stretch rope.

For tight budgets single knotting is fine, providing the rope is nonstretch.

Some settings prefer mechanically tuned drums, and these are particularly useful in settings where the drum heads get damaged frequently.

Enquiries:

Andy Gwatkin

Hilary Harris

Director

UK Operations

andy@drumsforschools.co.uk

hilary@drumsforschools.co.uk

+62 878 617 303 44

+44 07770 275182