Djembe: Tuning Your Drum

Basically by pulling four of the vertical tensioning ropes across and over each other you gradually pull the skin down a little further.

(1) Undo the tuning rope which is coiled just under the middle - by threading and pulling this rope horizontally around the vertical tensioning ropes you achieve the level of tuning you desire.

(2) Start threading - always thread the next two verticals following the ones that already been tuned.

i) 2 goes over 1.
ii) A close up
iii) Pull until the verticals lock into position.

Follow this sequence exactly and you shouldn't have problem.

Pull hard - wind the rope around a strong stick and pull hard. Steady the drum with your feet as you pull.

Always count the ropes to be tuned at the top of the drum as you will get confused if you count at the bottom. When you reach the second and third level of tuning you will see how important this is.

Always push the tuning rope down to the base of verticals before you pull through, otherwise the tuning pattern will jump up the drum causing an uneven and unsatisfactory pitch.

Tap the edge of the drum with a rubber or wooden mallet after each tuning sequence, being careful not to hit the tensioned skin.

(3) In time you will take your tuning rope around the drums circumference 3 times (which can take up to 5 years) but never over tighten it just for looks as you could break the skin. Just tune your drum as you need to.

(4) When you finally complete tuning your drum as far as you can go, undo the tuning rope and pull all the slack out of the vertical tensioning rope, tie it off and start tuning again. it's simple and easy. Once you've completed this process you will feel closer to your drum. It's highly recommended doing this before you reach this stage. It will enable you to fully understand the workings of the djembe and ultimately you feel more confident playing and performing with it as you know exactly what's going on.