Mexicali Drumming: How to Play the Djembe Drum

           Traditional Djembe Drum                                         Handpainted Djembe Drums

Djembes are played by hand and are capable of producing a large variety of sounds, making it one of the most versatile drums in the world! Perfect for toting to festivals or keeping at home for when the musical mood strikes, our djembe drums are perfect for starting your own drum circle just about anywhere!

Ready to rock on the djembe? Here are a few of our favorite methods to get you started!

To recap:

• Try hitting the drum with different parts of your hand for different sounds.  The heel of your hand will usually create a more resonant, echo-y tone, while fingers make a shallower, higher pitched sound.
• Remember to keep your wrists loose!
• If you want to try the one-finger-at-a-time approach, start slowly, moving from little finger to thumb. When you begin slowly, you build muscle memory, so it is a lot easier to do it right when you speed it up!
• Try creating your own rhythms.  Drum along with friends or with your favorite tune as you discover your drumming style!

Here’s one of our favorite easy & awesome songs to begin drumming with: “Not Fade Away” by the Grateful Dead!

Have fun!  What do you think would be the most fun song to drum along with?