What are the African drums called?

What are the African drums called?

The djembe
The djembe is one of West Africa’s best known instruments. This goblet-shaped drum is traditionally carved from a single piece of African hardwood and topped with an animal skin as a drumhead. In western understanding, the drum belongs to the membranophone class of instruments in the percussion family.

What kind of drums are used in African music?

Drums used in African traditional music include talking drums, bougarabou and djembe in West Africa, water drums in Central and West Africa, and the different types of ngoma drums (or engoma) in Central and Southern Africa.

How many types of drum are there?

While some people recognize three main types of drums – a bass drum, snare drum, and tom – the reality is that drum sets can contain countless different pieces to create a truly unique sound.

What are the 4 main percussion instruments from Africa?

Most widely spread and played instruments in Africa are the drum, the xylophone, the mbira, rattles and shakers.

Are bongo drums African?

Bongos are considered Cuban drums, but are also thought to have originated in West Africa. These hand drums continue to inspire Afro-Cuban and Latin musicians, beatnik poets and modern percussionists, as well as hobby drummers of all ages.

What type of instrument is mbira?

plucked idiophone
mbira, also called mbila sansa, kilembe, likembe, timbrh, or thumb piano, plucked idiophone (instrument whose sounding parts are resonant solids belonging to the body of the instrument itself)—or more specifically, a lamellaphone—that is unique to Africa and widely distributed throughout the continent.

What African instrument is similar to a harp or lute?

What is a bolon? Bolons are a chordophone instrument, making sound by way of a vibrating string or strings stretched between two points, like harps or lutes. They are the ancestors of the better known African harp the kora and the lute like Ngoni.

Where do African drums come from?

The djembe drum is said to have been invented in the 12th Century by the Mandinke tribe in what is now Mali, in West Africa. It has been played by West Africans for generations forming an integral part of ritualistic life in Mali, Guinea, Senegal and other neighbouring West African countries.

What are African drums traditionally used for?

Djembe. The djembe is the most well-known African drum around the world.

  • Dundun (Talking Drum) The dundun’s body is shaped like an hourglass and has a number of ropes or strings stretched from top to bottom.
  • Bata. The bata is actually a three-drum set that can be struck by hand or with a stick.
  • Bougarabou.
  • What are African drums all called?

    The main and most common African drums are djembes. However, don’t overlook the joy you might get playing the dundun, also called a talking drum; the three drum set known as the bata; or strap on your bangle bracelets and play the bougarabou. When striking an African drum, you mainly use three notes: base, tone, and slap.

    What are the different names of drums?

    Ashiko. Made of hardwood and goatskin,the Ashiko has an open bottom and is over 11,000 years old.

  • Bass Drum. This is actually a group of different drums,with some being used on their own and others being used in drum sets.
  • Basler. This Swedish drum is double-headed and played using drumsticks.
  • Bodhran.
  • Bongo.
  • Conga.
  • Darbuka.
  • Djembe.
  • Foot Drum.
  • Gong.
  • What are the different parts of an African talking drum?

    Djembe. The djembe is a goatskin-covered percussion instrument shaped like a large goblet made to be played with bare hands.

  • Talking Drum. The talking drum or dundun is an hourglass-shaped drum with a strap,traditionally slung over one shoulder while tucked underneath the other and played with a curved beater.
  • Bata.
  • Bougarabou.
  • Ngoma.