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Instructions for how to head an

African Djembe Drum with Goat skin
Page One - Preparing the Djembe Drum
I have re headed over 100 djembes and discovered many tips and procedures to get the best result. As
with anything start with a sound shell with a good playing edge, good rope, and a fine African Goat skin!
While there are many ways of doing things, (and I have tried most of them) these work the best for me,
and so must BE THE RIGHT WAY ! {grin}. I typically do this whole job from start to end, in under
two hours. I put the goat skin to soak in cool water right away and within an hour I have prepared the
drum and am ready to mount the skin on the hide ring. You can take shortcuts here an there but you risk
the result occasionally. Know this is a skill using both hands, and judgment, and don't expect a good
result till you've done several.
First some definitions:

Shell - The whole drum body

Bowl - The top part of the djembe
Trumpet - The base of the Djembe
Head - Both top of the drum and the process of adding the skin
Top Ring - The ring with rope near the Head
Hide Ring - The ring the hide wraps around, second from the top
Bottom Ring - The ring with rope at the bottom of the bowl
Cradle - The series of knots on the top and bottom rings
Half Hitch - The first half of tying your shoes
Neck end - The end of a goat skin from which the hair all flows away from
Tail end - The end of a goat skin from which the hair all flows toward

First inspect Shell and Skin. Hey, you are about to put a bunch of work into this drum, better make sure
you don't need anything. Is the shell sound? Any cracks to fix or sanding to do? Do the rings fit well
(about 3/8 gap all the way around if bare metal)? are they sound, with good welds? Hold the skin up to
strong light. Is there a large enough area centered over the spine area to get a circle at least 3-4 inches
larger than your rings? Is their any blemishes, scars or loose bot scars (small insect bite thin spots) that
might affect head life.

Here is a tool list:

Cloth or leather gloves

Athletic Bandage
Custom cloth for rings
Small locking pliers
Needle nose pliers
Scissors
Smooth curved blade knife
Razor knife
Bic or Lady Bic Razors
Pulling stick or Rope Wizard
120 or finer sand paper
butane lighter
100 - 120 feet Drum rope
Goat Skin
Piece of Bees Wax

Let's get Started!

You should have the djembe drum body all ready to
go. Here I touched up and leveled out the head
profile before beginning. Some maintain it should
have no waffles and be perfectly flat. I haven't
found a big difference. To level it, put on a course
level concrete floor, head down, and rotate the body
until all surfaces touch. I round off with a belt
sander, but you can use a good rasp as well. Many
drums have the bottom ring welded on, as here,
because the trumpet flares toward the bottom and
other wise it would ride to high up the bowl. A local
welder can help you out if you need rings or to
make the existing ones smaller to fit more snug.

This is what a good head edge profile should look

like. a look at your thumb sideways is a good guide.
Sometimes it may be thick enough to round all the
way over to the inside, leaving the high point right
in the middle of the thickness. In hardwood drums
this is the easiest area to carve thin and sometimes
carvers try to make up for weight here, leaving a
sharp uncomfortable edge. Consider lowering the
whole edge down till you find thicker wood to allow
some rounding. Theoretically the edge shouldn't
matter, your hand should not hit it. No big
consolation when you do however! This edge just
has a tiny bevel on the inside to assure a clean edge
for hide to take off from the wood.

This view shows you the typical spacing of the rings

around the drum. Typically I leave about 5/8" total
gap (just under 3/8" on each side). If you are
making the rings, the cutting length of 1/4 inch rod
for drum rings is the following: the top ring is
calculated at 5/8 of an inch larger than actual drum
size and the hide ring is calculated at 3/4 of an inch
larger than actual drum size.
If your drum is oval, I hand bend the rings (a knee
works good here)so they match the shape. If your
drum has no decoration that determines front and
back for you, you might consider aligning the goat
skin spine on the widest sides of the oval. The
thicker skin at the spine may help pull your drum
back round over time.

I check to see that the skin is big enough here. This

one is marginally big enough. I wanted to use up
this smallish hide. a little more room would be
better, and if I have the choice I cut the circle nearer
the neck end (above in photo) than the tail end. I
tend to center it like this if the neck skin is a little
too thick compared to the rest.

Now I flip the skin and cut out my circle. Yup, wish
I had more room outside the rings because I want to
be able to trim it a little and also wrap it back down
over the rings when finished.

This is important, so I do it as soon as I remember

to, else I end up forgetting! Take a bit of Bees Wax,
or any candle in a pinch, and wax the head edge
profile. It coats and effectively lubricates the surface
and allows the hide to slide over more easily when
tuning. Remember wet hide makes glue, and you
don't want the goat skin glued here!

I always wrap the rings. I believe rust forming

against the goat skin forming sharp particles is a
major cause of head failure. Here I wrap "on the
bias" the hide ring with textured medical cloth tape.

... and the top ring with electrical tape.

If I have a choice, I make the top ring a little smaller

than the hide ring, like this. If they are equal that is
fine too, as long as they are snug. Never put a larger
ring in as the top ring, it may pull right over as you
tune the drum later!
You can see there is just barely room between the
top ring and the drum body for cloth, cradle rope,
and two layers of skin (the skin comes over the
wood edge, goes behind the top ring, wraps under around the hide ring and the goes back behind the
top ring, making TWO layers there) .

Here is how I start the decorative cloth wrap. it is

about an inch wide but I fold over what becomes the
exposed edge as I wrap on the bias, making one side
have a hem. All it take is a little glue to hold the
start and then keep tension on as you wrap.

As I get to the end, I fold the other edge in as well,

cut it all at the wrap angle, add glue and smooth it
around. If it take two pieces just end one and restart
over the first's ending.

Here the drum is flipped, and I am going right over

the old ratty African cloth, done without the folded
hem. I swear I have found rings wrapped with old
underwear. I know when I get to Africa there will
be tales of underwear thieves!

Page Two - Roping the Djembe Drum

This whole page is about roping the cradles, tying knots and threading the vertical rope. It is the part of
this task that is the most scary for your first time. If you are re heading a drum that was badly roped,
consider ripping it all out and starting fresh!
I measure out a length of rope. For this drum with a circumference of 42" I multiplied by a short 5 and
started with 200". You can use a foot shorter length for the bottom cradle rope. This drum has 24 knots
(I like to use even numbers here) and if you use more knots you'll need more rope! I like to use extra
here,as then I don't run short and I use the extra to tie the self tightening knot which takes more rope. I
plan to have 16" additional extra that becomes the skeleton of a carrying handle later.
Begin with the top ring. I find the middle by folding
and the just slip the two ends around the ring back.
over the top and down through the center fold. If it
looks weird for you, try flipping the ring over. It
should look like the knot on the left here. I start in
the middle and work first one way (to the right
here), and then the other (to the left). It is a rope
handling trick so you handle as little rope as
possible as you work. So take the right hand rope.
go over the ring from the outside, and as you come
around go through the loop of rope that the
connection to the first know left. Here I'm about to
go through that loop Note I am pushing a loop of
rope through, then I pull the rest through.

Now I have snugged the first knot tight (left) and

leaving the width of two fingers, have snugged the
first half of the second tight. I am about to complete
the second knot by following the black lines and
going behind and under the ring, and again through
the through the loop just made by that action. That
is the pattern:
Over the ring, through the loop
Under the ring, through the loop.

I keep them nicely snugged as I go, Two fingers

apart. You will need to adjust them when you meet
with each end on the far side. I've found you can
always pull them, a little tighter to space them more,
and it is easy to slide them closer together. These
will stretch as you tune the drum, so no need to
leave slack. The tension will make them slack!

I did twelve on to the right and found I was just

under half way (and running out of rope. I reversed
and started from knot One and went left. The
amazing thing is either way the mantra works:
Over the ring, through the loop
Under the ring, through the loop.
Here you see the end two knots, 24 in total and the
ends stretched opposite directions where they meet.
Now the beginning knot is actually in the middle of
the far side, so know I renamed the knots now #24
on the left, #1 on the right. What I am going to do is
thread the rope that leaves knot #24 headed right,
and thread it all the way through, following the
exact path, of knot #1. Then we'll take the end from
knot # 1 and as it heads left, thread it all the way
through knot # 24, following it's path. To do this we
loosen both knots a little. I have tried to mark the
arrows to make it easier to follow. If this gets too
difficult you can also tie the ends in a square knot in
that last horizontal gap, and the tie a half hitch in the
ends and snug it to the square knot so it can't slip. I
used to do it that way but find it inferior now.

We are looking at knot #1 which is marked in

purple. We take the rope that heads to the right from
Knot #24 (marked with arrows) and follow the path
of the Knot #1.. First up through the small
horizontal center piece of the knot, in front of, over,
and around the back of the ring and through the left
side loop. Then you can see here I am about to
parallel the center piece and go through the right
side loop...and then follow the path of the Knot #1
and come up behind the ring, over and down
through the center...Phew, that is scary!

Here is a close up of the knot 24's end threading to the right through # 1's path. Don't tighten it yet, once
you get it. Note; my hand s have glue residue from wrapping the rings with cloth, They aren't actually
that bad!

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Ok breathe, but don't quit now! Take the rope leading left from Knot #1 and start by going up through
the center of knot #24 as pictured.

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take the rope and follow to the right the path of the the knot till you come down through the center.

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I think I got it!

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One last task, to tighten it... Take the rope entering knot #24 from the left. Tug it so you know where it
enters the knot and tighten it pulling right at each part...then follow it all the way through knot #1 taking
all the slack right with you. Then take the rope entering knot #1 from the left and snug and move all the
slack left...all the way through knot # 24.
Voila!
Hopefully your spacing is about the same as the other knots. If not, no worries, hey you did it! The
beauty of this knot is it is self tightening (the tighter the pressure the tighter it grips) AND if you need to
re-do the cradle you can untie this and you have a little extra rope here to use.

Now we do the bottom ring the same way. "But it is

so hard to work under the bowl, and everything is
upside down", you say. do as pictured here, flip the
drum upside down and now it works exactly as it
did for the top ring. Same mantra:
Over the ring, through the loop
Under the ring, through the loop.

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You have determined the number of cradle ropes,

24 in this case with the top ring. You need 24
exactly in the bottom ring now. What I do is space
them one finger apart here and then check after 1/4
of the number of knots I need (6 in this case). Am I
just under a quarter way around the bottom ring?

Ok, yes I saved the hardest till last! Now you do the
same self locking knot at the bottom. You have a
little tighter work area but exactly the same process.

See, I knew you could do it!

Note Drum is upside down here.

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The rope is all prepared. Note I lined up the two sets

of cradle rope end tails so I can have a four rope
skeleton for the handle later. I want to line up the
spine with the design on the trumpet, so I have
aligned the ovaled hide ring and then marked where
the tail end spine of the hide will be aligned with
electric tape. Once I get the skin tied on the hide
ring I can just pull the tape off. The rope ring is just
barely snug enough to hang there for this photo.
Once the two layers of hide are between the rope
ring and drum body it will be nicely snug. If I make
one too tight or loose I try to adjust with rope size in
the cradles... But then I have a stash of different
sizes of rope.

For me, I have had the head soaking now for an hour, and I've got this ready to rock in that
time...otherwise get that skin soaking! Now let us begin Mounting the Goat Skin Head

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Page Three - Mounting the djembe head

The hide should have soaked for

between 45 and 60 minutes prior in cool
water before beginning this stage. I grab
a piece of cardboard to use as a backer.
In a pinch you can just carefully do this
right on carpet or the lawn. here I use
push pins to show you how i lay it out.
The job is to put 16 1/4 long razor cuts
parallel to the edge of the hide circle and
about 1/4 in from the edge. I like to use
a razor knife with the blade about half
extended out, and the simple push it into
the skin, Seem when you try to slice it
you often end up with a two inch long
slit that cuts through the edge! I first put
cuts in the four quarters 12/3/6/9 o'clock
positions. Then as shown with the push
pin in the upper left quarter, I divide that
in half with a cut and the divide each of
those. Do that in each quarter and you
have 16 evenly spaced slits.

Now I lay out the skin. The neck end is

where I'll play (the thickest skin at 12 o
clock) I have aligned my tape with the
tail end spine, so when O put it on the
drum and line it up with the drum
design, my oval ring will be aligned
with the oval of the drum it was bent to
follow. If your drum is pretty round and
you have no design to align to, no
worries here, just slap it the hide ring on
the hair!

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Oops, just one more knot to show you.

You need a knot for loops that won't
close with tension. You can make a loop
at the end and just tie a half hitch with
the doubled rope, but this knot is nicer.
First tie a half hitch in the very end of
the rope and pull it tight. Then ahead of
the knot twist the rope 1/2 a turn to form
a loop. Take and push a loop of rope
JUST ahead of the knot and push the
loop through twist loop, leaving the knot
right on the outside of it.

Snug it up and the loop pushed through

becomes the non closing loop. With
practice you can make just the minimum
size loop with the minimum amount of
rope...and important quality to get you
out of trouble sometimes! This knot can
also ALWAYS be untied, another great
characteristic!

I make this knot on a say 30" piece of

rope (hey make four, you'll need another
three soon anyway!) and using it like a
needle, thread it in and out of your 16
slits in the hide, making a draw string
around the hide ring.

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I slide the knot in as far as it will go, run

the needle end of the rope through my
non closing loop and pull back. I can
snug the draw string right up, centering
the hide, and then do a half hitch right at
the loop to hold it snug. You can barely
see the tape on the hide ring that marks
proper alignment with the spine in this
case.

Now i lay it all back on the drum, take a

deep breath and admire the promise of a
great drum with all the careful
craftmanship I've used so far.

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Remember those other three ropes with a loop? now you need them. I make three ties, dividing the
circumference in three, that secure snuggly the top and bottom ring through a cradle rope. Here I also put
in three small nails to hold the bottom rope ring in the groove on this ivory coast drum. The nails are
often unnecessary for an IC drum which has a ledge, but with other styles, especially if the bottom ring is
sloppy on the trumpet, this can be a real aid to ending up with the bottom ring centered instead of pulled
way to one side. You can scrimp here and skip this step, but even as an experienced builder I find the
five minutes it takes to add these ropes and snug them evenly down gives great consistent results.

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Now go all around the hide edge and

make sure there are NO FOLDS where
the skin wraps around the ring. The one
pictured really isn't bad, if it come
around the bottom to the front it can be
deadly. I believe behind rusty rings, and
to large of rings, a fold at the hide ring
greatly shortens head life.

Just slip your fingers behind the fold and

spread each edge outward behind the
fold, and it will smooth out and
disappear.

We are ready to thread the vertical rope.

If working off a spool I pull of about 30
-40 feet and melt an end and form a nice
threading needle. I pick a spot just to the
right of a temporary tie and begin
threading to the right. I start by going up
through a loop and back down through
the adjoining loop.

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The rope goes down to the bottom ring

and goes in the loop that will make the
rope vertical and then back up the
neighboring loop. Now all the 30 -40
feet of rope is worked through this pair
of upper and lower knots. Actually I like
to pull through downward after exiting
the top knot...so I would get to the next
knot on top and work this all through to
get started.

This detail shows the bottom ring. You

need to check each and every pass
through the cradles. You can tell when
they are right when the rope aligns with
the horizontal center of the knot as it
passes through, and each loop will end
up having TWO vertical ropes through
it. One as the rope goes up, the other as
the rope comes back down. This is true
for both top and bottom rings!

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The threading progresses...

notice how the horizontal knot centers line up..

Two ropes through each loop, centers

aligned. CHECK YOUR WORK, if you
miss a loop, you will have to undo back
to your error and then re do it !!!!

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Just remove the temporary ties as you

reach them.

Don't be confused when threading

through the self locking knots, just treat
them exactly the same. When you are
done, they will just have three ropes
horizontally. You may have to spread
the loops with a needle nose pliers,
especially at the bottom, take your time,
get it right!

I guessed almost perfectly how much to

take off the roll, only one loop short of
finishing. I end after going through the
last top cradle knot i can reach with a
loop knot in the end of the rope. Now
working off a roll, I take about 2.5 feet
for each up and down pair of ropes I am
short (if I was 8 short it = 20 feet) then I
add another 8 feet for tuning rope. I
figure by the time I get it all snugged up
I will then have about 12 extra feet for
tuning rope.

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Now I have cut the rope off the spool so

I can finish from the other direction. I
like to end by going up through the last
bottom cradle to my loop near the top
cradle knot. Then I just pass through, go
back to that last bottom cradle, go
behind again, and tie there with a half
hitch. By doing this I have a minimum
of knotage in the vertical ropes, making
them easier to cross when tuning. I also
have the end of the rope at the very
bottom of the drum so my tuning
diamonds can start as low as possible.
note the head is about a finger thickness
below the playing surface.

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Now take the slack out be just snugging

everything to the left. I start at your loop
knot end, and pull down on the vertical
on the left side of the top cradle knot. I
call this left one the "down rope", since I
pull it down! Usually just pulling that
down rope is enough to tighten that pair,
no need to pull up on the "up rope".

>

Now if your top and bottom cradle knots

were all exactly evenly spaced along the
rings, all your vertical rope pairs are
perfectly vertical. Check this by putting
the drum upside down and looking
down at it from above. as your eye goes
around the drum you may see some
straight up and down and some leaning
one way or the other. Now is the time to
take your best shot. Decide if the
greatest amount of verticals would
indeed be vertical if the top ring was
shifted a little left or right. here I tapped
it clockwise slightly with a rubber
hammer. I hit the edge knots gently at
the tangent, and it will move!

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Go around to the left from the end loop

again. Keep the head even as you go,
but now exert firm pressure. I pull the
down rope out and then lean down on it
with the heel of the other hand. You
might also want gloves at this point.

Go around another time with a mechanical aid. I put a finger where the down rope emerges from the
cradle knot to keep the rope from slipping back while I move to the next one left. Once I get a little
tension then you can let it go. You are now seating those cradle rope knots into the skin to really grab as
it dries.

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When you are done I like to be a thumb width below the playing surface with the top ring. If you push on
the skin it should feel darn taught. point.
All right, time for the fun part, Shaving the Head

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Page Four - Shaving the Head

Obviously, if you are using a hair off skin, you don't need most of this, but look it over anyway. You still
may want to form the head over the rings. If you want the top ring to show, you cut it off short where it
emerges from the top ring. Because of the risk of head slippage, I let the head dry tied with the draw
string and then just slightly loosen the draw string knot when I tune it. I wait until it is pretty well tuned
before cutting off the excess hide. In doing so, either use a fine sharp scissors, or put a small piece of stiff
plastic behind the skin and use a razor knife. either way, BE CAREFUL, a slip here wrecks the whole
job!

Let's get Started! Untie the draw string

rope and remove it from the hide. The
Head should be pretty level and the top
ring about 3/4 " below the playing
surface.
Lay out some newspapers, and maybe a
bag for excess hair would be handy.
Secure a bag of Bic or Lady Bic single
blade disposable razors. I tried to use
generic on this drum and they were so
dull, NEVER AGAIN! Take a needle
nose pliers and bend down with a
twisting motion the guard where it
attaches at each blade edge until it
breaks loose. Then you can break the
few little center spike of plastic across
the middle that hold the guard in place.
Remove the guard and it's supports
completely

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Take a fine file and file the blade edges

at a 45 degree angle so the corner won't
dig in the hide. Just a few strokes is
enough.

More than likely, the skin has kind of

dried out a little. I pour some water on
the hair, taking care it stay on the top
and not roll down to the top ring crack
on the edges.

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I begin at the neck side, and work with

the hair to the tail side. I like to leave a
little hair tail as decoration so I start
leaving that triangle of hair. Hold the
razor vary low, so the handle about
touches. The blade is then almost
perpendicular, and cuts the best. The
blade is always pulled with the hair,
never press in without moving. I start
with short light strokes till i get down to
the skin. sometimes it will just roll right
off. Never start slicing by moving right
to left.

Extra special care must be taken where

the edge meets the skin. The skin is
pretty forgiving when free, but with
wood under it, it cuts readily. Just
slowly work along the edge, using light
pressure. Add water as necessary. it
usually works best to remove all the hair
as you go rather than just getting "most"
of it. I save the spine till last as the skin
is courser and dulls the blade quicker.

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Do each side first, taking care at the

edges. I usually can do it with one razor,
maybe two for a tough Guinea goat skin.
I used a whole handful of generic ones
here.

Lastly clean up the middle. You can

leave another triangle at the tail end... or
not as on this drum. I have found that
triangle of hair works especially good
for regulating how much "ring" a drum
has. I often leave one 2" or more my
ceramic djembes and then slowly dry
shave it off after tuning to effectively
"tune" the best amount of "ring". This
doesn't have to be perfect, you can dry
shave any remaining stubble or take it
off with sand paper.

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Next trim any excess hide off. Here I

just barely have enough so I just cut off
enough to remove the draw string slits.
You need 1.5 to 2.5 inches to cover the
top rings. For a SUPER job you use a
fine scissors and make sure you cut the
skin and not any hair that hangs down so
it makes a fuzzy natural looking edge. I
usually just cut it!

Tie off one end of an Ace type athletic

bandage to a vertical rope and then
angle up and begin wrapping the edge.
Pull the hide down taught over the rings
as you go. Avoid big wrinkles and folds.
Sometimes an extra hand is nice!

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Work your way around and then just

wrap the excess bandage. Here I have
one of those nifty metal grabbers on one
end, else just drop back down and tie off
to a vertical rope.

To finish, I tie the upper and lower

cradle rope ends together. Later these
form the skeleton of a carrying handle.
I wrap the excess vertical rope around
the trumpet, and tie that off to itself or
a vertical. Now everything is tidied up,
and the drum is set aside to dry before
tuning. I like to leave a hair on drum
for three days in the best drying
location i can find, or two days for a
hair off skin. DO NOT RUSH THE
DRYING TIME! It can be shorten by
a day by using a fan, or putting it on
your furnace. If you tune it before it is
dry, that portion where the head wraps
around the rings will still be moist and
overly stretchy. As you tune the rings
will pull down excessively without
significantly tightening the playing
surface. Often the top ring gets
uneven, and it over stretches the skin
just above the top ring. This
significantly reduces head life I
believe. BE PATIENT!
Now get that messy goat hair out of
the house before you are banished to
the garage!

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Page Five - Tuning the Djembe

You can use this page as a guide to tune any djembe. Assuming it was roped traditionally, all you need
do is determine which pairs are being crossed and apply the Mali weave. This drum we've been working
on, and it is just ready to start, so we get to make it right from the start! If your drum rope looks all
messed up, I recommend taking all the weave out and you can begin with us by tightening the vertical
ropes.

Let's get Started!

here is where we left the drum to dry. I
let this one dry for two days atop my
furnace. It takes a lot to thoroughly dry
that hair that is completely wrapped
between the rings. You can take off the
ace bandage now, If you don't have a
great tool like the Rope Wizard you
need a round piece of wood about 1-2"
thick and 16 inches long. I sometimes
use the removable handle from my
rubber mallet, or a piece of closet pole,
or you can by a replacement hammer
handle at the hardware store. To see
how the stick is used go back to the
Head Mounting Page.

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I like to clean up the head at this point.

The Goat skin is dry and pretty taught.
You can do it all with sandpaper from
this point. I find it faster, and frankly
satisfying to do a bit of "dry shaving" to
remove any hair fuzz that is left. Use a
very sharp knife with a nice curved
blade, and keep a honing stone handy to
keep it sharp! Note the outline of the
exact edge is fairly visible, even through
the fuzz.

I like to hold the knife tip and blade in

each hand for stability. As with the
razor, the blade is always scraped along
perpendicular and is moving before it
hits the hide, not pressed and then
moved. For fine control I hold the top
line of the blade fairly still and kind of
sweep the blade in a scraping arc toward
me. The blade then comes off the skin as
the arc comes toward me. I can
practically pick off a few hair in this
way. Often I turn the knife parallel to
the edge and use that sweeping motion
(like the arrow), so the blade lifts just as
it reaches the edge.

Once any fuzz is removed, some broad

sideways scrapes can clear any
remaining stubble quickly. When
properly done, this method of wet
shaving and then dry cleanup will
produce a goat skin perfectly clean in
about ten minutes total time. It also
leaves the fine top skin layer with the
color. You can use chemical hair
removal, but I believe it affects the
sound quality, if not the skin life.

36

A little light sanding finishes the job.

Always take care at the edges, then
broad passes in the middle. Don't sand
away the beautiful color! Some
blemishes, scars, or weak spots may
have been revealed after shaving. Now
is the time to do any head repair.

Here is the finished djembe head. Take a

minute and admire the fine job you did!
It was a little scary but the best part of
the job.

Time to tune up the djembe. Find your

vertical rope end knot, and verify which
direction you need to pull from to take
all the slack AWAY from the loop. In
our case it means work slack out to the
left. I start with the second "down rope".
That is the left of the pair of ropes
through the first cradle knot to the left of
the one with the loop knot on the top
ring. I use the Rope Wizard but you can
use a wooden stick, see Mounting the
Goat Skin Head .

37

I use a needle nose vise grip with either

some duct tape on the teeth, or the teeth
dulled with a grinder. Be careful to not
scar the rope, or damage the skin at the
hide ring. Pinch the cradle rope and the
vertical down rope together to lock them
against slip.

Put just enough tool on to grab the rope.

You hold tension on the rope until you
get it locked with the vise grips. I often
lean forward as I am stradling the
trumpet, and tuck the end of the rope
wizard under my arm pit. That way I
keep tension on the down rope and have
two hands free to move the locking
pliers. A good quality pliers makes the
process much easier. I've tried angle
needle nose and stub nose and for me
regular needle nose works best.

38

I then leave the pliers on while I move

my pry bar, and don't move the locking
pliers till I've got tension on the next
down rope. Using this method you NO
back slip of the rope at all. The ropes
should have been pulled pretty tight
when the head was mounted so with the
rope wizard you can pull pretty firmly. I
can drop the skin about a 1/4 inch with a
pull like this. I try to be just darn firm
pulling about the first third of the drum
so I don't skew the head too much with
this powerful tool. the last half I am
pulling against already tight rope so I
pull about as hard as I can. By the time I
am half done this drum sounds good
already, a good sign.

I get these vertical ropes tight in one

round. That takes judgment, experience,
and this tool. Using a stick you may
need to go round twice, and it is easier
to keep the head level that way. Now I
am back to the end loop and the last pull
tightens the rope through that loop knot.

39

Even though I have leverage on my side

at this last pull I still use the pliers and
lock the rope as it leaves the loop knot.
Even starting with tight vertical ropes, I
have taken out about 18 inches of slack
rope in one round. That saves me a row
and a half of tuning diamonds in the
Mali weave process.

Now I re-tie the half hitch at the bottom

and remove the pliers. This drum sounds
great right now. If I'll be traveling I
leave it like this till someone wants to
really hear it. If you pluck these vertical
ropes they sound like harp strings. Note
how the extra rope is right at the very
bottom ready to start the Mali weave
process. I start moving right with the
first pair of ropes away from the loop
knot pair. Just a personal preference, left
would work too. I save the loop knot for
the last in the row to weave. It can be
the most stubborn to pull, so hey, put it
off to the end!

40

Look at rope pairs here. I always cross

the ropes that almost touch as the pass
through the same loop of the bottom
cradle as pairs for the first row. It does
very little tightening, but the row goes
fast and easy and stays very low to the
bottom cradle. When you are FINDING
the pair of ropes you are using
ALWAYS look at the top ring. Once
you get started the ropes cross here and
there on the way down and finding the
two ropes of a pair can be confusing.
Here the pairs of the whole first row of
weave are the two ropes that pass
through one cradle knot on the top ring.
This makes a wide space up top to
weave the rope.

Now you need to learn this tuning

mantra:
- Under Pair
- Dive back between
- Over top
- Under next pair
At far left see the vertical rope end half
hitch, Next the first pair have been
crossed. and the second pair are
threaded and ready to be pulled. Always
do each mantra part by itself and up near
the top ring where there is more room,
then slide each part all the way down the
pairs as far as it will go as you remove
slack and snug up. Always pull down
toward the trumpet slightly, at an angle
tangent to the drum. This way it pulls
easiest and stays neatly as low as
possible. Low allows more rows of
weave, though if your drum is cranked
like this one, you will never finish the
second row!

41

Now a brief break for a rant.

Always pull diamonds safely. These first ones you can just grab the rope and pull, they aren't that hard.
As they get harder you can hurt yourself! First protect your hands. Either use a rope gripping tool or
gloves, or wrap the rope around a stick and then pull on that as a handle. Rope can really damage hands!
Always pull angling down and tangent to the drum. It simply is easier. To protect your arms and back
from injury do this: Put the drum on some carpet and sideways against your couch. Rotate the weave you
are pulling so the rope is slightly away from you sitting on the floor, and the rope comes right at you on a
tangent. Put one bare foot near the top ring, and one on the trumpet, pinning the drum so it can't move.
Get a hold of the rope as near the weave as possible. You are probably leaning forward, knees bent to do
this, like trying to grab your ankles. Now just like rowing a boat you push back with your thigh muscles,
lean back with your back, and help out with your arms. Using this method I have seen 100 pound teenage
girls with no upper body strength fully tune the largest djembe....and without injury! I have pulled arm
muscles that can take weeks to heal being careless or in a hurry, please be careful !
Now some of you are saying, wait what is with this weave mantra, he has it all backwards! Yes if you
search the net you will find many references to the opposite mantra (I don't even want to say it, but it
begins with "over two"). It is true that that method has one advantage. The knots of the weave are harder
to pull out or open. That is also a disadvantage! Most traditional drum builders I have met use "my"
mantra, and here is why. By going under first, you are pulling one rope OVER another, this is both
physically easier(see 100 LB girl), and damages the bowl finish less. It is easier to keep the rows low and
tidy, using this method. If you finish the mantra with "under the next pair" that pressure by the next pair
to be crossed keeps these weave knots locked just as well. A major reason for me to use my mantra is I
end up working on your drum, and with this method I can easily pop a few weaves out and then grab the
weave rope and just pull it backwards unlocking multiple weaves at a time. This makes drum repair or
re-heading much faster and easier. Some will argue and say, no, the other way is best. I figure they do it
in Africa that way for a reason, and after using the "wrong", American mantra, and then trying this
method, the advantages are great. Maybe indigeoness wisdom? Well anyway, you can't tell "nobudy
nuttin", so either try this method, or work from the opposite mantra....ok, ok back to work!

Ok, I work fast. I am all the way around the first row,
and have just crossed the loop knot pair (note, I made
this easier because I kept the loop up high toward the
top ring, and because it has a minimum of knot in the
vertical. Where it doubles back to the half hitch at
bottom, no worries just treat that double rope as one
rope.) Time to start the next row. Ever seen those
drums where the weave just spirals up to infinity? avoid
that by finishing the row. Follow across and under the
first pair you crossed to make a nice finishing
horizontal line (red)

42

Now I find a rope to tuck under back to the left and this
finishes and "locks" down the row. Now when I start the
second row, I can keep it nice and low, too!

Ok, remember those rope pairs for the Weave? Now we

use the ropes that adjoin each other in separate adjoining
upper cradle knots for the pair to weave, This row is a
little harder as you are threading the rope through and
back out of the gaps now narrowed by the first pairs
crossing in row one. A needle nose pliers may help here
in the threading.

43

Here the "under two" part is snugged down and the rest
of the weave mantra is threaded ready to snug down.

Now the first weave of the second row is ready to pull.

Follow the red path... Note how the "under the next
pair" looks a little confusing with the far right ropes
crossed. If you follow the rope up, you see it is correct.
ALWAYS find your pair at the top ring !

44

The first "Diamond" of the second row is now pulled

and the rope is crossed. Look straight down from the
crossed ropes and the shape made by the rope below is
like a diamond (point up and point down). This is why
tuning is called "pulling diamonds".

I have threaded the second diamond. Another trick for

rope handling is to use a loop in the middle of your
working length for your "needle" instead of the end. It
makes for less rope handling.

45

Second diamond, row two, ready to pull!

Third weave threaded, ready to pull... But you know

what? This drum sings! As I mentioned, with the
verticals pulled tight on a perfectly dry drum, it should
sound great. I usually put in the first row of weave
<basically on principal. I like to get the next row
started, so a buyer is started the right way. I also leave a
weave threaded like this so you can see the pattern.

This drum is cranked enough right now to play in performance. Maybe two weeks later I might add a
diamond or two to keep that performance level of tuning. Many people don't tune their drums nearly high
enough. With a new head, put on with care and skill, this is it's strongest point in time. TUNE IT UP!
Remember to protect your tuned drum with a case or head cover, or in a pinch use a towel over the head
with a bundgey cord holding it around the bowl. A bump on a door jam on the playing edge of a well
tuned drum can be enough to send you back to work re-heading! I like to hear a note or two above octave
between bass and tone. Besides your instrument having its full sound potential, you will find you can
play it with less effort and force, and less injuries to your hands. Until your drum is fully tuned it is really
hard to judge if it has basic design flaws. See What to look for in an African Djembe !

46

You may have to finish this row, or even start the next to get your drum tuned. It all depends on how
tight you got those verticals, and the quality of your rope (how much it stretches). Row three has the
same pairs as row 1, if you get that far. Don't forget to finish the row with a straight line to the first pair
in the row and then double back down to lock the row before starting. Most people stop here, wrap their
extra rope around the trumpet just below the bowl, and cut off those annoying cradle rope ends. I have
tried to include each bit of wisdom I have picked up over the years djembe building. It may seem picky
but it is ALL THESE DETAILS that make the difference between a level, well fit beautifully headed
drum, that you can keep fully tuned, and one that you ship off to me to do it "right" later.

47

Page Six - Final Touches

These two little things make a djembe heading job look really professional. They are vary simple, once
you get the hang of them. First is a method of chain stitching your extra diamond rope. Second I will
show you how to make a rope carrying handle.

Here is where we finished the drum. I never

tie the diamond row off anymore. If you
leave a weave knot threaded and snugged
down it won't come loose. To begin the
chain stitch with your extra rope, first make
a twist to form a loop.

Now push through the twisted loop, another

loop of rope. With your left hand you will
grab the side of the loop toward the top of
your drum and pull that at the same time
working the loop snug up to your drum.

48

The twisted loop is now tight to the drum

and the loop you pushed through is now the
loop. Look at my hand positions. My left
index and thumb grasp the uphill side of the
rope, I keep tension away from the drum
body and snug the loop up by pulling
slightly away from the drum. My left center
finger can enlarge the loop by closing
toward my palm, spreading the loop. My
right hand is the "regulator", It can shrink
the loop if it gets to big by pulling
backward.

I have just released the loop with my left

hand and as I pushed the rope toward the
loop with my right, the left reached through
and grabbed the next loop on the uphill side
and pulled back, tightening the next loop

Again reach though , grab new loop, pull

back and snug up with tension on the uphill
side of loop, The right hand acts as loop size
regulator, and ...

49

...pushes the new loop toward the last one so

the left hand can grab it and pull it through.
Once you get the hang of it you can do it as
fast as : Grab, Pull, Snug ! Once you get
near the end just pull the end right
THROUGH the last loop and tighten, That
locks it. To undo, you push the end back
through the last loop and just pull and all the
chain stitches come loose like magic !

Basically this is a crochet chain stitch using

your hands as the needles. If you have a lot
of rope left it will shorten eight feet of rope
into about three feet. as in this photo, you
can also then use the chain to make a larger
chain.... With this drum I ended with about
three feet of chain so just wrapped it very
tightly just above the bottom ring and then
wrap the end around a vertical rope after you
hold the tension on it very tight. It will ride
there not blocking the view of your beautiful
trumpet, or hiding your nice Mali Weave
and out of the way.

50

Let's put a rope handle on!

First take the ends from the bottom self
locking knot, stretch them up and through
the center of the top cradle and tie the two
pieces with a square knot. Normally I'll tie
the knot up top at the cradle but one rope
was just a little short so I ran the long one
through the top cradle knot and then tied it
with the other a little ways down. Leave
enough slack so your hand can easily get
under the pair.....this begins the skeleton of
your handle.

Now take the ends from the top ring, and

since these are both long enough, I thread
them through/under the cradle loops just
outside the self locking knot at bottom. You
may need to take a needle nose or awl and
lift the rope there to slide these under. I have
left slack between the drum and these two
ropes too. The same amount as the other
ropes that I first tied so the if I slide my
hand under the four ropes marked red, there
is equal space for my hand. This slack
should also be enough to lift the top rope
ring up level with the playing surface so if
you have to re-head your drum someday,you
don't have to take off the handle to do it

51

I have tied the ends at the bottom with a

square knot, snug up and tighten the knot.
How do you tie a square knot. Start with
crossing the ropes like tying you shoes...
right rope over left and back under. Then
finish with the opposite...Right rope under
left, and back over. When you have it
correct the two ropes (one is one rope end,
the other the part you are joining)on the left
of the knot come out together and angling
away from you, the two ropes on the right
come out angling toward you from the knot.
I also then tie a half hitch in the end of each
rope end and snug it up tight to the square
knot on each side, cut off the excess leaving
about 1/4 inch projecting and melt the end
with a lighter and smear the melted rope end
onto the half hitch with a little spit on your
finger. That finishes and locks it. You can
also leave the end on and use it to tie
something special to your drum (ring pouch,
medicine bundle, decorations?)

I cut a piece of rope what seems absurdly

long, about 12 feet will do. I divide in half
to find the middle and just like how we
started the cradle rope knots on the top ring,
I push the loop through the cradle knot loop
and the stick both rope ends back through
the middle loop.

52

The I just snug it down to the cradle rope

and I have my two ropes to use as the handle
wrap attached...six feet long each

Start the handle wrap by slipping one rope

under the four rope skeleton and tying a half
hitch. Note I have marked one rope with a
half hitch to aid me in keeping that rope
identified. The marked rope come out of the
half hitch on the "drum" side of the knot,
where the other end (left) come out facing
away from the knot. Snug this half hitch up
under the skeleton.

53

Now I tie a half hitch above the skeleton,

and note the marked rope again ends coming
out of the hitch toward the drum.

That is the pattern! a half hitch below, a half

hitch above. The key is always tie it so the
same rope (marked with a knot) come out of
the hitch the same way (on the drum side of
hitch. You will discover to do this, all you
do is lay that rope under the other when
tying the hitch. After the wrap of the half
hitch is is still under the other or on the
drum side of the knot. I just move the
marking knot along as I use up rope.

54

Essentially you are tying square knots with

the "skeleton four ropes "inside" the knot.
The handle wrap knots can just slide up and
down the skeleton so you snug them nice
and even and then you can just keep pushing
them up the skeleton to make a really dense
handle, or leave them looser.

I have worked all the way down skeleton to

the bottom attachment. The way to finish the
handle is to tie a half hitch in each separate
rope (you already have one in the marked
rope) and work them right up to the last
wrapping knot...I usually stop at an under
the handle one so these locking hitches are
out of the way. Again you either cut close,
burn and spit smear the ends or use any
excess for tying your special stuff on!

55

VOILA !
Here is the finished drum. You can see the
extra diamond rope chain stitched and
wrapped neatly around. The handle is
extremely functional and a great addition.
The only thing I'd have done differently is
used a slightly bigger hide so the skin
wrapped over and covered the rings
completely...so for that flaw it only gets an
8.5 out of 10....well so it goes! As an
instrument this drum is excellent, great
tuned djembe sound.

56

Repair tips for the wood djembe drum

These tips can help you attempt to make your
own repairs. If you can't eat it, love it, or PLAY
it,... What Good is

Tips for repairing wood:

To fill voids, use "Plastic Wood" wood

putty - it is sandable and takes stain or
Belt sand some wood off the bottom of
drum, mix dust with white glue
Large loose but clean cracks - spread crack
and work white glue thoroughly into crack
using a piece of plastic shopping bag seesawed through the crack to work the glue
in. Then clamp with loop clamp, or wrap
with loop of drum rope and use a hammer
to tighten like a tourniquet
Fine cracks - fill with five minute epoxy
and dremel excess off when dry.
Tips for repairing drum skin:

it?

Fill pin holes, and small cracks, nicks, or

cuts with Super Glue Gel - lightly sand
flush when dry
Patch over large holes and tears with a
scrap of goat skin super glued thoroughly
under the area
A blob of "Shoe Goo" , shoe repair product
under a damaged area can delay repairs
Calf or Cow skin tears can be stopped from
opening further by reinforcing tear ends
with a blob of "Shoe Goo"

57

What to look for in an African Djembe

A Djembe is a hand made instrument whether
imported or stave built in the USA. This page contains
my personal ideas based on only 15 years of building
and playing drums. If you have a different experience
or opinion, please let me know! As with any
instrument it's quality will be determined by three
main factors:

1. Design
2. Material selection
3. Craftsmanship

Akajou Wood,
Guinea djembe
* Note the timing belt
non-slip protector on the bottom!

Design
Any goblet shaped drum will have a range
of tones similar to a djembe. If what you
are looking for is the sound of the
traditional West African Djembe, then look
for the design forms of the three main
countries holding that classic tradition;
Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast. Other regional
countries produce djembes (From Senegal
to Nigeria) but few use or understand the
traditional design principals. Since the
djembe has grown in popularity, nearly any
country from Pakistan to Indonesia to Bali
which has skilled wood carvers now
produce djembes. These countries carvers
don't come from the same culture as
djembe music does, and hence are often
improperly designed as an instrument for
West African Music. If you want the sound
heard on master recordings look to the
source.
Guinea produces some of the Worlds
finest djembes, as well as some of the
world's master players. Guinea djembes are
known for their deep bowl, often half the
height of the drum or more. The bowl has a
fairly vertical side until rapidly curving in
to meet the trumpet or stem. Looking
inside the bowl, the contour sharply at
bottom curves to make a nearly horizontal
shelf at the trumpet. The opening is fairly
wide, between 1/3 and 1/2 of the playing
surface diameter. The trumpet is fairly
straight but widening slightly to the base.
Guinea is still blessed with ample forested
areas and there are three main hardwoods
preferred; Akajou, Khadi, Lenke or Lenge.
Trumpets are often carved with chevron,
angular or gear like bands

58

Mali djembes tend to have a rounder bottomed bowl, still often half the height of the drum. The bowl
usually rounds completely to horizontal inside the bowl profile. Most have a more flaring trumpet,
often stepped with carved decoration. Trumpet opening is about a third of playing surface diameter.
Woods are often whatever is available as scarcity demands.
Ivory Coast djembes are most often carved of softer wood like Iroko. They have a deep tapering
bowl and a characteristic ledge where the bottom rope ring seats. I have seen widely varying inside
bowl profiles but most often they curve gently as a funnel to the trumpet opening. Opening vary from
1/3 playing diameter to slightly less. The trumpets flare to a wide base, often with two or three
stepped "lobes". They often contain narrow angle chiseled bands.

Djembe design has been scientifically studied but is still pretty subjective. In my experience the
essentials are a deep bowl, with a defined angular transition to the trumpet. An opening about 1/3 the
playing surface is important, with a slightly larger one favoring clear tones and slaps, and a smaller
one emphasizing bass notes. I don't think the flare of the trumpet makes too much difference alone but
may be significant combined with overall design. While I love Guinea drums, and consider them the
best, occasionally I try a rocking Ivory Coast, Mali, or sometimes a Senegal made drum, I reappreciate them as well. Remember in West Africa many carvers have been regionally displaced, and
the styles are no longer as well defined. A carver from Mali may end up in Senegal carving a Ivory
Coast style drum!

Material Selection:
African Woods
Most favor hard woods, in fact when it was still
available, teak was one of the favorites. Drums are
most often carved of stumps an logging scraps of
whatever is available, with preferred characteristics of
density, carvability, finish characteristics, and ease of
drying. Drums are carved on green wood and then
often the ends are dipped in glue or sealer to prevent
cracking. Inspect the drum shell thoroughly. Knots are
often beautiful but can contain weak spots or holes.
Small surface cracks won't effect the sound or stability
of the wood. Splits that span the drum thickness may
open if not repaired. Many drums are carved of rotting
wood so look for areas of discoloration or the pin
holes indicating insect attack. I have repaired drums
(one was almost split in two!) to perfectly usable
condition. You should be judging the value and quality
of the shell, and like a car, who wants one already
needing repair?

59

Shell design considerations

If you look inside a well carved drum trumpet
you'll see a spiral of even gouge marks and an even
thickness. Hardwoods are usually less than an inch
thick, softer woods between 1-2inches. Theory has is
that a too smooth inside, whether because of lathe
turning, sanding, or stave construction, is inferior in
sound production than the gentle spiral of hand carved
tool marks. Balaphone wood is often so brittle that the
carving is crude, but the density makes up for it in
superior sound. The bottom edge should be beveled so
it doesn't chip, and the playing edge is best with the
tapered roundness of your thumbnail in profile. I
believe the density of hard wood more often offers
superior sound, yet many Ivory Coast drums of Iroko
sound great. I will haul a heavy drum anywhere if I
love it, but commonly advise people that if weight is
an issue get a light drum! Better you have it along!

Rope and Rings

Rings are usually of either light weight
rebar, or 1/4 steel rod. A snug fit to the
trumpet leaves the maximum room for
tuning diamonds. A snug fit at the head
makes for easier tuning, reduces possibility
of head slippage or damage, and secures
maximum head life. Hand made wire,
wrapped into cable can be used but is not
preferred. Copper tubing, or thinner than
1/4 inch steel just aren't strong enough.
Generally there is a "rope" ring and a
"hide" ring at top. A three ring system with
a blank ring between to more securely grab
the hide is touted as superior. It does work
well but no better than a well built two top
ring system.

60

I prefer a double weave polyester rope from 5/32 to 3/16" for djembes. You can pay a premium for
"low stretch" ropes, but the difference between a good quality polyester rope is only a percent or two
of stretch and strength is not as issue. A ropes "hand" is how soft, flexible, and durable the outside
cover is. Not too important unless you are a builder. Avoid polypropylene or nylon ropes. Almost
universally drums from Africa come with "kambala" style rope. This is a black, barely adequate
polyester rope. It can cut easy and should most often be replaced if you change heads. Sometimes a
lighter rope is used on the rope rings. That can be OK, just check to be sure it seems large and strong
enough. Look for any signs of rope wear or weakness.
Skin or Head
A good quality goat skin head is critical. Djembes
need to be tuned tight enough that a finger pressed in
the middle of the skin will barely deflect it. Sometimes
defects like bot marks(scars or thin spots from insect
bites) or whip marks (line scars) have no effect, other
times they are where a tear will start. Guinea skins
tend to be exceedingly tough and relatively thin. They
can be tightened unbelievably tight for a piercing slap.
Mali and Ivory Coast skins are "softer" and hence have
a softer sound to me. They are often white or brown,
where Guinea skins range more to black or brown with
black dorsal stripe. A lot of folks want a spotted skin
(as on Mamady Keita's book cover), beautiful but no
relation to sound quality! Common wisdom is a female
goat is best, but the main issue is that the skin be of
relatively consistent thickness across the spine. Male
(billy) Goats often have very thick skin along the
spine, and a sometimes powerful smell that makes
them less preferred. A Pakistani or domestic goat skin
is likely chemically treated and as such the hair
follicles have been burned out leaving a sponge like
surface. I believe the density of a shaved, untreated
head is best. I prefer Guinea but again there is no rule
here but actual sound produced. Also know this, A
professional djembe players hand is like your foot,
heavy with callous. They can make your drum sound
better than you ever can, both because of technique
and hand density! Mainly, look for a skin that is
without nicks or scar flaws, or any weak spots. It
should not have any folds where it passes through the
rings, and a smooth even wood bearing edge will help
extend head life. Whether it is hair, on or off, or
wrapped over the rings or cut flush is all personal
preference. A very heavy skin will give you a very dry
slap with little over tones but it is very hard to fully
tune and it is like hitting a board to play.

61

Important Djembe Factors :

Summary, ....
So what exactly do I look for?

The main thing is to look at overall craftmanship,

that is the clue to the value of an instrument. To
prioritize here is my call:

Is the wood sound and free of

major cracks and blemishes?
(Remember this you cannot change!
)

Is the overall design and shape

appropriate?
(A tiny bowl on a big stem, a sharp
playing edge, or a severely
restricted trumpet opening will
never allow proper djembe sound.)
Is the head assembled with care
and craftsmanship?
(Are the rings snug? Is the skin
wrapped smoothly and not pulled
over an inch down or unevenly?)
Is the skin of good quality and
free of defects?
Is the drum carved thin enough
to be easily transported?
Is the rope of adequate size and
quality?
(Is it frayed or cut? Rope can be
easily replaced)
How does the drum feel and
sound to you?
(Can this drum be your music
buddy for some time to come?)
Does the drum give you the sense
of overall craftsmanship?

62

Guinea Drum Shop

63

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