Can a Cajon Replace a Drum Kit
How many of you can recall the time or circumstance when you found out about Cajon? Most of us discovered this instrument either in a concert for a small crowd, being played by a band of percussionists or in a random jamming session with a group of musicians. And from there we start gathering ideas about a Cajon. Seems a little box-like, but hand percussion instruments can produce sounds that are almost similar to the sound produced by a drum kit. But can a cajon be a replacement for a drum kit?
What is a Cajon?
It’s not just about creating a sound that is similar to a drum kit, but also the history of Cajon gives a reason to call it a substitute for a drum. Cajon is a box instrument that is played by a percussionist by sitting on its top and striking its front part with its hands. It came into being by the Afro-Peruvian slaves who started using fruit crates to strike on it and produce drum-like sounds, as drums were prohibited by their masters. That clearly means that the instrument was invented to replace drums. Over time, Cajon has been improvised by enthusiasts to provide a sound that is closest to the sound of a drum. While, a drum set can be epic and quite a hassle to transport, assemble and fit into a tighter gig, a Cajon is the easiest thing to transport conveniently. A drum kit is not very easy to learn as well for newbies. Whereas, Cajon can be very user and noob friendly.
Cajon as a replacement for drums
For a drummer, a drum kit is his throne. Since a drum set has several drums that are played together, a drummer usually does the job of three or more people. Considering a basic bass drum, snare, and cymbal setup, a drummer can play around with the groove in a wide range. So why a professional drummer would possibly choose a box to get his job done? And how he will be able to use a Cajon as a drum? Well, it is possible. In fact, it is a lot easier than one might think. Adding and repurposing various elements can make huge differences in a Cajon so it can produce sounds like a drum kit.
Snare and Bass:
The very first modification that was done to a Cajon is to add guitar strings to it as a snare. It started in the 1970s when one of the most iconic flamenco guitarists was stunned by the possibilities of a Cajon. At a party thrown to his honor in the Spanish embassy in Peru, he first experienced this amazing percussion instrument. Being amazed by the short staccato sound that can be played on a Cajon which seems a perfect fit in flamenco music, he brought a Cajon back to Spain. With the addition of guitar strings, bells, and other rattles, Cajon then gradually became an integral part of flamenco.
Manufacturers now follow this to add sizzle to the sound. They played around with the placements of the strings over time to find out the best snare effect that can be provided. Another modification that has been done to Cajon is to add snares that are similar to the snare of a drum kit. This adds the sizzling effect in the sound produced by a Cajon that is similar to that of a drum kit. All these types of snares are placed inside the box, behind the tapa or the front or the face of the instrument. Whereas the tapa is the main bit of the instrument to be played, it provides the bass. Depending upon where and how to strike the tapa, the tone can vary from a warm, fuller tone to a high-pitched tone. It also determines the type and amount of sizzle that can be produced.
Addition of cymbals, Pedals, and Pedal mounts
Once one masters the basic of a Cajon, he can play it with other accent percussion or cymbals to emphasize the drum set feel. One can use splash cymbals for explosive effects, and a crash or ride cymbal for a crashing effect. Crash cymbals can sound well with a rod or brush. The stands of cymbals should be low and light-weighted.
Cajon kick pedals come with different options of designs. Some attach to the Cajon with the batter side facing the player, like a regular kick drum. Others allow the player to sit on top of the Cajon and use a pedal to strike it. These pedals are activated with the heel or toes like a regular kick pedal. Sitting on the Cajon will allow one to play the Cajon with hands, as well as save the setup space by placing other drums in the place of a kick drum. Now to connect the pedal, one can buy hardware to connect a kick pedal or make their own pedal mount. Other things like foot shakers, tambourines, cabasa on another foot other than a pedal also can be used.
Using brushes and Cajon sticks
Playing Cajon with brushes adds a chicky timbre to the overall sound that does well to replace a cymbal or a shaker sound. Some brushes have features to adjust the thin nylon rods to tightly group together. Playing Cajon with one stick and a shaker or another open hand for other percussions makes it possible to create new sounds that balance out the overall groove produced by the Cajon drum set.
Snare Drum
Although modern-day Cajon has its own in-built snare inside the box, a Cajon drum set can be built with any snare drum mounted on a stand. Here, one can choose a real small snare or a wooden snare.
Playing Cajon with your hand is already awesome enough to be a strong replacement for a drum kit, but adding a variety of extensions to a Cajon set allows you to create a wide variety of rhythmic sounds in a band. There is no boundary to experiment with the extensions which opens up more possibilities for a Cajon to potentially replace a drum kit.
