djembe – GAPPU TV

How to tune djembe?

Gappu Team — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 08:38:27 +0000

The rope system of the djembe is pretty easier to tune. It is possible to tune by taking the excessive rope and putting that under two vertical ropes. After that, the excess rope can be taken under the first. Hence, it will form the shape of an S. Now, you need to wrap the rope around a stick and put it, making it tight. On the other hand, in terms of the key tune djembes, you need to tighten each lug slightly, then move that in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. For such matters, Gappu Cajon has made separate tutorials for users to follow.

When djembe was discovered? – Djembe History

Gappu Team — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 06:26:59 +0000

Djembe was created by the blacksmiths of the Mandinke tribe at the northeast border regions of West Africa which are currently known as Mali. It was invented as a communication form from mountain top to mountain top. The name was derived from a customary adage in the region, “Anke dje, anke be,” which means “Everyone gathers in peace.” Gather refers to “Dje” and “be” refers to everyone.

How to Build a African Djembe Drum at Home

Gappu Team — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 07:09:15 +0000

Four key things required to make a djembe drums are, “A wood shell, usually hand carved”, “3 metal rings (2 large, 1 small)”, “3 lengths of rope”, and “A drum skin”. You need to carve the drum and then hollow out a single piece of tree trunk. An average djembe should be “55-65cm in height (22-25 inches), with a diameter of 30-36cm (12-14 inches). They weigh between 9-12 kgs (20-26 lbs)”. As the instrument is all about its excellence in manufacturing, it might take up to a few weeks to complete. However, to achieve a great outcome, you will find videos of the Gappu Cajon factory where the manufacturers shared their thoughts and opinions and beautifully showcased the process.

How to Play Djembe – Beginners Guide

Gappu Team — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 06:04:30 +0000

There are three fundamental ways to strike the drum, the djembe. First the “Bass Tone”, is the lowest sound of the instrument. You need to keep your hand flat and strike the drum, keeping it a little off-center. Secondly, the “Open Tone”, is created on the edge of the drum. You need to line up the knuckles with the outer edge of the drum’s surface and keep the fingers flat on it, keeping the thumbs out of the surface. Now, you need to strike the drum while keeping your fingers together. “Slap Tone” comes next which is more aggressive than both of the above. Follow the exact hand gestures used in an open tone, just keep the fingers a little bit apart. When hitting, you will be hitting the edge with your palm and your fingers must slightly bounce off the surface. At Gappu Cajon tutorials, you will be able to learn all the techniques mentioned above in detail, and with a little bit of practice, it will be easier to master djembe.

Types of Djembe – African Drums

Gappu Team — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 07:09:37 +0000

Gappu, you will be able to find all these types of djembe

1. The base ends in a swallow’s tail and round and vertical shell;
2. Funnel-shaped drum shell in large diameter and base ends in a swallow’s tail;
3. Narrow and cylindrical base. Usually, the instrument is around 70 to 100 cm. Apart from that, the difference in the manufacturing of djembe in different countries also creates diversity in its types.

For example, in Ghana, djembes are more traditional their djembes are well known for their decorative carvings and designs. Western djembes are more lightweight and colorful. Such as at the USA, djembes are seen with key tunes where the rope system is eliminated and it is lightweight and colorful as well to make it portable enough. In Germany, it is made with goat skin and rubber wood, and along with that, they kept the traditional rope-tune system. At Gappu, we kept both the African and Western touch and made our djembes lightweight as well as kept a little bit of the African design.

Origin Story of African Drum Djembe

Gappu Team — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:10:31 +0000

The origin story of african drum djembe takes place in West Africa where the instrument was invented, 800 years ago, in a region, close to the northeast border, the blacksmiths or “the numu people” created a wooden mortar and it was the very first djembe. The name was originated from a common saying around the region, which currently known as Mali and Guinea, “Anke dje, anke be” or “Everyone gathers together in peace”. Here gather refers to “Dje” and “be” is everyone. During the invention of the djembe, people were known as “Mandé” and it was Malian Empire. It was established as the “federation of Mandinka tribes called the Manden Kurufa”. Later the empire ruled millions of people, from almost every ethnic group around West Africa. Djembe came to its shape when the blacksmiths were making drums custom-fitted to the drummer. Current djembes are goblet-shaped drums”, carved using a single African hardwood piece and as the drum head, it was topped with an animal skin.