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The talking drum (sometimes called a ﾓcalling drumﾔ) is a West African drum whose pitch can be regulated by changing the tension in the drum stringing whilst playing. The resulting sounds are used to communicate at a distance and for this reason it is said that the drum "talks". |
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The playing style of the talking drum is centered on producing long and sustained notes by hitting the drum head with the stick-holding hand and the accompanying free hand used to dampen and change tones immediately after being hit. |
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Talking drums are some of the oldest instruments used by west African griots and their history can be traced back to the Ghana Empire. The Hausa people (and by influence, the Yoruba people of south western Nigeria and Benin and the Dagomba of northern Ghana) have developed a highly sophisticated genre of griot music centering on the talking drum. Many variants of the talking drum exist, with essentially the same construction. Interestingly, this construction is limited to within the contemporary borders of West Africa, with exceptions to this rule being northern Cameroon and western Chad; areas which have shared populations belonging to groups predominant in their bordering West African countries, such as the Kanuri, Djerma, Fulani and Hausa. |
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Although not traditionally an ensemble drum, the talking drumis great for adding a “melody” line to drumming groups and for injecting some special interest into virtually any instrumental group. Just bear in mind that the talking drum is not a loud instrument so other players will need some sensitivity when playing alongside it. |
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Talking drums are characterised by their thin waists, which allow the external stringing to be squeezed inwards towards the waist, so increasing the string tension and drum pitch. The drums are typically hollowed out from a single piece of hardwood. |
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The talking drum should always be kept dry and away from direct heat. The materials are all natural and respond to moisture and heat by moving! If the skin should get wet or become very loose you can warm it up with a hair dryer set on “low” and this will tighten the skin.
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