Drum, The

The drum is the musical instrument most commonly associated with Africa. Drums comprise the membranophone family of musical instruments. Membranophones produce their sound by the vibration of a stretched membrane or skin. Drums can be traced to ancient Egyptian civilization and were often depicted in Mdw Ntr (hieroglyphics). Traditional African drums are typically made of wood, rope, twine, and a variety of animal skins (i.e., goat, cow, calf, and antelope). The perishable nature of the materials used to construct drums during antiquity inhibited their survival. The various shapes of African drums reflect their perspective categories: These include cylindrical and conical drums, barrels, hourglasses, waisted drums, goblet and footed drums, long drums, frame drums, friction drums, and kettledrums.

Cylindrical drums are straight sided, and conical drums have sloping sides. Both types of drums vary in size and proportion and can be either single or double headed. The conga and Ashiko drums are examples of cylindrical and conical drums. Barrel, hourglass, and waisted drums are variations of the cylindrical drum and can also be either single or double headed. The ends of these drums are usually the same size. The Djun-Djun (Jun-Jun) Guinea, West Africa, and the Donno (Doh-No) Ghana, West Africa, are popular examples of this drum. Goblet and footed drums are single-headed drums, which are made in a variety of sizes. Footed drums are distinct in that they usually have legs/feet that are carved from the wooden body of the drum. The Djembe drum (Jim-Bay) Guinea, West Africa, is a popular example of the Goblet drum family.

Long drums are all drums that are elongated. These drums are typically single headed and are of varying lengths of a carved-out tree trunk. Long drums also can be found in a variety of shapes and decoration. Frame drums are generally one or two animal skins stretched over a square or circular frame. The frame is usually shallow and contributes little to the resonance of the drum. The tambourine is a popular example of the frame drum. Friction drums are made in a variety of shapes and sizes. These drums produce sound by the vibration of the animal skin by the rubbing of one's fingers, a cloth, a cord, or a stick that pierces the animal skin of the drum. Kettledrums are made in a variety of sizes and are often played in pairs. These drums typically consist of a single animal skin stretched over a vessel or pot-shaped body.

African drums are generally played with the hands or a combination of the hands and a striker, such as drumsticks, mallets, or leather straps. Some African drums are played with the feet or a [Page 221]combination of the hands and feet. Music is an integral part of every aspect of life among African people. Africans employ music in their everyday lives whether at work, play, or worship. In most instances where one finds African music, the drum is present. The role of the drum is evident because it is played at various spiritual ceremonies such as baby naming ceremonies, rites of passage, weddings, enstoolments, and funerals. Furthermore, the drum is prevalent in spiritual ceremonies that are designed to invoke the spirit of the ancestors, appease or appeal to the divinities, or worship god. The combination of drumming, singing, and dancing is the major means by which

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