Well not really. More djembe.

I got a cheap one for chirstmas. I wanna get a high sound like the proper skin diamon pulled ones. Someone said to my dad (For his bongo's) To soak the skings (Or in this case heads) in something.... Then fit them back and they will shrink into place and become tighter and sound better. (He wanted the sound that they have on cd's and stuff but ende dup snapping the old head)

I want to do the same to my djembe but am unsure what?

So help guys (Bongo Bro :P) What can i do to make it sound better?

Even to create a bit of difference between the tone slapp and bass.

I have an instructional dvd by Mohamed Bangoura "Bangourake" I can hear the differences in what he says. But cant really make much of a sound change between tone and slap to my own ears?

Thanks :>

I dont get the question.

Hey, Stevo, the reason skin heads are soaked in water is to make them softer and more flexible when they're pulled over the flesh hoops and to make them stretch as they dry. It's not unlike the chamois skin car nuts use to wipe water off their rides...the skin is dry and stiff until it's soaked, then it absorbs the water off the car.

I'd approach this with caution on a cheaper djembe because, like with your dad's bongos, you can get the head so tight they'll snap. If you have a mate who has a djembe, you might ask him; I believe the strings that hold the skin in place may also help tune them.

(By the way, tell your dad that the high-pitched pops and cracks he hears on bongo recordings come in no small part from the bongo player tightening the head with the heel of his hand or with his thumb. Takes a while to get it down, but it's sweet when you get it down right!)

Stevo, very rarely do I see a drummer re-stretch a head. They do become soft again when you soak them in water, but most of the tension in the head is already gone beacause of playing (skins thin out in areas after being slapped and rubbed a gazzilion times) and because it has been under constant pressure (from being stretched) for a long time. Some do last for awhile after being restretched, most break.

The best thing for you to do would be to tighten up the stringing (remember those knots before you start there, boy scout! :icon_mrgreen: ). Find where the original knot is that is tied to the bottom ring and start pulling it a little tighter. Not a lot as the pressure is multiplied as you go around the head. What starts out as taking 1/4" of slack out in the first couple passes will become a foot by the time you get done because not only has the head stretched over time, but so has the string. The first time doing this will take you some time. It took me about an hour the first time, but now I can do it in about 5 minutes (it's all about knowing how to tie good knots).

Your other option is to get a new head. Since your looking for the higher sounds instead of big bottom end, I would suggest going with lamb skin. It is a little thinner and produces the high notes more, but does'nt resonate as much as calf skin.

Of course other things are going to influence the sound - Diameter, density, thickness, type of wood. I have seen a few players take a chisel to the inside of the drum (myself included) to remove material to make the drum a little thinner and change the pitch.

I wish you the best of luck and let us know how things turn out. Later!:punk:

1DB--good call on stretching the djembe head...I thought soaking it worked only the first time...

:punk:

Hm.... We only have cheap ones that have lugs :P

Ill let him know about that thanks for the advice guys! :>

Hi Stevo. There is nothing cheap about a djembe with lugs. Id post
some pics of how to rope a traditional wrapped drum but you have
tuning lugs. Just tighten them ever so slightly and say a small prayer.
:pray: