What to look for when purchasing a djembe drum

Always check that your djembe is tuned for you, otherwise you may be purchasing a flat sounding drum.

Check the drum is made from one solid piece of mahogany wood. Inferior two piece drums have a thin straight cone and are prone to separating from the head.

Avoid low quality drums strung with cheap shoe string instead of rope, as shoe string breaks. Shoe string is easy to spot, as it is very thin and isn’t usually strung with as many tension points as other high quality drums of the same size.

Check that the skin is natural and not bleached, as the bleaching process increases the risk of splitting. Bleached skins are bright white and don’t have varying shades in them.