YORUBA TALKING DRUM

Single Authentic African talking drum with stick.

Talking drums are some of the oldest instruments used in West Africa and can be traced back to the Yoruba people of South Western Nigeria and the Dagomba of Northern Ghana.

The talking drum is an hourglass-shaped drum. It has two drumheads connected by leather tension cords, which allow the player to change the pitch of the drum by squeezing the cords between their arm and body.

The pitch of the drum is varied to mimic the tone patterns of speech. A skilled player is able to play whole phrases by holding the waist of the drum between their arm and ribs, so that when squeezed the drumhead is tightened, producing a higher note than when it's in its relaxed state; the pitch can be changed during a single beat. The drum can thus capture the pitch, volume, and rhythm of human speech,

Detailed messages could be sent from one village to the next faster than could be carried by a person riding a horse.

Also known as the Gangan drum, this is an authentic example, made in South Western Nigeria using mostly local materials. The techniques used are normally passed down by artisans, from father to son. Authentic examples can be identified by the way they are made with emphasis on the leather tension cords and drumheads that produce accurate sound. Straps are attached to the drum using leather cord.