For Grown-Ups

Music offers a vocabulary of communication to every society in the world. The very essence of rhythm is our natural inheritance. It exists in our bodies, our hearts, and our breath. It exists in the cycles of the seasons, the ticking of clocks and the orbit of the earth. There is no part of creation that is without rhythm.

The art of drumming is a practice that spans the globe and has a presence in every culture. It has been used for centuries in rituals, ceremonies, communication, rites of passage, music and dance, celebration, healing and community building.

Create your own drum and express your feelings in full array. These instructions build a sturdy Dumbek!

A conga is an African drum traditionally made of hardwood and a cow-skin drumhead. A dumbek is a goblet shaped drum from the Middle East. True dumbeks are made from a variety of materials, especially clay and metal - copper, bronze, and aluminum. The dumbek has a variety of names, depending on where it is made. In Turkey, a dumbek is called a darbuka, while in Egypt, a dumbek is a tabula. You probably will have most of the materials necessary to make a dumbek or conga drum, right in your own backyard.

The basics are a carpet tube and a plastic flowerpot. Cardboard carpet tube (3" to 4" in diameter). Plastic flowerpot. The bottom of the pot should be the same in diameter as the cardboard tube so that when you set the pot on the tube, it fits without overlapping. If your tube is 4"in diameter, the bottom of the pot should also be 4" in diameter. Generally, a standard 6" flower pot tapers down to 4".

A two-piece plastic embroidery hoop. The hoop should be the same in diameter as the top of your plastic pot so that when you set the hoop on the pot it fits without too much overlapping. If the top of your pot is 6" in diameter, the hoop should be approximately 6" in diameter. An old inflatable pool toy or heavy gauge plastic. Basically what you need is some sort of material that is strong and flexible. A balloon is too thin. An old beach ball works great. An old rubber tire will work in a pinch. One to two inch wide packing or masking tape. Paint, paper or fabric to decorate the drum.

The first step is to cut a tube approximately 12" long. Cut a piece of your beach ball or plastic to size making sure to leave a couple of inches excess for overlapping later. Take the embroidery hoop apart, place the cut beach ball over the inner hoop and while stretching (you may need another pair of hands to help you) place the outer hoop over the plastic and inner hoop. This will become your drumhead. Next, place the "drum head" on top of the plastic flowerpot and using packing tape, secure in place. Set the plastic flowerpot on top of one end of the tube and using packing tape, attach the flowerpot to the cardboard tube. Finally, decorate your drum using paint, paper or fabric. You might wish to cover up the areas where you used tape by wrapping yarn or jute around your drum.

Here are a few titles that may of interest for your family drumming circle …

Bakongo! Drumming Music for Dancers – Geoff Johns Drumming is Calling – Sofi Hellborg Drumming Around the World – Various Artist’s Graceland – Paul Simon

Try using your drum to communicate – suppertime, bedtime, time to clean up or family game night!