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an email compilation from the members   Last revised 07/20/00

From:  Julie Dubbs <julie.dubbs@sri.com>
Wednesday, December 09, 1998

>Hello Folks,
>   I would like to hear helpful hints about making a good slap on the djembe.
>I've just recently taken up the djembe after playing congas for a year and a
>half.  I realize the conga slap is completely different than the djembe slap.
>I know it took me about a year on the conga to make a good slap so perhaps it
>will take that long on the djembe, too.  But I would appeciate hearing how
>others made the breakthrough to a slap distinctly different from the open tone.
>-Julie

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From Pete Carels: <carelspe@muohio.edu>

Julie,
Make sure to keep wrists and hands relaxed, with fingers slightly curved,
so that the finger tips come into contact with the drum head.  Keep the
motion light and quick, like a "flick," with the fingers bouncing off the
skin after instantaneous contact.
Also, you may want to have the wrist/hand rotated in such a way as to
concentrate the "center of impact" on the tip of the ring finger.
Naturally all the finger tips will come down on the drum, but imagining the
ring finger to be the "dominant finger," so to speak, could give you an
extra crisp slap that may be lacking otherwise.  At least, I've found it to
work so and others have as well.
Good luck, let us know how this and other tips you receive are working out.
Pete
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From Beverly Nadelman: <nadelmb@sunynassau.edu>
Among the sometimes extraordinarily helpful things that Dumdrum wrote when she
wasn't agitating the masses was a description of tone/slap production. I am
paraphrasing, but I believe that essentially she said that both are created from
the same impetus-the and contacting the edge of the drum at the area of padding
just below where the fingers joined.  She stated that the difference in sound is
created by tensioning the fingers (not stiffening) them for the slap and allowing
them to be completely relaxed for the slap. Control for both comes from the
wrist/forearm area. I found that working with this in mind and adding only a an
infinitesimally slight adjustment toward contacting  with pinkie side of hand
first for slap, forefinger side of hand first for tone, has improved both my sound
and capacity substantially.

Beverly

PS
Of course the included in the assumption in my previous post is that you are
getting off the drum head more rapidly than with conga slaps. The idea is not to
dig in but to bounce off.

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Tom Gill <gilldrum@execpc.com>

Hi Slappers,
One way I suggest for someone to "get the idea" even before they can
execute it on the drum, is to slap their thigh.  When they get the right
relaxed, whip of the hand it stings the thigh just a bit, though doesn't
hurt the hand...similarly on the drum....

One of my teachers, Caroline, would always say (as she suggested
loosening up to bring the hand down on the drum) "Oh, what a day...."
the loose motion of wrist and hand as it approaches the drum usually
uncorks a nice slap or two and they she'd say "that's it!" upon hearing
one of those sharp retorts....

better not ask about getting a good tone, the thread will go on for
years! 
Tom

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From: Gerrit Gloudemans <gloudema@telekabel2.nl>

I see that you already received lots of advice about slapping the djembe.
One thing I could add is some general advice and the remark that of course
the difference of slap and open tone is vital.
One of my African teachers was very precise on techniques. What he taught
me was more to listen to the sound differences than to concentrate on way
to put your hands or fingers. Please don't understand this wrong: the
advice's you get about relaxing pulse, concentrating on ring finger etc.
can be very useful, but don't forget that the sound is where it's all
about.

Writing about the qualities of sounds is not very easy if not impossible,
but I'll try to describe (some of ) the differences of slap and tone:
Slap may sound as a high tone, but some of the sub tones are definitely
lower that the open tone sound.
My teacher used to sing rhythms and I was surprised to notice that he used
higher tones for the open sound and lower tones for the slaps. "Pipipidi
Papada" meant four times open and three times slap.

On the other hand the open tone sound certainly has bass sub tones, the
slap less.

Anyway, you may read that I rather talk about the open tone than the slap.
My experience is that a proper open tone is harder to learn than a slap.
Although this also depends on personal differences in movement skills and
habits.

Gerrit
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From: Florida Rachel <Barger1@aol.com>
One last little addition -- I agree with Gerritt, and also, if you spread your
fingers slightly for the slap, it might help.  It made a ton of difference for
me.  (And the opposite, keep them together for the tone....)

Florida Rachel

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Email Happy with additional information on "Handing Tips"