Drums The Beat Goes On

Where to buy a djembe: Most good music stores and many Web sites, like bangadrum.com, now carry them. Prices for the drums, which weigh as much as 20 pounds, range from $50 to $300.

What to look for: The best drums are made from solid, seasoned wood–the harder the better. It should be free of cracks or tiny holes bored by insects, which will chomp your furniture just as eagerly.

How to play it: Technique focuses on learning three basic sounds–the bas, the tone and the slap. The bas carries the rhythm and is played in the center of the drum with the hand slightly cupped. To play the tone, the player strikes the edge of the drum with the hand held flat like a mitten. The slap, a real art, is tapped on the rim with a cupped hand. Writes the site bangadrum.com, “Let the drum speak through YOU.”