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Ashiko Drum - the 'Male' Drum
Ashiko is an African drum originating from Nigeria, and is played mainly in Africa, South and Central America, but it is becoming more popular at music festivals and drum circles. In Cuba it is played during carnivals and at street parades.
This is probably one of the best drums to learn with, since the ashiko lets you focus on the rhythm rather than the varying tonality. It's a drum with a big deep sound and it also looks good with its tall stature.Great for band playing or for drum circles, for african dance, or just to play on its own.
More on how to choose your Ashiko drum(click here)
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To Select your ashiko, choose your size depending on the sound you are looking for, the bigger the drum the deeper the sound.
The Ashiko drums are available in three sizes, based on the head size they are 9”, 12”, 14”.
The other choice is rope tuning or bolt tuning. The rope tuning looks much nicer but it can be a little more difficult to master at first.
The color of the wood is a personal choice as it does not affect the playing tone.
The type of wood again is a matter of preference for a the durable mango wood or the more precious rosewood.
Hair or shaved drum head?
The drum head is made of goatsking which can have hair left on it, this allows the natural oils to remain in the skin for longer, making the drum head more supple and durable, they also embellish the instrument and give the drum character.
The drum without the hair sounds louder and is more responsive, but if the hair is only on the rim of the drum and not on the playing head it has no effect on the sound but it adds cushioning to hand when the drum is slapped on the edge.
Ashiko drums are considered part of the Djembe drum family – where the djembe is the female and Ashiko the male.
While the djembe has two basic different tones depending on where the head is struck – in the middle or on the edge, the Ashiko has one deep tone.
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