The West African Talking Drum

The talking drum is an hourglass-shaped instrument from West Africa. Two drumheads connect by leather tension cords.

A player holds the waist between their arm and ribs. Squeezing tightens the cord to change pitch mid-beat.

A talking drum sounds like a person humming.

Yoruba music uses 3 principal tones: low, medium, and high. The drum mimics these patterns.

In the 18th century, messages traveled between villages faster than a horse. Signals covered 4-5 miles. Faster than riding.

To reduce ambiguity, drummers added redundant phrases to each short word. Single words became descriptive sentences.

Some groups gave individuals specific drum names. Drummers played the recipient's name, then the sender's name, and finally the message.

Ayangalu was the first Yoruba drummer. He was deified as drummers’ patron spirit.