Rope Tuning Hand Drums

This guide is not intended as an exhaustive study of the practice of roping hand drums. Neither is it intended as a complete discussion of materials, which is the province of the drum builder. This is only intended for the drummer who wishes to re-skin his drum or tighten the knots, or replace the roping. There are many different styles of roping which can be used, some of them complex and ornamental, and some which only differ in such minor details as which direction to pull the diamond knots – clockwise or counterclockwise. I will only discuss here the simplest method I know. There is no Standard technique and none which can claim exclusive authority in Tradition. The methods described here are the result of observation of and instruction from African drummers in setting up Djembes, Dunun, Ashikos, and Bougarabou as well as my own imitation and experimentation with the very many drums I have imported from Africa.

The Three Ring System:

The uppermost steel ring is termed the Crown Ring. This ring is often wrapped in colorful fabric and has the many knots and loops hanging down towards the bottom of the drum. The steel ring that has the hide wrapped around it and upon which the Crown Ring rests is termed the Flesh Ring The bottom steel ring, or heavy twisted wire, which is often wrapped in colorful fabric and has the many knots and loops pointing up to the top of the drum is termed the Base Ring. The rope that passes up and down through the loops between the Crown Ring and the Base Ring is the Vertical. The extension of the vertical (which is occasionally a second rope) that is used to form the diamond knots is termed the Tail. Tools You Will Need: Heavy scissors, leather shears, and/or a razor knife. A stout stick, a hammer's handle will do. Locking pliers - Vice Grips®, two small pairs are ideal but you can get away with one. Double edged safety razor blades, or a cheap electric hair clipper. Sandpaper, 80 grit and 150 grit. Matches, or a cigarette lighter.

Rope:

The best line to use is 3/16 - 5/32 (4mm) Dacron (Polyester) double braided line. It has practically no stretch and does not react to sunlight, heat, or humidity. Larger diameters are useful on larger drums, like Djun-Djun, but are perhaps unattractive on Djembes, etc. This can be hard to find. Do NOT use polypropylene line. It degrades quickly under sunlight and becomes quite brittle. Twisted or braided nylon will do, but be aware that it will initially stretch 15% under tension and will also react to temperature and humidity. If you want to experiment with cotton, sisal, hemp, or other natural fibers understand that they do not last very long under this application.

Removing the Hair from the skin:

Using a skin or hide which is fully haired is, in my opinion, the best way to go. Skins that have been commercially dehaired have been soaked in a chemical bath which not only loosens the hair but also leeches out most of the oils from the skin. This shortens the useful life of a skin as a drumhead. If you want the drum head to be completely free of hair then soak the skin and remove the hair as the first step of this entire process. If you want to leave a flap of haired skin hanging around the edge of the drum then remove the hair from the playing area of the head wile it is still wet but after it has been installed on the Rings and theVerticals have been tightened as described below.

There are three good methods. Shaving, shearing, and depilatories.

1) To shave a skin soak it in water for a couple hours and then nail or staple it to an appropriate board with the tail pointed down. Using a double edged razor blade held between the thumb and the first two fingers begin shaving the skin while the skin is still wet with strokes directed towards the tail. The blade should be slightly bent by the thumb. Make sure the skin is stretched flat so you don't nick the skin. Alternatively, the head can be shaved after it is installed on the drum and still wet if you want to keep a haired border hanging from the edge of the drum. Shaving is dangerous the first few times you try it, it is very easy to cut through the skin and ruin it until you get the feel for it.

2) To shear a skin soak it in water and hang it as with the shaving. Use a set of electric hair clippers or a beard trimmer and remove the desired hair. Once the head is installed and thoroughly dry remove the remaining stubble with 80-100 grit sandpaper. Don't press it into the head too hard or you'll scar it.

3)To use depilatories follow the instructions on the bottle generously. Squirt it on, let it set, and pull the hair loose. Use sand paper to remove what remains. I don't like to use depilatories or any other chemicals on the head.

Tying the Crown and Base Rings:

Wrap the rings with fabric. This is nice and decorative but it also keeps moisture off the rings so that rust won't stain the skin. Cut a length of rope to four times the outer circumference of the ring. This will turn out a little too long, but never mind that… much better than too short. Melt the ends of the line to keep the weave from unraveling. With moistened fingers twist the melted ends to a dull point, do not leave them as a melted ball.

Make a bight in one end of the line. A bight is an open loop of line, like a fishhook. Put this bight inside the ring and then thread the free ends over the top of the ring and through the protruding loop of the bight below. This creates a double half-hitch. Make sure that the short end is about six inches long, hanging to the left. Keep these hitches snug, but not real tight, you will want to adjust them after you tie them all the way around the ring. See figure below.



Note: I move from left to right (counter-clockwise looking down at the drumhead) in all my roping. It really doesn’t matter which way you go, but if you also go left to right these instructions will be more clear. Also, these instructions are for the Crown Ring. The Base Ring, being trapped in place on the neck of the drum and upside down from the Crown Ring, needs to have these knots tied while holding the drum upside down.

Next, take the long free end and pass it back over the top to the inside of the ring. You are about to make the second double half-hitch on the ring, leaving a loop between the first and the second. Make this loop two fingers widths wide, tight. Put your fingers right in there, and, pulling it tight, bring the long free end back under the ring and over your two fingers. This results in a single half-hitch.

Note: Do not make the Base Ring loops two fingers wide. You won’t be able to make enough knots to equal the Crown knots. On Djembes, just make the knots far enough apart so you can see where the loops should be. The loops will create themselves under tension.

Send the long end (to the right!) back over this half-hitch and under the ring to bring it over the top and thread it down through the little loop you just made and Voila! The second double half-hitch is done. See figure below. Don’t worry, you’ll be doing this much faster by the time you are done. See figure below.



Note: It is desirable to have an even number of knots on the Crown and Base Rings. This allows for you to either reverse the direction of your pulled diamonds later on or continue in a spiral with them without skipping a Vertical. You will see what I mean later on, keep an even number of knots on the rings, and By All Means.. make the number of knots on the Crown and Base Rings Equal!

Continue on around the ring (to the Right!) making double half-hitches and two-finger loops until you reach the first knot again. Now check to make sure you have an even number of knots and a loop distance from the last knot to the first that is equivalent to the rest. If not, loosen or tighten all the knots until they sort out evenly with an even number of knots. Your precision at this point in making all the loops an even length of line and all the hitches equally tight will determine in the end if your roping job looks sharp and professional or sloppy and random.

There are several ways to tie the remaining two short ends together to create the last loop. It depends on how short they are. If you left the first one about six inches long then you can send it over to the left to the last hitch and make one final double half-hitch using both free ends, tying them off and melting them at the center of the knot. If this will give you an odd number of knots then you may instead have to send the free end of the first knot up through the center of the last knot and tie it off there with the free end of the last knot. Remember to melt them together after tying them. See figure below.



Installing the new Head on the Flesh Ring:

(If you are not putting on a new head, but just changing the ropes you can skip this section.)

Place the Flesh Ring on top of the selected portion of dry hide you will be using. With leather shears or a razor knife trim the hide so that there is a 4-inch border of hide outside the ring. If you are intending to make a haired ‘ruff’ concealing the Crown Ring then let the border be 6 inches or more.

Soak the hide in water for several hours prior to starting. 24 hours is preferable, and for cowhide on Bougarabous or Dunun at least 24 hours is necessary.

Remove the hide from its soak and lay it down topside up. Place the Flesh Ring on top of the hide, nicely centered. Take the Crown Ring and begin to gently tuck the hide up around the Flesh Ring and under the Crown Ring until all the border of the hide is lying between the two rings. Make an effort to keep things centered, and try to avoid getting folds in the hide. If you must have a fold or two just be sure that they do not lay under the knots of the Crown Ring, and keep them neat. This can be frustrating, keep at it…

Now take this Ring/Head assembly and press it down over the rim of your drum. By doing this you want to pull enough slack out from between the rings to get the tops of the knots on the Crown Ring down just below the rim. Be very careful in dealing with any folds at this point, a thin spot in wet goathide can tear here. You may also see loose waves of slack in the top of the head. Tug at the border to pull these waves out. You want the head to be as flat and evenly tensioned at this wet, loose stage as possible.

This can be frustrating, keep at it…

Once everything looks Just Right, immediately begin to run the Verticals.

Running the Verticals:

Caution: If you are dealing with a new, wet head then this entire procedure needs to be done at one time. If you have never tried it before then you should allow 3 hours or so to finish. If you are re-installing the old head then it still needs to be soaked in water for a few hours in its ring assembly to ensure that it conforms to any irregularities in the rim and to seat properly. So you should allow a few hours for this next step too. You will need two small pairs of Vice Grips (or other quick release clamp) and a stout stick, like a hammer handle.

How many knots do you have in the Crown Ring? Multiply this by 2 and add 20 to get the length of rope, in feet, that you will need. Melt the rope ends so they won’t unravel and with moistened fingers form the still red-hot molten ends into dull points.

From this point on you will have to move Gently through these actions. If you tip the head off from its precarious position then you will have to start all over with centering the hide on the Flesh Ring etc. Feed the line through the loops with one hand while Gently pulling on the free end. No Tugging!

Send one loose end down from the outside through a loop in the Crown Ring. Gently pull it down halfway to the Base Ring. Tie a 2-inch loop in this end. This needs to be a strong knot. Use a Surgeon's End Loop. Although this may sound dastardly, it is simple:

Take the free end and make a loop about 4 inches long. Hold the tip and the long end side in one hand. Take the end of the loop in the other hand and tie these doubled strands that you are holding in both hands at once in a simple overhand knot, the most basic of knots. Adjust it down to being about 2 inches long. It should now be right up next to the loop it came down from. You will trim the loose end later. See figure below.



Now take the very long free end and run it down from the outside through the loop in the Crown Ring on the right side of the knot that your looped end is dangling down from. Run this long free end under and through a loop in the Base Ring, bring it around the knot (to the right!) and up under the loop on the other side of the knot. Run it up under the loop in the Crown Ring that it came down from, pass it out around the knot and back down over and behind the next loop to the right. Continue this regimen until you want to scream. Keep all these vertical lines pretty slack, do not snug them up before they are all in place or else the head will turn out tilted, out of square with the rim, and the Base Ring will be pulled all off center too.

When you bring the line up from the final loop in the Base Ring it will have nowhere to go but through your Surgeons End Loop. Go ahead and pass it through there. Now begin to snug up the verticals a little at a time all the way around, keeping an eye on the Base Ring so it doesn’t get pulled off center. One way to keep the Base Ring square with the drum is to use a small nail or two below the ring to keep it snug with the bowl in the position you want it. A less intrusive way is to use tape. Keep the End Loop up near the Crown Ring and snug the rope to the right! Once all the slack is pulled through the End Loop the still wet head will now begin to make a drum-like sound and you are ready to begin stretching it.

Grasp the free end near the End loop and pull it down firmly. The Loop will act like a pulley and the first few Verticals will tighten up. Take the ViceGrips® and pinch off the free end with it’s upward rising Vertical just under the Loop. This will lock it so you don’t regain the slack you just got rid of. Now pull on the verticals, keeping an eye on that Base Ring, to the right of the Loop all the way around to get out more slack. Take the second pair of Vice Grips® and pinch off the Loop’s Vertical at the Crown Ring so it will be locked in place. Now remove the first pair of ViceGrips® and pull on the free end initiating the Loop’s pulley action again, then reattach the Grips. Continue in this manner two or three times around the drum, until you can’t pull any more slack on the verticals with your bare hand. Use one of the Grips to lock off each vertical as you pull the slack out of it. Finally, wrap the stout stick up in the free end just below the Loop for a heavy pull to get the last bit of slack that you can, reattach the Grips, and… Take a Break! You should by now be able to see that the Crown Ring has visibly moved down the shell from the rim and the hide has been stretched. If not, continue. After that break, it's time to remove the hair, if you haven't done so already.

Let the head dry in this condition, without working on it more, for a week. Don’t push it, and don’t jump the gun. Let it dry for a week. Then you can start pulling diamonds with the Tail. Once it has dried for a day or two you can trim the border off (carefully) nice and tight to the Crown knots, or you can form it into a muff or collar. To form the muff I take a few feet of rags tied together and wrap it around the Crown Ring. Then pull the border down over this roll and cinch it off with a length of line. When everything is dry you can take the line off and trim the border clean along the line’s indentation. Remember that wet rawhide will conform to whatever shape it is molded to when dry. After everything is good and dry you can sand off the remaining stubble of hair from shaving/clipping.

Pulling Diamonds with the Tail:

Now that everything has dried for a week go around the drum one or two more times pulling the verticals and taking out whatever slack there may me. Whatever capacity the rope you used might have for stretching will now have expressed itself.

Ideally the End Loop will now be down close to the Base Ring. If not, you can run the final Vertical back on itself from the Loop to an inch above the Base Ring and tie it off with a single half hitch so that the free end is heading to the right. Take this free end and pass it over the first two Verticals descending from the Crown. Bring it back towards the Loop under that second Vertical, and bring it back over the first one. Now send it to the right under both of them. This is the weave for the self-locking style of tying the Mali Weave. Pull Hard so that the knot snaps into place. You may not need to for the first few, but soon you will need to get out the Stout Stick and wrap the free end around it, put both feet against the drum and heave with your back to snap the knot into place. When you have pulled each knot, remember to pull the free end down hard toward the Base Ring to snug the knot as tight as it will go. This will make a nice neat straight line and even diamonds as you go around. See figure below.



Note: The wet hide, now dry, may have glued itself to the rim of the drum while drying. You may want to rap on the corresponding knot on the Crown Ring with each diamond you pull to ensure the hide is free. Be very paranoid about doing this. Use a rubber hammer or a block of wood under a hammer and pad the rim above the Crown knot well before striking anywhere near it with any tool. One little slip and you can tear the hide and ruin your work, requiring you to start all over from scratch.

Once you have made your way all around the drum and completed your first row of diamonds (actually just triangles so far) you have a choice to make. Either continue around to the right spiraling the second row above the first, or turning around and laying the second row in to the left above the first. I am uncertain if either way is better for the drum’s performance, but turning around to the left has a better look. There is room for a lot of discussion on this. Spiraling to the right is easier, it is more typically African, and it tightens the head more uniformly as you go around. Turning back to the left tightens the head more quickly, looks better, and takes fewer diamonds to get things sounding right.

To turn back to the left simply pass the free end over the End Loop Vertical to the next vertical, bring it around that vertical and send it to the left back over the End Loop Vertical and the next vertical to the left. then bring it under that one, going to the right, and over the End Loop Vertical and then go under again and bring it to the left under both. The Mali Weave to the left like this is no different from going to the right.

When is it tight enough? When is it too tight?

For Bougarabou and other drums using cow hide, tighten the head initially tighter than you want it. Once the head breaks in you can adjust it to whatever tonal properties are pleasing to you.

For Djembes and other goat skinned drums, keep on pulling diamonds until you physically can’t pull any more. Play the drum hard for a week or two to break in the head. At some point the head will ‘go down’ and be suddenly pitched much lower than it was. Now pull a couple more diamonds and it should be good.

At this point you can try to tune the head to the acoustics of the shell. To do this you have to have a very good ear. Lay the drum sideways on your lap and knock on the bowl of the shell with your knuckles and then knock on the stem, or ‘leg’. The tonal interval between these two knockings should be the same as the interval between the drums bass tone and its slap tone. We are only talking about intervals here, not matching the tonal centers. Whether or not this works well for you depends on how the drum was carved, what the internal volumes of the two chambers are, but this is now clearly moving into the drum carvers craft and is not in the purview of this article. Try the knocking on the drum thing and see if it makes sense to your ear.

Otherwise, a Djembe or Ashiko, like any drum, can be over tightened. Too tight and the slap tone sounds great, but the bass begins to suffer. A little too loose and the bass tone throbs but the slap becomes ill defined. A happy medium is usually the best way to go. This is when the open tone has the best sound, a nice round open pop. Bear in mind that the bass tone is probably the least important tone, but if you tune your drum so high that you begin to lose the bass then you have also lost some of the supporting resonance that makes the other tones sound their best. Each drum has its own individual best tuning and finding that is part of bonding with your instrument, becoming intimately aware that it is at its best, so that you may be at your own best.

Happy Drumming!

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