Classifying Drum Quality

When you are ready to purchase a drum for yourself, or a set of drums for an organization, it can be a difficult task to balance drum price and drum quality. Generally, you get what you pay for. Drums that cost more will sound better initially, stay in tune more consistently, and be more comfortable to play well. Here are some bits of advice I have pulled together from my own experiences and from other sources. There are several key areas to pay attention to when evaluating whether the drum you are purchasing is a good value.

First, you need to know that drums come in different grades, just like other instruments. A rough breakdown of grades, and how to tell the difference with djembes, goes something like this.

TOURIST GRADE - This is a drum sold to be used as a souvenir, or a decoration. It may have symbols or pictures painted or stained on it. The verticals are spaced fairly far apart, and there may be only eight to ten pairs of verticals. The difference between the sound of a 'tone' and a 'bass' is negligible. The shell of the drum may be carved crookedly, or is thin, and made from wood by-products, probably mass-produced. The head is made of skin that is blemished or has thin spots in it, or skin that has been processed or is synthetic. Generally, this is more of a toy than an instrument, and is probably great for someone who wants a drum to look nice, and be fun to bang on once in awhile. (cost between $35.00 - $75.00)

DRUM CIRCLE GRADE- If you are looking for a drum that is for an informal group activity, the D.C. grade is a good choice. If you are trying to get a group started, where all of the drums are owned by the group, (such as a school, church or non-profit.) this gives you the most playable drums for the lowest cost. These drums usually sound fine initially, but are really affected by temperature & humidity. If you have a person who is willing to keep these drums tuned up in different situations, they aren't bad. For the person who is looking for a personal drum at low cost, this is an option that costs less at first, then, as you know more of what you want in a drum, a higher grade can be tried and purchased. These drums usually are lightly carved, have plenty of verticals (which may be crookedly installed on the bottom ring of the drum), and are made with the back skin of a goat, which is the skin that doesn't get scarred as much as the underbelly skin. (cost can vary from around $50.00 - $175.00)

STUDENT GRADE - There is a real jump in quality here. The student drum is more deeply carved, usually has tightly placed verticals, (35 - 45 pairs) and is symmetrical in carving and vertical placement. There is often a third ring at the top, and a 'shelf' or 'notch' on the bottom of the bowl of the drum, so the bottom ring stays in position. The drum shell is 1.5 to 2 inches thick, and treated with oils, shea butter and other hydrating treatments to keep it from drying out in dry, heated buildings. All of this ensures that the drum will stay in tune and will last longer. The skin on a good student grade drum will be thicker. (sometimes advertised as being from an adult male goat, because that is a stronger skin, I guess.) There will be no blemishes, and the skin will usually have hair still attached near the metal rings. This is the grade of drum I play, and I use these at my school. They really do give a nice strong sound, and there is a very definite difference between slaps, tones and bass sounds. If you can afford them, these are the quality to aim for for informal or performing groups. (cost can be from around $120.00 - $250.00, or more, depending on size.)

PROFESSIONAL GRADE - Since I have seen very few pro grade drums up close, about all I can say is that they are even 'more better' than the student drums. Deep carving, done well, is one of the visuals that let you know these drums are made by master craftsmen. The wood is hydrated and then often polished to a beautiful sheen. Some professional drums are headed with different types of skin, or use skin with the hair still on. They are shaped for booming basses, crisp slaps, and other techniques that the professional can use to add character to a performance. The two people who I know with pro drums always keep them packed in their padded drum cases, and do not let other people play on them. (cost is from $175.00 - $750.00 and even more for a custom made drum.)

These grades are for African made drums, not Indonesian or American made drums. Generally, the smaller drum will cost less, and as size increases, so does the price. These grading terms are not used by all sellers, but using these criteria, you can see whether that $100.00 drum is really a great deal, or just an overpriced tourist drum.