| | | How To Replace Your Djembe Rope At some point, you may decide that it's time to replace that old and frizzy Djembe rope. On this page I will explain how the Djembe stringing is done in Ghana and provide you with some helpful tools and tricks.
Climbing rope or marine rope have all needed features but can be quite costly. Ropes with the following features are good to use:
braided nylon rope or woven 4 - 5mm thickness "pre-stretched", "non-stretch" or "low-stretch" to
keep the drum in tune longer"high resistance to abrasion" prevents the surface
from becoming frizzy when tuning Polyester and nylon have the advantage that they
can be fused to prevent the ends from frizzing
There are two different ways to replace a djembe rope: Single Weaving Double Weaving |
This is the original way of Djembe stringing. It later allows for shakers to be attached to the drum, by slipping them through the loops at the crown ring. 1. Remove the old drum rope TIPP: You can reuse the skin if it's still in good shape. In this case don't remove it from the iron ring, just remount it as it is later on. Cut the loops and untie the knots at the crown and bottom ring. If necessary, wrap the rings with a new strip of cotton cloth. This prevents cuts and rust damages
to the rope.
2. How to tie the Djembe knots: Single Loops Take the crown ring and knot the rope evenly around it, leaving 0.5 - 1 inch of space between the knots. Push the first and last knot closely together and cut the rope. Use the flame of a lighter or candle to fuse the rope's beginning and end. Count the loops. There's no loop between the first and last knot. Turn the drum upside down and tie the rope evenly around the bottom ring, making the same number of knots that you made on the crown ring. Push the first and last knot closely together. Use the flame of a lighter or candle to fuse the
beginning and end of the rope. 3. Preparing for the verticals Place the crown ring on the drum and push it over the rim so that it stays put. Place the loop's starting/ending point of the bottom ring, right under the starting/ending point of
the crown ring. Make sure that the knots of the crown ring face upwards, while the knots of the bottom ring
should face downwards. E stimate how much rope you need for the verticals: At least two feet or 50cm per knot.
Generousely calculate extra rope for tuning.
TIPP: You don't need to cut the rope, just unwind it from the spool and mark it with a knot. Knowing how much rope you need will help you estimate how far you need to pull it through the loops when performing the next steps. 4. Verticals: Single Weaving At the bottom ring, locate the first loop to the left of the fused starting/ending point. Slip the rope through that loop from bottom to top. Pull the rope until the mark reaches the loop.
That's your starting position. - At the crown ring, locate the first loop to the left of the fused starting/ending point. Slip the rope
through that loop from bottom to top. - Then, still at the crown ring, slip the rope through the next loop to the left from top to bottom.
- Then, back at the bottom ring, slip the rope through the same loop that you started with, from top
to bottom. - Pull the rope through, so that the bottom ring hangs loosely below the crown ring.
- You have completed the first pair of verticals.
TIPP: A simple, self-made pin will help you slipping the rope through the loops.
- To continue: At the bottom ring, locate the next loop to the left and slip the rope through that loop
from bottom to top. - At the crown ring, slip the rope through the same loop that you came from the last time, from
bottom to top. - Then, still at the crown ring, slip the rope through the next loop to the left, from top to bottom.
- Then, back at the bottom ring, slip the rope through the same loop that you started with, from top
to bottom. - Pull the rope through, so that the bottom ring hangs loosely below the crown ring.
- You have completed the second par of verticals. Continue like this around 3/4 of the drum.
5. Finishing - The rope is now loosely woven around approx. three quarters of the drum.Make sure you keep a
few feet of rope at the beginning and end and cut the rope. - Loosely tie it so that it will not be in the way.
6. You are now ready to mount the skin. Learn how to do that on my Djembe reskinning page |
This is a newer way of roping a Djembe. It takes more rope and makes it impossible to attach shakers. But it looks nicer. 1. Remove the old drum rope TIPP: You can reuse the skin if it's still in good shape. In this case don't remove it from the iron ring, just remount it as it is later on. Cut the loops and untie the knots at the crown and bottom ring. If necessary, wrap the rings with a new strip of cotton cloth. This prevents cuts and rust damages
to the rope.
2. The Rings: Knotting Double Loops Take the crown ring and continuousely tie the rope around it. Keep some extra rope but don't leave any
space between the knots. If done properly, the ring should be completely covered with the rope.Use the flame of a lighter or candle to fuse the beginning and end of the rope.Count the knots. The first and last knot together represent only one count.Turn the drum upside down and tie the rope evenly around the bottom ring. Make half the number of knots
you made on the crown ring. Here, you can leave space between the knots.Use the flame of a lighter or candle to fuse the beginning and end of the rope. 3. Preparing for the verticals
Place the crown ring on the drum and push it over the rim so that it stays put. Place the loop's starting/ending point of the bottom ring, right under the starting/ending point of the crown
ring.Make sure the knots of the crown ring face upwards, while the knots of the bottom ring face downwards.Estimate how much rope you need for the verticals: At least two feet or 50cm per 2 knots. Generousely
calculate some extra rope for diamond tuning.
TIPP: You don't need to cut the rope, just unwind it from the spool and mark it with a knot. Knowing how much rope you need will help you estimate how far you need to pull it through the loops when performing the next steps. 4. Verticals: Double Weaving At the bottom ring, locate the first loop to the left of the fused starting/ending point. Slip the rope through that loop from bottom to top. Pull the rope until the mark reaches the loop. That's
your starting position.At the crown ring, locate the first two loops to the left of the fused starting/ending point.Slip the rope through both loops from bottom to top.Then, still at the crown ring, slip the rope through the next two loops to the left from top to bottom   
Then, back at the bottom ring, slip the rope through the same loop that you started with, from top to
bottom.Pull the rope through, so that the bottom ring hangs loosely below the crown ring.You have completed the first pair of verticals.
 
To continue: At the bottom ring, locate the next loop to the left and slip the rope through that loop from
bottom to top.At the crown ring, slip the rope through the same two loops that you came from the last time, from ¨
bottom to top.Then, still at the crown ring, slip the rope through the next two loops to the left from top to bottom.Then, back at the bottom ring, slip the rope through the same loop that you started with, from top to
bottom.Pull the rope through, so that the bottom ring hangs loosely below the crown ring.You have completed the second pair of verticals. Continue like this around 3/4 of the drum.
5. Finishing
The rope is now loosely woven around approx. three quarters of the drum.
Make sure you keep a few feet of rope at the beginning and end and cut the rope.Loosely tie it so that it will not be in the way. 6. You are now ready to mount the skin. Learn how to do that on my Djembe reskinning page |
To visualize the African technique, watch the video on my Djembe production page! Need more tipps and advice? I am happy to help. Just contact me! |
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