A talking drum is a percussion instrument that dates back hundreds of years to Western Africa and is still used in some African cultures today. A head made of fish skin or animal hide, usually goat skin, is tightly stretched over each end of this type of drum, which is made from a single piece of wood. A talking drum is shaped like an hourglass and has numerous cords attached to each head that run the length of it. The pitch of the drum changes when these cords are squeezed. A skilled drummer can coax different sounds and tones from the drum that imitate speech, hence the name “talking drum.”
The Yoruba language in Nigeria is closely associated with the talking drum. Yoruba is a tonal language, meaning different pitches of the same sound have different meanings. It is because of this tonality that the talking drum is able to play the various rhythms and pitches that can be understood people who speak Yoruba.
This drum is traditionally held under the armpit and struck with the other hand’s bent stick. The drum is squeezed between the arm and the body, stretching and tightening the skin across the drum heads as the cords along its length stretch and tighten. The higher the pitch, the tighter the drum is squeezed. When the drum is shaken or struck, small stones are sometimes placed inside to create a rattling sound.
Despite the fact that the talking drum originated in Nigeria, its use spread to Ghana, Niger, and Senegal. African talking drums come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but most are small in comparison to other African drums like the djembe or ashiko. Drums are an important part of African culture, and the Yoruba people use the talking drum in everyday life and to commemorate rites of passage. Births, initiations, marriages, and deaths are all commemorated with talking drums. They are used to honor people and gods, as well as to invoke spirits, at festivals.
Because talking drums’ sound travels, they can be used to communicate over long distances. The talking drum was created with the intention of facilitating communication. A drummer would play a message that could be heard from miles away another drummer, who would then play the message for another drummer to hear. A message could be relayed across many miles in this manner.