Introducing the Percussion Plus Honestly Made Ghanaian dundunba - 15"
The dundunba is a double ended West African drum, traditionally played horizontally. As the largest, deepest sounding of the three drums that make up the dundun family (pronounced djundjun), it normally serves as the bass of the ensemble, producing resonant low tones.
The dundunba is a wonderful addition to music education settings; it is perfect for underpinning almost any percussion ensemble, especially those involving djembes. The sonorous timbre of a dundunba adds a certain gravitas to performances, and it is an immensely satisfying instrument to strike!
These quality dundunbas are hand carved in Ghana using traditional materials and methods, and are wrapped in brightly coloured, intricately patterned fabric. The two natural hide heads are rope tensioned to provide accurate pitch and create the perfect timbre to underpin djembe music and other ensembles.
This particular dundunba can be combined with the PP6624 11” kenkeni and PP6625 13” sangban to make a full dundun set.
How to play the dundunba
The dundunba should be played horizontally, either laid on the player’s lap or on a table in front of them, which is often more suitable given its grand size. This gives good access to either drum head and allows for maximum resonance. For ensemble work, it will often be appropriate to only play one end of the drum using the provided beater, but for more complex pieces or solo performances both ends could be played together, either with the hands or an extra beater.
Within a dundun group, the dundunba is typically used to play the bass lines, underpinning the ensemble and lending an especially low voice to broaden the soundscape. In fact, the Malinke word “ba” translates as “big”, providing a clear indication of this particular drum’s role in a dundun ensemble.
