Which Hand Drum Should You Start With?

So let me try to help you answer it, and tell you why one drum might work better for you than another.

First, the honest answer

There is no one correct answer. It depends on what you want.

Do you want to accompany songs? Do you want to learn traditional rhythms? Do you need something quiet enough for an apartment? Do you want something you can carry? And which music do you love most?

All of those are good reasons to choose one drum over another. So let us look at a few of them.

The cajon

The cajon is probably the most practical first instrument of them all.

The basic technique is fairly straightforward, and you can make it sound like a small drum kit. That makes it very versatile. It works with pop, rock, hip hop and singer-songwriter music, and it works surprisingly well for Middle Eastern grooves and world percussion patterns too. It is also the traditional drum of flamenco, which is just beautiful and so much fun to play.

If you want something versatile, and you want to start accompanying different kinds of music fairly quickly, the cajon is a great choice.

Frame drums

Frame drums are a different world.

They are usually softer, more subtle, and much more focused on finger technique. The sound is far more tonal than a cajon. There are many sizes, many models and many playing positions to explore. You can play them upright, in the lap, supported by the knees, with jingles or without, in traditional styles or with a modern crossover approach.

There are also many musical traditions that include frame drums. The Middle East, India, Italy, Ireland, each has its own frame drumming tradition. You find these drums in Sufi rituals too, and they can be played very meditatively. What I teach in my courses is based on traditional Middle Eastern drumming, but it is heavily influenced by contemporary fingerstyle frame drumming.

They are a little less flexible than a cajon across musical styles, because the sustain is long and the sound is so tonal. But if you are drawn to subtle sounds, to finger technique, and to a very direct, tangible connection between you, your hand and the drum, and playing pop music is not the first thing on your list, frame drums are a wonderful place to start.

The riq

The riq belongs to the frame drum family, but it deserves its own mention.

It is small, portable, and potentially very virtuosic. The sound is colourful, with crisp accents and metallic jingles. A good riq player can create rhythm, melody, texture and ornamentation on one small instrument. It is amazing to hear.

The barrier to entry is a bit higher, though. You have the skin sounds, the jingles, different grips, and quite a lot of coordination to develop. The instrument can also feel heavy in the beginning.

If you love the sound of the riq and you are ready to spend time on technique, go for it. It is one of my favourites, such an amazing drum. If you would prefer a smoother path and some early successes, it may not be the one to begin with.

The udu

The udu is a clay drum, and it has one of the most beautiful and unusual sounds in the whole percussion world. Deep, warm, soft and earthy, with a bass that keeps modulating every time you lift your hand.

Because it is quiet, it can be a great choice if you have sensitive neighbours, thin walls, or a partner who works night shifts. It is not as commonly used as the cajon, frame drums, djembe or congas, and it brings a very special colour to your music.

If you want something quiet and uniquely beautiful, the udu is worth considering. It is another personal favourite, and in my opinion criminally underrated.

Congas

Congas are a great choice if you want to play with other musicians in a popular music or jazz context, especially in a band that already has a drum set player.

In that setting you are not replacing the drummer. You are adding another rhythmic layer. Congas bring movement and warmth to the music. They are strongly connected to Afro-Cuban and Latin music, but they work beautifully in many other styles.

They are louder, bigger and less portable than some of the other options. If your goal is to play percussion in a band, though, they are a strong choice.

The darbuka

If you love Middle Eastern rhythms, the darbuka is a logical place to start.

It has a strong bass, crisp slaps, bright tones and a very expressive rhythmic language. Over the past twenty years its technique has been developed to a remarkably high level through the Turkish split hand style of playing. It is fairly portable, and there are many beautiful traditional grooves to learn on it.

So if you hear Middle Eastern percussion and immediately think, "that is the sound I want", the darbuka is the obvious choice.

The short version

There are of course many other beautiful hand drums. These are simply the most popular ones, and each of them makes a good doorway into percussion.

• Something versatile, for accompanying songs: start with the cajon.
• Finger technique, many sounds and positions, a large library of traditional rhythms: look at frame drums.
• Small, portable, potentially very virtuosic: consider the riq.
• Soft, beautiful and unusual: try the udu.
• Playing percussion in a band that already has a drummer: congas.
• Middle Eastern rhythms: the darbuka, though frame drums and the riq also check that box.

And the thing that matters most

Do not worry too much about finding the right drum.

In the end, choose the one that speaks to you most, because that is the instrument you will keep coming back to. That is the one that makes you want to play, and want to practise.

Once you have a solid foundation, you can always start exploring the others. Most of us end up with more than one drum anyway.

David