A beginner's guide
Which hand drum should you start with?
This is one of the questions I am asked most often, and I understand why. You got interested in drumming maybe from a recording or a concert, but there is a wall of unfamiliar instruments whose names are not even clear :). I recorded a video about it and I hope it can help you with your decision ⬇️
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.
Six drums worth considering
Each of these makes a good doorway into percussion. Here is what each one is like, and who it suits.
The cajon
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 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.
Best if you want something versatile, and want to start accompanying different kinds of music fairly quickly.
Frame drums
A different world. Usually softer, more subtle, and much more focused on finger technique, with a far more tonal sound than a cajon. Many sizes, many models, many playing positions: upright, in the lap, supported by the knees, with jingles or without.
Many traditions include them. The Middle East, India, Italy, Ireland, each has its own. You find them in Sufi rituals too, and they can be played very meditatively. What I teach is based on traditional Middle Eastern drumming, heavily influenced by contemporary fingerstyle playing.
Best if you are drawn to subtle sounds, finger technique, and a very direct connection between you, your hand and the drum.
The riq
Part of the frame drum family, but it deserves its own mention. Small, portable, and potentially very virtuosic, with a colourful sound of crisp accents and metallic jingles. A good riq player can create rhythm, melody, texture and ornamentation on one small instrument.
The barrier to entry is a bit higher. Skin sounds, jingles, different grips, and quite a lot of coordination to develop. It can also feel heavy in the beginning.
Best if you love the sound and are ready to spend time on technique. It is one of my favourites. If you would prefer early successes, start elsewhere.
The udu
A clay drum with 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 suits sensitive neighbours, thin walls, or a partner who works night shifts. It is less common than the cajon, frame drums, djembe or congas, and it brings a very special colour to your music.
Best if you want something quiet and uniquely beautiful. Another personal favourite, and in my opinion criminally underrated.
Congas
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.
They 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.
Best if your goal is to play percussion in a band.
The darbuka
If you love Middle Eastern rhythms, this is a logical place to start. 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.
Best if you hear Middle Eastern percussion and immediately think, that is the sound I want.
The short version
There are of course many other beautiful hand drums. These are simply the most popular ones.
- 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.
Still weighing it up? Try several.
World Percussion Fundamentals covers the cajon, frame drums, the riq, the udu, congas and more, taught as one connected family of drums rather than a dozen separate instruments. It is the course I built for exactly this moment.
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