Drum Language

Drums have been used forever, it seems, to call the tribes to action, rally the troops, announce it is time for dinner and just about anything else you can think of. Drums call circles together much as they have done for countless generations in practically all cultures.

I spoke with a long-time drum teacher recently about drum language and he had some interesting thoughts on the subject. There are the actual sounds a drum makes, "Ghun, da, rap!" and then there is what is actually spoken. The specific combination of high tones, slaps and bass notes played at certain intervals, repeated in certain patterns make phrases as plain to the trained listener and as easy to understand as the words you are reading right now. Combine this with the ability to communicate over long distances and one can see that this form of language is incredibly practical. I think a modern equivalent of drum language might be something along the lines of Morse Code - a series of dashes and dots that translate to words and phrases.

In Ghana and many other African countries drum language is still taught. One of the many reasons African Drum masters are so rigid with their instruction is that they are language teachers. Imagine if your High School French teacher just decide to make up words, syntax and grammar. You might be learning some version of French, but not the authentic language. It's the same with drum language. Certain drums are used to communicate particular messages along with particular rhythms.

As an example of what we talked about, here's a link to an article that features drum language being played - http://www.philtulga.com/Drum%20Language.html

Happy drumming...