Fellow percussionists,

           I have been playing percussion daily for close to 6 months now and my large African Jembe is definatly my favorite percussion piece that I have as I can get the most tones from it.
          However, I'm having trouble getting a deep bass sound from my drum and was wondering if tightening the head would add to the bass or only the high end. The drum is already fairly tight and can only be pushed down very slightly, so it is just under table top firmness.
           Thanks for all your help!

NYSoulPoet
 

When you play, is the djembe sitting flat on the floor, or do you have it angled?  In order to get those really deep bass tones, you need to hit right in the center of the head, and the open end of the drum needs to be "open" (i.e., not closed off by sitting flat on the floor) in order for those bass tones to speak.

Check this before you start adjusting the tension of the drum.

Also, what size is your djembe?  A small djembe will not give the same bass tone as a larger djembe - you can still get bass tones, but they may not be "boomin'" bass tones.

Is it authenic, handmade (vs. Remo) because sometimes those artpiece-type drums just don't project well.  I have a lot of these that just sit on shelves that I can't play at circles because you can barely hear them.

The less tight, the more bass.

Djembes are typically tuned tight, so the drum is on the "choked" side.   This means limited bass.   If you want more bass, you'll have to tune down some.  You will find there is a "sweet spot" for the bass note, just like on a tom on a drumkit.  However, your tones and slaps may suffer.

Larger djembes,  as you might expect,  have more bass.   But with that head size, that's probably not your problem.

Thick carpets or grass will kill the bass note.  If you have to play on a soft surface, put a board or something like that under the drum.  Also, a really "dead" room will limit your bass response.

Be sure to not play dead-center on the djembe (aka jembe); the best technique for bass tones is slightly off center ... so that you don't play on a node (ie. center of head).

If you're playing from a sitting position, there is no reason to hold the drum up with your knees, unless it is a very small drum.  

Most djembes are about two feet tall, and all you need to do to get the bass note out is tilt the drum slightly away from you, so the hole in the bottom is open.  The ground/floor will hold the drum up.  This also gives you a comfortable playing position for your hands.  Once again, a hard surface under the drum will enhance your bass response.

If you do have a very short, small drum, a waist belt will take the strain off your knees.   A drum stand can also do this job for you.

No offense, but using your knees to hold the drum up is doing it the hard way.

This technique is traditionally used when playing congas; it's not very efficient when playing djembe.

I use a Gibraltar stand which allows me to mount the djembe, adjusting the height so I can sit and play ... or stand, straddling the drum and playing it in a traditional position. My LP Collapsible Cradles (conga stands) also work well for the djembe, but it doesn't get the drum high enough to stand and play; sitting is great.