Slap Djembes

Introducing our Slap Djembe range

When you first think of djembes, you might picture musical nights around the campfire at a music festival, the beach or maybe a keepsake from your travels. Djembes are now one of the most popular drums in schools, promoting a great range of physical, mental, and educational benefits. Read more…

Introducing our Slap Djembe range

When you first think of djembes, you might picture musical nights around the campfire at a music festival, the beach or maybe a keepsake from your travels. Djembes are now one of the most popular drums in schools, promoting a great range of physical, mental, and educational benefits.

So, what if you could give your students a head start from the very beginning? Slap Djembes from Percussion Plus allow just that, with ‘how to play’ directions screen-printed directly on the drumheads. This supports the teacher and the student, allowing everyone to fully engage with the instrument at first sight.

Designed to stand the test of time in classroom environments, the strong yet lightweight design amplifies their accessibility without compromising on sound; the booming bass acts as a foundation, with crisp slaps and deep resonant tones providing the exciting variety that makes these djembes ideal for group music lessons.

Supplied either pre-tuned, rope tuned or mechanically tuned and in a range of sizes from 6" to 12" head diameters, the World Slap Djembe range encourages you to form your own djembe circle and get playing. They are fantastic tools for SEND learning, Whole Class Ensemble Teaching (WCET) and can even be used as part of CPD programmes for teachers looking to develop their musical options and skills!

Features include:
Screen printed heads with suggested playing techniques
Range of sizes and tuning types available to equip your school, music hub, institution, or drum circle
Handy applications for music therapy
All djembes are supplied with a strap
Accompanying resource Andy Gleadhill’s Slap Djembe by the renowned percussionist, educator and author
Complete the drum group with a Slap Djembe djun djun, also called a Dun Dun, Dundunba, Sangban or kenkeni
Classroom packs in 10 and 15 player sizes – great savings for schools and music hubs
Expand your ensemble with the Slap Percussion range of instruments

About the Slap Djembe

Djembe drumming is thought to have originated in West Africa in the 12^th Century where it was played by the Mandinke tribe. It has certainly been a part of cultural rituals in Mali, Guinea, Senegal and other neighbouring West African countries for generations, with strong links to singing and dancing at festivals and ceremonies. These instruments have long been a popular choice for classroom music teaching as well as team building workshops since they offer a level playing field for students of all musical abilities.

With Slap Djembe, you get more than just incredible djembes which feel great to play. They are easy to integrate into wider percussive ensembles, especially with the full range of Slap Percussion instruments which adds extra tones and techniques into your music making.

The distinct styling of the Slap Djembe range really helps these instruments stand out and add vibrant colour to any stage or music instrument store. A range of sizes are available in pre-tuned, rope tunes and mechanically tuned drums to suit all needs and budget requirements.

Andy Gleadhill’s Slap Djembe teaching book for schools

Unsure of where to start? The Slap Djembe resource by Andy Gleadhill provides 12 varied and exciting rhythms from around the globe in a range of difficulties. Each rhythm or tune can be taught over a 10 week period and fits perfectly into KS2 and KS3 music education. It is the perfect introduction to playing and teaching the djembe.

The notation system, developed by Percussion Plus, makes this book easy to understand for a variety of learners and a joy to teach from. It combines standard western notation with symbols for the bass, tone, and slap which demonstrates how to play the drum. This marries perfectly with the Percussion Plus Slap Djembes that have the bass, tone, and slap symbols printed on the head of the drum, but can be used with any djembe or similar drum.

Carnival vs World designs

Slap Djembes are presented in two iconic generations of design. The original Carnival design is inspired by West African artistic culture; with bold red colours accentuated by contrasting blues and whites, the shell really pops with excitement fit to match even the most enthusiastic drumming. The second generation, available from July 2024, features a newly conceived World concept; the ‘World’ design embodies the inclusive spirit of djembe drumming and of Percussion Plus' ethos. Inspired by Andy Gleadhill's Slap Djembe, the map-style sarong-wrapped shell immerses students in a multicultural learning experience. It’s visually striking too, with many flags providing great colourful diversity atop a deep blue oceanic background that looks great in any lighting.

Slap Djembe packs for education

Our range of Slap Djembe packs offer schools the easiest and most cost effective way to buy multiple djembes – perfect for setting up drum groups or kitting out your classroom with instruments for interactive djembe lessons. And now with each pack for 10 players and more, Andy Gleadhill’s ‘Slap Djembe’ resource is included!

Carnival design

• Mechanically tuned Carnival Slap Djembe pack – 10 players: 6 x 8", 3 x 10", 1 x 12" mechanically tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book
• Mechanically tuned Carnival Slap Djembe pack – 15 players: 8 x 8", 5 x 10", 2 x 12" mechanically tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book

• Pre-tuned Carnival Slap Djembe pack – 10 players: 4 x 6", 4 x 8", 1 x 10", 1 x 12" pre-tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book
• Pre-tuned Carnival Slap Djembe pack – 15 players: 5 x 6", 5 x 8", 3 x 10", 2 x 12" pre-tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book

• Rope tuned Carnival Slap Djembe pack – 10 players: 6 x 8", 3 x 10", 1 x 12"" rope tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book
• Rope tuned Carnival Slap Djembe pack – 15 players: 8 x 8", 5 x 10", 2 x 12"" rope tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book

World design

• Pre-tuned World Slap Djembe mini pack – 6 players: 6 x 6" pre-tuned djembes
• Pre-tuned World Slap Djembe pack – 4 players: One each of 6", 7", 8", & 10" pre-tuned djembes
• Pre-tuned World Slap Djembe pack – 10 players: 3 x 6”, 3 x 7”, 2 x 8”, 2 x 10” pre-tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book
• Pre-tuned World Slap Djembe pack – 15 players: 3 x 6", 4 x 7", 4 x 8", 4 x 10" pre-tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book

• Rope tuned World Slap Djembe mini pack – 6 players: 6 x 7" rope tuned djembes
• Rope tuned World Slap Djembe pack – 4 players: One each of 7", 8", 10", & 12" rope tuned djembes
• Rope tuned World Slap Djembe pack – 10 players: 2 x 7", 3 x 8", 4 x 10", 1 x 12"" rope tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book
• Rope tuned World Slap Djembe pack – 15 players: 4 x 7", 4 x 8", 4 x 10", 3 x 12"" rope tuned djembes, Slap Djembe book

Build your own blended ensemble with a mix of sizes and styles, or contact our sales team to create the perfect pack for your music department. We have individual djembe drums and djembe class packs in stock and ready to ship to schools and homes with worldwide shipping options available.