The most notable of African instruments are a myriad of drums with distinct names, shapes, sizes, timbre or characteristic tone colors, and functions.
The simlplest sub-saharan drum may be defined as a
vibrating membrane fastened across the mouth of a cylindrical body
caved out of a solid tree-trunk. Striking the membrane with a stick
or hand sets up a vibration that is reinforced by the air column
within the hollowed solid tree-trunk. These drums are usually
organized as an ensemble within a collective community system similar
to the structure of the basic community.
In a sub-saharan understanding, a drum is seen as a projection of the human voice.
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