Talking drum

The talking drum is an hourglass-shaped drum from West Africa, which can be used as a form of speech surrogacy by regulating its pitch and rhythm to mimic the tone and prosody of human speech. It has two drumheads connected by leather tension cords. It is often played while being held under the arm. The player can change the pitch of the drum by tightening and loosening the cords between their arm and body. Originating from the 18th century, talking drum players used tones to disseminate messages, such as news of ceremonies and commands, over 4–5-mile (6.4–8.0 km) distances. A skilled player is able to play whole phrases. Most talking drums sound like a human humming depending on the way they are played. Similar hourglass-shaped drums are found in Asia, but they are not used to mimic conversation, although the idakka is used to mimic vocal music. Five varieties of dùndún pressure drums of the Yoruba and the atumpan and fontomfrom of the Asante (Ashanti) are especially notable. They send messages up to distances of 20 miles (32 km), where other drummers relay them, quickly spreading news.

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