Monkey drums are made all around the world, we have ones from Africa, Peru and South America. They are great gifts for kids aged 3+ and adults who are looking to make ethnic sounds/recordings but how do you actually play it? It is simple.
1. Hold the bottom of the stick handle with two hands flat.
2. Slowly twist the stick around the palm of your hand, putting your left hand forward, right hand back. Then again the opposite way around with your left hand backwards, and your right hand forward. This will cause the stringed beads or wood to hit the body base of the monkey drum paddle. Actually making sound from it is the easy part, it is the rhythm that brings the challenges.
3. You should keep practising and try to keep a steady beat, counting 1, 2, 3, 4, (repeat) until you are confidently making the sound on each beat.
Whilst there are many designs of monkey drum, usually, the way to play stays the same, it is only the sound that varies depending upon the materials used, the size and weight of the strikers. I gave my son a Kenyan monkey drum for his birthday and he always picks it up out of his toy box and has a go with a smile on his face, see our full range of drums
