For the traveling drummer who is on the go and performing in front of a small crowd, the Laptop Cajon Drum is a great alternative other than packing up a complete drum set. Convenient, portable, affordable and excellent producing sound makes the Laptop Cajon an attractive instrument for the percussion enthusiast. How the Laptop Cajon [...]
The Box Cajon Drums
If you are interested in a Cajon Drum then you have probably figured out that there are a lot of options to choose from. You will find that just about every major drum manufacture have a least one type of Cajon available for purchase. The most common type of Cajon Drum you will find on [...]
The Cajon Drum
Cajon Drums are an Afro-Peruvian musical instrument that was developed in the early 1800′s. This was developed by slaves of West and Central African origin, though are now widely used across all of North and Central America. There have been many changes to these drums since their early days. Originally they were constructed from shipping [...]
Cajon Drums are an Afro-Peruvian musical instrument that was developed in the early 1800′s. This was developed by slaves of West and Central African origin, though are now widely used across all of North and Central America. There have been many changes to these drums since their early days. Originally they were constructed from shipping crates or dresser drawers. This style of drum is made as a wooden box, generally with five of the sides made from half to 3/4 inch thick wood and the sixth side constructed of a thin sheet of wood used as a striking surface. A sound hole is
then cut into the back side that is opposite the striking surface. The top edges of the striking surface are generally left unattached and can be slapped against the box. A Cajon drum player sits astride the box and will tilt it at an angle while hitting the striking surface between his knees. A modern style of this drum will feature several screws at the top for adjusting the timbre. Guitar strings, drum snares or rattles may be added to give a buzz effect to the sound produced by the instrument.
There are many companies today that manufacture Cajon drums. There are various types of wood used to construct the drums from white ash to mahogany and they are available in a wide variety of sizes to fit any players needs. There are styes that come with a bass pedal to give a different quality to the sound. Another option that has become available is a hybrids between the Cajon and the Congas. These produce a sound quality that is very different from a more standard type of Cajon drum. This adaptation uses a more triangular shape instead of the more traditionally seen box shape. Cajon drums are widely used as percussion in Rumba and Flamenco music as well as traditional African music and more modern rock. This is a very versatile instrument that creates a powerful sound. Cajon drums continue to make their mark on music, finding their way into new genres and continuously gaining in popularity and usability.
Used traditionally in South America for the rumba or samba music, the sound that emanates from a Cajon drum is as unique as its fabrication. If you are want to build a Cajon Drum here are a few general tips to help you get started on your project. This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive guide just a few suggestion that will hopefully help you get started in the right direction.
Suggestion #1
The first thing that you need to be aware of, if you are going to build a Cajon drum for yourself, is to make sure that it built solid enough so that it can withstand a lot of weight. As I am sure you are aware, this drum is designed to be played with the musician sitting on it while slapping or drumming on the front and side surfaces. This means that you need to use a hardwood, that is preferably at least ¾ of an inch in thickness to be used for the main five sides of the drum.
For these five sides, a maple or birch plywood is traditionally the wood of choice. You will find that you can purchase many different types plywood that will work just fine for the shell of the cajon. But for the actual playing surface, it is important that a high quality plywood such as hickory cherry wood is used as the material. Once you selected the type of material that will be used plywood, and determined the proper dimensions, you can cut out all the pieces and begin the assembly process.
Suggestion #2
Once you are ready to assemble the drum you can simply use wood glue to attach the initial 5-sides of box. Be sure to leave the front or playing surface off for the moment, and screw four thick pieces of wood to support both the upper sides and lower sides of the drum.
Suggestion #3
To produce the traditional snare sound for your drum, guitar strings or wires from a snare drum are good choice. Brackets can be used to hold the strings or wire to either side of the box. These strings are extremely important to the sound of the drum and so most of the care in building should be taken here. They will reverberate against the front side of the drum and so should rest on its surface as can be seen on any normal snare drum. When the process of applying the string is finished, it should be taut horizontally across the front face of the drum, with the attachments you have already put on either side using the brackets.
Suggestion #4
Before final assembly, it is important to not forget to include a sound hole on the backside of the drum, this allows for the reverberation and ensures that the cajon drum will sound and function properly. This is best done by drilling or marking how big you would like the hole to be, then simply using a hole saw to make your cut nice and even.
Suggestion #5
Once you have cut the hole for the backside, the front side of the drum should be nailed or screwed to the box and are your project should almost be finished. You will now want to make sure that the surface is properly sanded and that you have decided on what type of stain you would like to use for the finish. Last but not least do not forget to sit and test the strength of the box at all points of your Cajon drum before playing. Be sure to watch the embedded video I included to help give you even a better idea of the construction process. Happy drumming!
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