The names Gun Dun, Go Do, Pa Ta [correspond to right and left bass, right and left tone and right and left slap respectively], come from an African style of teaching (The Yoruba basic scale), and are accepted across the world. As Westerners we are used to writing lessons down, but in Africa, the teaching and technique of djembe playing is passed on orally. The djembe (pronounced "Jem-Bay") is a skin covered hand drum. It originates in West Africa, and dates back to the first millennium. Its shape can be likened to an hourglass, or a goblet.
The djembe can be found throughout West Africa, possibly spread by Numu [refers to a group of African people and their language (also called Ligbi)] migrations dating from 1000AD.
The djembe is said to hold three spirits: the spirit of the tree (the drum body), the animal (the drumhead), and the instrument maker. The body of the drum is traditionally carved from a single tree, with an animal skin (usually goat) used for the head.
Information gleaned from the website New Heartbeat.
Above is a djembe from Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast in English).
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