Anatomy & Assembly — How a carved hardwood body, two goatskin heads, and a web of tension cords become a voice that carries across the savannah
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The Hourglass Body
Carved from dense tropical hardwood — typically Iroko (Milicia excelsa) or Ayan (Distemonanthus benthamianus) — the dùndún body is shaped on a lathe or by hand into a precise hourglass profile. The narrow waist isn't just aesthetic: it concentrates the tension cord bundle that the drummer squeezes to control pitch.
Try It: Squeeze the Cords to Change Pitch
Drag left/right across the drum waist below. Moving toward the center squeezes the cords — raising membrane tension and pitch. Releasing lets it drop.