Back to topics

What makes the Yorùbá dùndún a talking drum?

Changing tension on a dùndún’s membranes changes its pitch. In a tonal language such as Yorùbá, pitch and timing can carry patterns that a drummer draws on to suggest speech. Recognizing those patterns also depends on language, repertoire, and context; acoustic similarity alone is not a complete translation.

8–10 min

Questions you could explore

  • What does a listener need beyond hearing higher and lower notes?

Start reading

Ready to try your ideas aloud?

Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.

Why do a flute and a violin sound different on the same note?

Music and sound4–5 minTwo instruments can play the same pitch without sounding alike. The balance of frequencies and the way a note begins help create its timbre, so one number does not describe the whole sound.

Music and sound

Who performs the footsteps you hear in a film?

Some screen sounds are performed again during post-production to fit the picture. Foley combines a choice of sound with a choice of timing, so the most useful prop need not be the object shown on screen.

5–7 min

Who performs the footsteps you hear in a film?

Music and sound5–7 minSome screen sounds are performed again during post-production to fit the picture. Foley combines a choice of sound with a choice of timing, so the most useful prop need not be the object shown on screen.

Music and sound

Why can six eighth notes have two different beats?

Six equal subdivisions can be grouped as three pairs or two groups of three. In conventional Western notation, that helps explain the different organization of 3/4 and 6/8 even when the total note value matches.

3–5 min

Why can six eighth notes have two different beats?

Music and sound3–5 minSix equal subdivisions can be grouped as three pairs or two groups of three. In conventional Western notation, that helps explain the different organization of 3/4 and 6/8 even when the total note value matches.

What makes the Yorùbá dùndún a talking drum? | Speech Topic | speaking.app