Tuning parameters of the Nigerian slit drum

The slit log drum, sometimes referred to as a “talking drum,” is an idiophone indigenous to many African and South Pacific cultures. It is made from a log that has been hollowed out through two square openings, which are separated by a solid piece of the wood. The solid piece is cut down the middle to produce two tabs that when struck produce pitches that are usually separated by a musical fifth. We report on an investigation of the tuning parameters of slit log drums from Nigeria using both numerical and analytical models. We conclude that the most efficient and effective method of tuning the drum is to carve the interior walls near the tabs so that they have different thicknesses, which is indeed is how the Nigerian artisans produce the two distinct pitches.