How To Tie Djembe Knots
Step By Step Rope Replacement Instructions

Are you trying to figure out how to tie djembe knots? Just watch how Kingy Mensah does it, the friendly drum builder in Ghana. He'll show you step by step:

Step 1

Thightly wrap the bottom iron ring with a strip of cotton cloth .

Step 2

Use white glue to finish. to This protects the rope from rust and cuts.

Step 3

Repeat the same thing with
the crown ring.

Step 4

Measure the rope by wrapping it around your arm about 7 times. Don't cut it from the spool yet, just mark it with a knot. 

Step 5

Start with the crown ring. Hold the mark and place the measured rope over the ring into the middle. Pull it out from under the ring and over the rope.

Step 6

Now, place the rope under the ring into the middle.

Step 7

Pull it out over the ring and through the loop.

Step 8

Tighten the rope. The first knot is finished. Let's try that again...

Step 9

Place the rope over the ring and pull it through the loop.

Step 10

Place the rope under the ring and pull it through the loop.

Step 11

Voilà! Continue like this all around the ring, leaving no more than 1 inch of space between the knots. Now, you can cut the rope and tie the ends together or fuse them with a lighter.

Step 12

Count your knots. Place the drum upside down and tie the exact same number of knots onto the bottom ring. Leave less space between the knots than you did on the crown ring.

That's it! It's really simple once you get the hang of it. When this is done, you are ready to add the verticals. Just follow Kingy Mensah's simple djembe stringing instructions. 


Djembe Rope and Pullers

In case you haven't figured out yet what material to use to replace your drum rope, here are a few recommendations: