X8 Drums Blog

The indigenous peoples of Australia have one of the oldest, continuous cultures in the world. Their culture is believed to be over 40,000 years old and lays claim to one fascinating musical instrument: the didgeridoo. The didgeridoo is a long, wind instrument that can measure anywhere from three to ten feet in length. The most common length for a didgeridoo, though, is four feet and the instrument can be found all around the world.Indigenous Australians say that the didgeridoo comes from the god …

Learning to play a musical instrument can seem like a daunting task for many of us. In a culture that is largely focused upon perfection and getting everything achieved quickly, the time and mistakes that go into learning to play an instrument are often relegated to the domain of childhood. Even children, though, are often given daily schedulesComputers and Internet service can help make life in a fast-moving world feel more accessible. There are so many videos available to help us learn to play …

The holiday season is the perfect time to surprise your favorite musician with a sock! A stocking stuffed with musical goodies, that is.Your favorite percussionist will love our fruit shakers. The shakers come in apple, pineapple, orange, banana, mango, lemon, and various other fruit shapes that sound as good as they look. These fruits are sure to be a welcome addition to classrooms and jam sessions alike… plus, they will never go bad.We also have a special Christmas edition Hohner Big River Har …

There is a way to immediately rivet a group…really capture and hold their attention totally and completely, regardless of age. Whether you are already a percussionist or musician seeking another way to express your musical abilities with groups, or you are a facilitator, classroom teacher or enthusiast with no 'musical' experience, the world of Rhythm Facilitation offers amazing tools for group energy!As a rhythm facilitator, you can use the universally energizing power of everything form hand p …

Whether you have a standard drum set or you play the gong, Sabian is a company name that rings a bell. It is one of the biggest names in cymbals and the winners of its most recent Cymbal Vote contest are now listed on their website. The Cymbal Vote contest allows drummers from all over the world to have a say in which new models will be introduced the following year. Interested drummers can register and vote every year between September 1st and October 31st with results announced in January at t …

Since 1987, Austin, Texas, has hosted one of the premier music festivals in the nation. The South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW) aims to help develop the careers of creative people and companies by bringing together folks from all over the world. It acts as both a meeting ground and sharing venue, and Austin has proven to be an ideal location for this kind of music-based interaction. As a city well-known for its creative music sensibilities as well as its hunger for live music …

When you think of X8, you think of drums. The large selection and variety of drums and percussion instruments we carry is rather staggering. We are known for carrying just about everything any kind of drummer could need or want. And our ability to meet the average drummer’s every whim and desire just got better because X8 now carries Paiste cymbals.Paiste was born in Russia in 1901, brought into the world by Estonian composer Michail Toomas Paiste. Their first cymbals were produced in 1906 and, …

Drumming is an important part of cultures around the world. It is a collective, unifying beat that joins us together as we laugh, play and learn. When it comes to drumming, and the powerful rhythm that can be created within a group, a feeling of community grows naturally and allows for a humanitarian spirit to evolve into something, well, bigger.This spirit may best be seen in the Water 4 Africa project. As fans of drumming, and especially hand drums, the beauty and the culture of Africa is part …

Timbales are most often heard in Cuban music and help create the Cuban sound the world has come to know and love. They are a type of kettle drum, descended from the French timpani. Since timpani is French for “timbale”, the French refer to timbales as Latin timbales. Timbales consist of two drums mounted on a single stand. Traditionally, they are made with metal shells, but some manufacturers use wood. Often, a cowbell is attached to the stand along with the drums.Played using wooden sticks, ti …

Kalani Das, MT-BC with a little tip about the Dundun drums.Many of you might be familiar with these beautiful instruments, barrel shaped drums. You can play them in a set, graduated sizes for deep, warm tones. A traditional set consists of 3 wooden drums with cowskin heads.These are amazing instruments and are the driving force in the Melinke West African Susu drumming ensemble music, along with the djembe.The Dundun can be played together in ballet style like in the video above. They can also b …