Dunun (also known as dundun, doundoun, or djun-djun) is the generic name for a family of bass West African bass drums. There are three dunun drums which make up the melody of a West African drum ensemble: the kenkeni, sangban, and doundounba. The kenkeni (small) has the highest pitch and usually keeps time with a simple rhythm. The sangban (medium) usually has a more complex pattern and gives the rhythm its unique character. The doundounba (large) is sparsely interspersed through the rhythm to add more depth and interest. Traditionally, the drums are played by one person per drum with the drum on a stand at a horizontal position where the playing surface is on a vertical plane allowing the two heads to resonate together. However, since the introduction of the ballet, there is often one person playing multiple drums while the drums are set on end with the playing surface at a horizontal plane. This allows for more intricate sticking patterns and faster tempos.

Generation Custom Drums uses segment stave construction and lathe forming for our duns.  The segment stave construction allows patterns to be created when using multiple species of wood; this also allows the inside of the drum to be lathed to a uniform thickness thus creating more uniform resonance of the wood.  These duns sound HUGE!

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