The MEINL African Talking Drums are carved into an hourglass shape from a solid piece of Mahogany wood, and decorated with a carved motif. Two hand-selected goatskin heads are spanned with high-quality nylon rope. Traditionally, the talking drum is played beneath one arm, and held against the ribcage. The drum is then squeezed to “bend” the pitch while the other hand employs a curved striker.