Cajon Drums

Want great-sounding percussion? Think outside the box.

Sometimes, space limitations won’t allow a drummer the luxury of having an entire drum set on stage. Or maybe you’re playing in an acoustic or “unplugged” musical setting. But when you still need some percussion, what’s a drummer to do? One solution many drummers like is the cajon. Shaped like a rectangular box, it’s small enough to work in the playing space you have, but versatile and powerful enough to deliver the bass beats and rhythms that the music calls for.

To play the cajon, the drummer sits on top of it and plays it with either one or two hands, depending on the sound he/she wants. The cajon can sit flat on the floor or the drummer may tilt it back a little with the sound hole facing the back. For open tone sounds, strike the top of the cajon’s frontplate with a flat hand and your fingers. For bass sounds, tap the cajon in the upper/middle area with an open palm. Hit the sides to create additional sounds. Some cajons even come with snares or strings for built-in sound effects.