The Meinl African Talking Drum is carved into an hourglass shape from a solid piece of Mahogany wood, and decorated with a carved motif. Two hand-selected goatskin heads are tuned 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.