How can talking drums communicate spoken messages?

Talking drums communicate spoken messages by imitating the rhythm and the rise and fall of words in African languages. Many of these languages are tone languages, characterized by pronounced high and low pitch tones, which the drums exploit to transmit information.12

By using drums of different pitches—such as a lower-pitched "male" drum and a higher-pitched "female" one—drummers can replicate the pitch, accent, and number of syllables in a spoken phrase. Certain instruments, like the hourglass-shaped drums used by the Yoruba, allow the player to manipulate leather lacings to change the pitch or produce the glides typical of the Yoruba language while playing.2

These messages can be transmitted for up to 20 miles, at which point another drummer may receive and relay the information to spread news across a region.12