Hand drums may not be setting the sales charts on fire, but the category remains a steady presence for many MI retailers, serving everyone from gigging percussionists and hobbyists to schools and wellness communities. In this month’s dealer survey, half of respondents report sales holding level over the past 12 months, while cajons lead the pack among individual drum types and Latin Percussion remains the category’s dominant brand. Looking ahead, dealers see opportunities in education, drum circles, and the continued popularity of Latin music — even as an unpredictable retail environment makes forecasting anything but easy.
About level: 50%
Down: 33.3%
Up: 16.7%
What specific types of hand drums are currently your strongest sellers?
Cajons: 66%
Bongos: 50%
Djembes: 50%
Congas: 41.7%
Tambourines: 41.7%
Frame Drums: 25%
Tongue Drums: 16.7%
Bodhrans: 8.3%
Talking Drums: 8.3%
Doumbeks/Darbukas: 8.3%
Which hand drum brands are currently the most popular with your customers?
LP (Latin Percussion): 91.7%
Toca Percussion: 58.3%
Remo: 33.3%
MEINL: 25%
Tycoon Percussion: 16.7%
Rhythm Tech: 16.7%
Pearl: 8.3%
Gon Bops: 8.3%
Grover Pro: 8.3%
Nino Percussion: 8.3%
What factors seem to matter most to customers when choosing a hand drum?
Price, quality, and tone.
Jerry Veseley
Veseley Music
Parowan, UT
It just has to be the right “fit” in terms of style of drum, weight, tone, price.
Ted Parrish
Parrish Music
Viroqua, WI
Price, sound, and appearance.
Rick Wertz
Rick Wertz Music Emporium
Altoona, PA
Are you seeing any notable changes in who is buying hand drums or how customers are using them?
[I’m] seeing a rise in use of hand drums in elementary school music programs.
Joni Dey
Herter Music Center
Bay City, MI
There are generally more options available now, which can confuse customers when trying to find the right fit for the need. Drum circles, wellness communities, educational entities, and hobbyists are all target customers.
Lauren Calkin
West Music
Coralville, IA
Looking ahead, what do you expect from the hand drum category over the next year? Are there any particular products, styles, or trends you think retailers and manufacturers should be watching?
With the continued popularity of Latino music, I predict an increase in handheld percussion sales forthcoming.
Veseley Music
I have no expectations. Nothing is “business as usual” anymore.
Rusty Olson
Rockhaus
Milwaukee, WI
Congas seem to be waning.
Eric Burgess
Alpha Music
Virginia Beach, VA
