Drum crucial in Christian music

the main instruments used included the drum or ngoma.
After enjoying music from such churches, I appreciated the unique sound of the drum and how effective its usage can be in church for Christian worship music.

Most churches in Zimbabwe that include the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church among others have adopted this traditional instrument for their worship services due to the traditional flavour of its sound.
In such churches, Christian musical groups have emerged which use the drum in their music. Among these groups are the Blessed Voices, Nyasha Dzedenga, Vabvuwi and Mbare Singers of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.

In traditional ceremonies, and at all-night rallies during the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe, drums were beat to produce different tunes and sounds that motivated participants to dance the whole night.
Similarly, different styles of drum beating are employed in churches during crusades and all-night prayer meetings where worshippers are able to dance and sing for God.

Although the drum may produce good Christian music, some people in other Christian circles have argued that the drum had an ancestral background and hence constituted pagan worship.
Whether the drum is appropriate for Christian music or not is a subject of debate but the Bible explains that God should be worshipped with instruments.

The book of Psalms explains this point when it reads: “Praise the lord with harps sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with loud music”‘ (Psalms 33:2-3).

Some members of the Methodist Church argued that the drum was an important instrument in their church because it gave meaning to the type of music of the Methodist Church and that the drum encouraged worshippers to be much closer to God spiritually during a worship service.

Anesu Muchengetwa of Mbare Singers group of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe said the drum, as an instrument for music, is important because it produced entertaining music while at the same time its sound and tune controlled the pace of music.

“‘The drum is very important in Christian music because for us as a group, the drum controls the pace of our music and it gives our group balance,”‘ said Anesu.
He also explained that just as the drum was used in different ways in traditional ceremonies, the drum is also relevant in church to praise and worship God.

Although anyone in church can be allowed to play the drum, Anesu said it is important for the drummer to have the necessary skill and talent to play the traditional instrument in a way that inspires worshippers to sing and dance for God.

One student at the Zimbabwe College of Music in Harare and a member of the Anglican Church who declined to be named said the drum began to be used in church after the arrival of missionaries in Zimbabwe when the first churches were created.

The drum is made from a tree trunk that is hollowed inside with an animal skin covering the top side. The drums come in different sizes. The smallest sizes produce high pitch sounds, which are usually, soprano while the bigger and heavier drums produce high to low pitch bass sounds.

Sound is produced when the drum is beat either with bare hands or with sticks to produce tunes that go along with the songs and dances.
There are different types of drums in Zimbabwe. These include the mhande, dinhe, chikoto drums, all of which have different uses in traditional ceremonies.