Redundancy Principles 
of Statistical Communications as Applied 
to Yoruba Talking-drum* 
Ojo Arewa and Niyi Adekola 
P' 0 /- of Anthropology. - Ohio State Univ., 
jP- °f Anthropology, 208 Lord Hall, Co- 
Ph. D., Resident Research Associate at 
NO A A /ERL/Wave Propagation Labora 
tory, Boulder, Colorado 80302 
ST • yyj ninrUyUiUg 
wmhus, Ohio 43210 
Contents 
1. Introduction 
2. Construction Components and Technical Aspects of Yoruba Drum 
3. The Drum as a Cavity Resonator 
4. Analogous Technical Aspects of the Drum Resonator 
5. Pitches’ Production and the Coding of the Drum Messages 
6. Redundancy as Applicable to the Talking-drum 
7. Miscellaneous Concepts: Aspects of the Talking-drum 
Principles Identifiable with Modern Communication Concepts 
8. Summary of the Salient Points 
1. Introduction 
The indigenous drummers of Africa have customarily applied the prin- 
pPle of redundancy to drum communication. The Yoruba people of Western 
^geria on whom our discussion will be focused in this paper have been known 
attain a high level of achievement in regard to the application of redundancy 
Principles to the talking-drum. Their drum is a membrane made from goat 
s kin which vibrates when struck. The membrane is stretched over a wooden 
resonator. The resonator, which is not restricted to wood alone, can be made 
r°m other materials. The instrument is used to communicate to long distances, 
nis article first outlines the construction of a typical Yoruba drum. Then, the 
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