Different Types of Hand Drums and Percussion Instruments

Hand drums and percussion instruments are integral parts of world music, used in various contexts for communication, expression, and storytelling, highlighting the universal language of rhythm.

Definition of hand drums and their role in music

Hand drums are an essential component of music and have been used for centuries all over the world. These adaptable instruments, which are distinguished by their dependence on the hands to produce sound, have been a part of musical traditions since before written history and remain so to this day. This article delves into the world of hand drums, looking at how they are made, the wide variety of styles available, and their varied uses in music across cultural boundaries.

Historical significance and cultural diversity

Hand drums, originating from wood and goat skin, are significant in West African, Latin American, and Middle Eastern musical traditions, serving as communication tools, religious practices, and cultural identity tools.

Classification by playing technique and construction material

With a rich history that dates back to ancient times, hand drums are a large and diversified family of percussion instruments. Two primary criteria are used to classify them:

Playing Technique Classification:

• Friction Drums: Sound is produced by rubbing the hand or a stick against the drumhead. Examples include the cajon (Peru) and the rubab (Afghanistan).
• Frame Drums: Frame drums, ranging from large bodhráns to tambourines, have a single head stretched over a wooden or metal frame, played by striking it with hands or sticks.
• Goblet Drums: Goblet drums, with a goblet-shaped body and head attached, are widely played globally, with popular instruments like the djembe and darbuka in West Africa and the Middle East.
• Barrel Drums: Barrel drums, such as dhol in India and congas in Cuba, have cylindrical bodies with heads on both ends, played by striking them with hands or sticks.

Construction Material Classification:

• Shell: The drum's body can be made from wood (e.g., cajon), metal (e.g., dhol), ceramic (e.g., dholak - India), or even plastic (e.g., djembe variations).
• Head: Traditionally, animal skin (goat, cow, etc.) was used for the drumhead. Today, synthetic materials like Mylar are popular alternatives due to their durability and weather resistance.

Hand Drum Construction and Materials

From the choice of materials to the intricate techniques employed by skilled artisans, the construction of hand drums is a fascinating process steeped in cultural traditions and acoustic principles.

Variety of materials used in construction: wood, gourd, pottery

• Wood: Popular for durability, sound warmth, and aesthetics. Different woods create distinct tones (hardwood - bright, clear; softwood - mellow).
• Gourd: Lightweight, natural resonance for deep bassy sounds. Can be delicate.
• Pottery: Creates bright, sharp sounds. Heavy, fragile, and expensive.

Types of skins: animal (goat, cow) vs. synthetic

• Animal Skins (goat, cow): Traditional choice, offering warm sound, good responsiveness, but require tuning and weather sensitivity.
• Synthetic: Consistent sound, easier maintenance, less affected by weather, but may have brighter tone and less responsiveness.

Single vs. double-headed drums

• Single-headed: Most common, lightweight, wider range of shapes and sizes.
• Double-headed: Deeper bass tones, often tuned to different pitches for tonal variations.

Special classifications: Idiophones without membranes (ghatam, log drum)

Hand drums can be classified into two main categories based on sound production:

• Membranophones: These are the most common type of hand drum, with a head (membrane) stretched across a shell. Examples include djembe, cajon, and tambourine.
• Idiophones (without membranes): These drums produce sound from the vibration of the body itself. Examples include ghatam (clay pot drum) and log drum.

Types of Hand Drums and Percussion Instruments

• Frame Drums: Shallow body with a single drumhead stretched taut across an open-ended frame. Examples: tambourine, bodhrán, daf.
• Goblet Drums: Single head attached to a vase-shaped body. Examples: djembe, doumbek, udu.
• Cylindrical Drums: Two drumheads stretched across a cylindrical body. Examples: congas, bongos, dhol.
• Tongue and Steel Drums: Steel pans with tongues cut from the surface that are struck with mallets to create musical tones. Example: steelpan.

Frame Drums

Tambourine - A frame drum with jingles

Tambourines are handheld percussion instruments with jingles attached at regular intervals, used in European folk music, Middle East & North Africa, Latin America, and worldwide folk music genres. They are commonly used alongside dances and celebrations in Europe, and in Middle East and North Africa, they play a prominent role in belly dance music.

Bodhrán - Key in Celtic music, played with or without a stick

The bodhrán is a frame drum in Celtic music, providing rhythm and accents within a piece rather than following a key. It is typically played with a tipper, a single-headed beater traditionally made of wood or bone, rather than bare hands in some techniques.

Tar - Ancient Middle Eastern drum

The tar, an ancient Middle Eastern and North African frame drum, is a prominent instrument in folk, classical, religious, and modern music, played vertically on the lap with one hand.

Daf - Iranian frame drum with metal rings

The Daf, an ancient frame drum from pre-Islamic Persia, is a dynamic instrument with a sturdy wood frame, animal skin membrane, and metal rings, deeply rooted in Iranian culture and influenced by music traditions and Sufi rituals.

Pandeiro - Brazilian frame drum

The pandeiro, a key hand drum in Brazilian music, is a versatile instrument with a wood shell, tunable head, and cupped metal jingles, used in various styles like samba, choro, coco, and capoeira.

Goblet Drums

Djembe - Popular African drum with a wide tonal range

The djembe, a goblet-shaped drum from West Africa, is known for its rich sound and rhythmic complexity. Made from hardwood, it produces bass, tone, and slap, and is used in various musical styles.

Doumbek - Mainstay of Middle Eastern music

The doumbek, a goblet-shaped hand drum in Middle Eastern music, has a rich history and versatility, making it a core component in various genres like Dabke, Bellydance, Egyptian Maqams, Turkish Sufi, and modern Middle Eastern pop.

Udu - Nigerian clay pot drum

The udu, a Nigerian hand percussion instrument, originated from the Igbo people and is traditionally used by women for ceremonial purposes. Crafted from clay, it has a deep, earthy sound and can be played solo or in rhythmic accompaniments.

Tonbak - Persian goblet drum

The Tombak, a pre-Islamic Persian goblet drum, is a key instrument in rhythmic ensembles. Crafted from a single wood block with an animal skin head, it offers a variety of techniques.

Cylindrical Drums

Congas and Bongos - Central to Latin American music

Congas and bongos are vital Latin American percussion instruments, providing a dynamic foundation for various genres with their rich history and evolving sound.

Ashiko - Traditional African drum

The Ashiko, a traditional African hand drum from Yoruba culture, plays the bass line in ensembles and is found in West Africa and the Americas.

Cajón - Peruvian box-shaped drum

The cajón, a box-shaped percussion instrument from Peru, developed by enslaved West and Central Africans, is a versatile instrument with Afro-Peruvian heritage.

Tabla - Essential in Indian classical music

The tabla, a key percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, serves multiple roles, including rhythmic foundation, accompaniment, solo performances, and global fusion, requiring intricate finger and hand techniques.

Tongue and Steel Drums

Steel Pan - Caribbean music icon

The steelpan, a 20th-century Caribbean musical instrument, symbolizes national pride and global recognition, reflecting the Caribbean spirit of resourcefulness and creativity.

Tongue Drum - Melodic percussion with cut-out tongues

The tongue drum, a melodic percussion instrument, is made from a circular steel shell with raised tongues, producing a rich, harmonic sound. Its simplicity makes it popular for relaxation, meditation, and music therapy, while advanced players can explore complex rhythms.

Hang Drum - A newer type of hand pan that produces melodic tones

The term "Hang Drum" is often used interchangeably with "Handpan," but there's a key distinction.

Handpans, invented by Swiss company PANArt in the early 2000s, are steel tongue drums with melodic and harmonic tones, producing rich, melodic sounds.

Material and Tone Considerations

Impact of materials on sound quality

Shell Material:

• Wood: Wood types and thickness influence tones, with hardwoods producing brighter sounds and softer woods like balsa producing deeper, bassier tones.
• Gourd: Gourds, due to their natural, lightweight structure, provide a warm, deep, and resonant sound.
• Pottery: Clay drums produce bright, cutting tones with good projection.

Drumhead:

• Natural Skin (Cowhide, Goat Skin): These heads produce warm, resonant tones with a wide dynamic range, but are sensitive to temperature and humidity fluctuations, necessitating tuning adjustments.
• Synthetic Heads: These heads provide consistent sound, require less maintenance, and have a brighter, sharper tone with less warmth compared to natural heads.

Natural vs. synthetic drumheads

Here's a table summarizing the pros and cons of each type of drumhead:

Choosing a drum based on musical genre and personal preference

When selecting a hand drum, consider the musical style you want to play and your personal preferences:

Musical Genre:

• Folk and Traditional Music: Natural heads on wooden shells are popular choices due to their warm, earthy tones.
• Latin and Afro-Caribbean Music: Brighter tones are preferred. Here, synthetic heads on wood or fiberglass shells might be suitable.
• Middle Eastern and North African Music: Tuning range and rich overtones are important. Drums with tunable features or natural heads might be ideal.

Personal Preference:

• Sound: Do you prefer a warm, resonant sound or a brighter, sharper tone?
• Playing Style: How will you hold and strike the drum? This might influence the size and material.
• Aesthetics: Wood grains, gourd shapes, and decorative pottery can all be factors.

Cultural and Spiritual Significance

The cultural and spiritual significance of hand drums stems from their central place in rituals, ceremonies, and the oral traditions of various cultures around the world.

Drums as tools for communication and ritual

Hand drums have been crucial for centuries in communication, ritual, and healing practices, serving as long-distance messaging, coded language, social organization, and promoting physical or emotional well-being.

Spiritual and representational purposes across cultures

Hand drums, deeply rooted in various cultures, serve as spiritual connections, trance states, and symbols of social status, adding energy and joy to rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations.

Hand drumming in community and healing practices

Hand drumming, a cultural practice, promotes community building, cultural preservation, social interaction, and healing, fostering connection, cultural heritage, emotional release, physical benefits, mindfulness, and spiritual connection.

Learning and Playing Techniques

Basics for beginners

Beginners should sit comfortably with good back support and hold the drum in their lap or stand. They can start with a matched grip.

Practice drum strokes like open stroke, slap, and tone for deep bass and high-pitched sounds, and gradually build coordination with simple single strokes and alternate hands.

Popular hand drums and their characteristic sounds

• Djembe (West Africa): Large goblet-shaped drum with a rich, bassy sound. Played with open strokes, slaps, and tones for complex rhythms.
• Darbuka (Middle East): Goblet-shaped drum with a synthetic head for bright, penetrating sounds. Played with fingers and slaps for intricate beats.
• Cajon (Peru): Box-shaped drum with a snare mechanism inside. Played with slaps and finger rolls for a rhythmic and percussive sound.
• Conga (Cuba): Tall, single-headed drum played with open strokes and slaps for deep, resonant tones. Often played in pairs for complex rhythms.
• Bodhrán (Ireland): Frame drum with a goatskin head. Played with a stick for a bright attack and with the hand for deeper tones. Used for traditional Irish music.

Advanced playing techniques and rhythms

Hand drums offer advanced playing techniques like double strokes, flu accents, rolls, polyrhythms, dynamics, and learning specific rhythms from various cultures, with numerous online resources available for musical expression.

Choosing Your First Hand Drum

Choosing your first hand drum is an important decision that requires consideration of factors such as cultural background, playing style, and personal preferences.

Factors to consider: Sound, size, material, cost

• Sound: When choosing hand drums for your musical style, consider your desired tone, genre, and tuning to ensure flexibility in exploring different sounds.
• Size: Selecting a drum for music requires considering factors such as playability, portability, size, weight, comfort level, and hand size.
• Material: Drum heads, made from natural or synthetic materials, provide rich sound and require maintenance. Wood is the most common body material, with metal or synthetic materials affecting sound and weight.
• Cost: Hand drums come in various prices, with beginner drums being more affordable. Quality vs. price can be balanced by considering used or starter kits.

Recommended drums for beginners

Acoustic and electronic drum sets are suitable for beginners, offering a traditional playing experience with a wider range of sounds but requiring tuning and maintenance.

Trying different drums to find the perfect match

Drummers choose from various sets based on shell material, size, cylinder selection, and hardware, observing genres, playing styles, and tuning techniques for the perfect setup.

Maintenance and Care

Protecting the drum from environmental damage: Store drums in cool, dry places, avoid extreme temperatures and humidity, avoid moisture, and avoid direct sunlight to prevent warping and cracking of the wood.

Tuning and skin replacement for optimal sound: Hand drums use lugs and tension rods for tuning, with drum keys adjusting pitch. Online resources and videos guide tuning. Drumheads wear out, and replacing them is simple, depending on the type. Resources are available online and in stores.

Cleaning and storing hand drums safely: To maintain a drum, wipe it down with a damp cloth after playing, apply a light coat of teak or linseed oil every few months to preserve the wood, and store it in a padded case or bag to protect it from dust and bumps.

Conclusion

Hand drums and percussion instruments are a fascinating exploration of rhythm, tradition, and self-expression. These instruments transcend cultures and continents, serving as powerful tools for communication, ritual, and community building.
The Sound Artist offers a chance to explore this vast world of percussion, offering expertise to find the perfect hand drum to ignite your creative spark and explore the universal language of rhythm. Discover the vibrant sounds of steel pans and clay pot drums.