Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?

Subject: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: Teresa
Date: 19 Oct 05 - 02:06 AM

Hi, all. I have an odd question.

For years, I've had an East Indian drum that someone gave as a gift. It's cylindrical and has a small head at one end and a larger head at the other. The heads have no resonance whatsoever. I was told there might be a way to stretch them or heat them somehow in order to "tune" them. They are made of some sort of animal skin, with a slight amount of fine hair on it. Perhaps goat?

Anyhow, am I way off the mark here? Any ideas?

Thanks much,
Teresa

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: mooman
Date: 19 Oct 05 - 04:27 AM

Teresa,

I have a similar (but slightly more barrel-shaped) Southern Indian double-headed drum where the heads are tensioned by leather thongs running the length of the instrument. Does yours have such an arrangement or are the heads fixed permanently somehow?

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: Teresa
Date: 19 Oct 05 - 11:56 PM

Well, I hate to say this, but I'm not quite sure. There are many knotted thongs running the length of the drum, and they cover the entire outside. It looks like the head has several pieces that are tab-shaped that are tied on with the knotted thongs. It seems kind of a cluttered mess, so I couldn't begin to figure out if they can be unraveled. I'm trying to find one key point where they might all meet, etc. Maybe I'll borrow someone else's powers of observation and see if they have ideas on looking at it, too.

Thanks,
Teresa

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 02:46 AM

Tense the throngs.
With the European drum it is easier. Every two throngs are running through a strap, and moving the straps down tenses the drumheads.

But if you are no drummer and don't want to play it, hang it on the wall. Will make an interesting decoration.

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: mooman
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 04:27 AM

Yes Teresa,

My good friend Wilfried is right of course.

Those thongs are used for tensioning the head (via the tabs) and you will need to "unravel the mess" to retension the heads. It is tricky but can be done with patience!

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: Teresa
Date: 20 Oct 05 - 06:44 PM

Whew! i'm on the right track then, with your help! I'm going to see if a drummer friend of mine wants to tackle this one. I'd sure love to hear a nice sound come out of this drum. I firmly believe musical instruments are to be played. If I can't play it, I'll give it to my friend.

thanks so much for the info, and I'm glad my descriptions made some sort of sense. :)

Teresa

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 21 Oct 05 - 09:59 AM

Your drum could be a dholak (with a dot below the d; a laced, double-headed barrel drum). A picture can be seen in:
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians / ed. by Stanley Sadie. - London : Macmillan, 1980 [et al.]
Vol. 5, p. 640, fig. 1: from Jaipur, North India

The bewildering entanglement of thongs could be an elaborate device for tensing the drum - so be careful!

Boom boom
Wilfried

P.S. My good and learned friend mooman here is exceptionally right in my praise; thanks for the good estimation.

Peace
W

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 21 Oct 05 - 12:42 PM

Dholak (click)

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 23 Oct 05 - 01:52 PM

Thanks, animaterra. Your dholak looks well ordered (Western made?), the picture I found in the New Grove looks a lot stringier.

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: Kaleea
Date: 24 Oct 05 - 12:49 AM

When I had a Bodhran which could not be tuned, sometimes too much moisture in the air caused the same problem of the skin not being taut. Some non permament remedies are: lay the drum down under the hot sun with the head up till it tightens up to the desired tuning; place a heating pad over the drum head; place the drum near a light bulb.
I've had some folk drums which have (skin) heads held down by strips or laces of the same skin which have since dried out & one would have to wet them down & soak them to adjust the tension. It often results in ruining the wooden drum barrel and the laces, & trying to remove the dried ties sometimes causes them to break. Good luck!

Subject: RE: Instruments: Tuning Indian Drum?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Oct 05 - 03:24 AM

I thought from your description it was the style of drum sometimes called a 'talking drum', cause you can vary the pitch, so it can sound like speech. That type however have an inward curve between teh heads so that when pressed under the arm allows you to adjust the tension instantly to get the 'talking' effect. I know that such drums were African, but don't know if there was an equivalent Indian style.