Shamanic Drums
Since time immemorial, the ancient peoples of the earth have used percussion for different activities, rituals, ceremonies, healings, celebrations, to communicate etc. Today after thousands of years we continue to use percussion and drums for the same uses and new ones.
There are many types of drums, as many as peoples and cultures.
What they are made of:
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The most common materials used to build a drum have been and are wood and animal skin. Depending on the region and area of the planet and the type of tree that is found there, they can be made of: pine, ebony, olive, cedar, maple, birch, beech, oak, mahogany, walnut, ash, linden, etc. … Each type of wood has a different resonance.
The traditional process is to empty a log in order to get a circular wooden ring and in some cases oval. Nowadays racks or frames made of a single piece of wood are difficult to find as they are very laborious and expensive to make. We can also find octagonal-shaped drums, with twelve sides, etc. The type of animal skin used depends on the place where the drum is built, although now with globalization everything is possible. In some cultures the skin of the drum can be that of a horse, deer, cow, goat, snake, big fish etc … Animals are sacred and therefore their skin on the frame of a drum is still sacred, they are still alive in another form and we honor their life and they honor ours. In Verde Tierra drums the skin is recycled from the food industry.
What do we use this type of drum for?
In a drum, the animal and plant kingdoms unite. When a drum sounds a door opens to Other dimensions or vibrations. Vibrational waves resonate in our body and wherever they reach they have a positive effect, harmonizing our cells. The drum in today’s sacred everyday is increasingly present in a sector of the population. We can use it to:
Sing- The throat opens, the vibration reaches the fifth chakra and our voice joins the vibration of the drum creating very special harmonies.
Dance- Feeling the rhythm of the percussion, we move by letting ourselves go, letting go and exercising our body, we reach states of liberation almost ecstatic.
Clean or harmonize spaces- Taking the vibration of the drum to the corners of the house or to any desired place, we clean and reorganize the energies, airs, trapped vibrations etc.
Open roads- The shamanic drum is a good instrument to help us in those moments when we start a new project or path. It also calms the heart in times of restlessness. Rituals, ceremonies, rites of passage, circles, Temazcales ….. Sharing a good percussion session in a group at sunset can be a very special moment. With the light of the moon it is magical.
Pampering The drums are very cuddly and they like to be cared for, pampered and protected, they also like to play rhythms, they like to share and enjoy, they love to reach your heart, they love to feel how you open your throat and break and raise your ancestral voice that is in you when it sounds.
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Care:
The most important thing is to take into account the expansion and contraction of the wood and the skin, and especially the skin. Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of the relative humidity in the place where the drums are located. All musical instruments get out of tune or change their sound depending on the atmospheric conditions in which they are. Every musician takes great care of his/her instrument, keeping it protected from temperature changes, blows, improper use, rain, extreme sun, etc … Drums also need that care. Keep your drum protected, you can have it hanging on the wall inside the house or stored in a closet with its cover. When you are out and about with your drum, it is recommended that it be kept in it’s cover or covered by a blanket, cloth, etc. to protect it.
You have to pay attention at night, which is when there is more humidity, especially on the seashore, rivers or lakes. In these places it is convenient that when we are not using the drum we leave it protected and that it is not directly on the ground. We already know that it becomes very soft with humidity, it needs heat. Depending on the circumstances there are different options; to heat it in the sun , near a fire, with a stove, with a dryer, with a heat lamp, etc … When the drum is very tense due to excess heat, weather or other causes, the sound can be very metallic with little vibration. If you want to change this tension, humidity is the solution; wet your hand and pass it over the skin or with a spray you apply a little water. This makes the skin relax and talk a little and change the sound. Here we have the balance between water and fire Air and earth.
That the skin is at its ideal point of hydration is important. Once or twice a year it is advisable to apply a thin layer of horse fat, which you can find in stores in the shoe care section or in polishes. This layer of horse fat provides hydration to the skin and protection against humidity. The result is to prevent cracks in the drum due to excess dryness and to resist a little longer without the effects of a humid environment. At home we have a hygrometer; I look at the relative humidity in the air and then I listen to the tension of the skin and the sound of the drum. So I get to know the drum in the different degrees of humidity.
How to choose a drum:
It clearly depends on our taste and the use that we are going to give it. It may also be that the drum chooses you, in that case you have to accept the gifts of life.