Nick Feng on thu 24 dec 98
I used to make the hourglass-shaped dymbeks for years -- got my goat skins
(first rate quality) from a company in Chicago that specializes in just this
sort of thing UNITED RAWHIDE MFG. CO (312) 276-1177.
But these days, I only make udus! They are so much more fun to throw, and
to play, and, they require no skins at all. Anyone else out there making
these? Udus are a drum native to Nigeria, shaped like a big pot-belied jar,
with a long, widish neck. There is a hole cut into the side of the pot that
you hit with the palm of your hand -- a beautiful sound!
Anita
-----Original Message-----
From: doug honthaas
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Tuesday, December 22, 1998 11:23 AM
Subject: Re: drum Making
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
At 11:56 PM 12/21/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Veronica,
> Thanks for the information about Tandy. I have ordered from them
>before, leather stamps which, by the way, make great impressing tools for
>delicate designs, but I had not thought of them for the drums! Since they
>are leather suppliers, just goes to show how my brain is NOT working these
>days.
> You had offered to send Carina more information, and I wonder if
>you could share that with me too. I am interested in making small-scale
>drums but haven't the faintest idea where to begin. If you can recommend
UP here in Montana, drumming is pretty big. Any occasion, campfire, full
moon gathering can turn into a spontaneous drumming session. Most folks
have some variation of wooden drums but my nephew brought over a few simple
clay drums one day and I went nuts. Just started throwing all shapes and
sizes. They all work and different styles have different advantages.The
smaller ones are easier to carry around and dance with while some of the
bigger ones have incredible rumbles.
Some friends took a bunch of photos a my Christmas home show and I should
have them in hand in a week or two and will try and get some photos scanned.
After experimenting with many different sytles, my current favorite is a
tall challice or goblet shape, single rimmed with ring attachment for head.
Earhenware works great but if you are using stoneware make sure the
claybody is suited for these lareger pieces. I made some out of a very
closed stoneware body and had some trouble getting the top and bottom to
stick together without cracks . Now I use clay with more sand or grog. I
throw the drum in two pieces ...about 5 lbs. each. The botton is stem-
shaped and to top piece is just a nice big bowl with a fat,rounded rim.
When leather hard the pieces are trimmed, the bottom cut out of the bowl
with a needle tool and I attach the two well scored pieces with lots of
slip.Dry very slowly. Decorate, glaze, carve as desired. Bisque and fire as
ususal.
Attaching head:
1) cut 2 ( or maybe three)circles out of prepared rawhide (see last weeks
instructions on making rawhide) that are about 1 1/2 inches larger in
diameter than the diameter of the drum top. Take one of the circles and
make very small holes (just large enough for the lacing to go through)
about every 2 inches all around about 1/4 inch from edge. Soak this piece
overnight.
2)Take the other circles and starting from the outside start cutting about
a 3/4 inch strip. Keep going round and round until you get this very long
and curly strip of rawhide. Note: rawhide string or lashing is made from a
circle and not from a straight piece of hide. Now soak these pieces
overnight.
3)The next day I take a metal ring ...6'' to 10''...(from craft store) that
is big enoug to go over bottom of drum but to small to go over the belly
(bowl part)and start wrapping this ring TIGHTLY with the now soft rawhide
strip. Dental floss works well to secure ends while wet.Some traditions
just use heavy cloth strips to cover the ring but the rawhide looks really
great!
4) Then next day after the now rawhide covered ring is fully dried I start
to string the drumhead on. You can use soaked rawhide lacing, leather
lacing or artifical rawhide lacing to attach the head. First I slip the
ring over the foot of the drum,place the soaked rawhide circle drumhead on
top and just start threading round through a hole in the head down and
arouwn the ring till it is strung. You will have to adjust your tension
good and tight and even. Make sure to string it as tight as possible. To
get a little fancier you can intermix beads between the head and ring and
these beads can be used to adjust tension of the drumhead. Dry slowly.
Hope to have some phots for you soon. Veronica
Veena Raghavan on fri 25 dec 98
Anita,
Udus sound fun, especially since they are all pottery. Would you
mind giving a little more information on the shape, placement of the hole,
size of the hole etc.
Thanks in advance and happy holidays.
Veena
Veena Raghavan
75124.25520@compuserve.com
Larry Phillips on fri 25 dec 98
Nick Feng wrote:
> Some friends took a bunch of photos a my Christmas home show and I
> should have them in hand in a week or two and will try and get some
> photos scanned.
All this talk of udus and doumbecks and other types of ceramic drums
caused me to go looking around the web. I fount a great place for some
pictures, sound samples, and videos (quicktime) of various ceramic
instruments. It includes drums, fiddles, flutes, didjerdoos, and
combinations of these. Very interesting site! Have a look at:
http://www.ninestones.com/begallery.html
--
---------------------------------------------------------------
I like deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound of them
as they go flying by.
http://cr347197-a.surrey1.bc.wave.home.com/larry/
Nick Feng on sat 26 dec 98
The udus that I make are based on the traditional Nigerian type, but I throw
mine (mainly because I love to throw the best). They have a rounded bottom
that flares out to a wide pot-belly shape, basically it's a round, ball-like
shape that opens up to a neck. The hole on the side is about 2 1/2"
diameter, placed on the upper part of the sphere-shape. The hole at the top
of the neck is about the same, maybe a bit larger. You can see one at
http://www.ninestones.com/begallery.html. I used to have one on my web
page but I'm focusing on making ocarinas more nowadays.
Anita
-----Original Message-----
From: Veena Raghavan <75124.2520@compuserve.com>
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Friday, December 25, 1998 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: drum Making -udus
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Anita,
> Udus sound fun, especially since they are all pottery. Would you
>mind giving a little more information on the shape, placement of the hole,
>size of the hole etc.
> Thanks in advance and happy holidays.
>Veena
>Veena Raghavan
>75124.25520@compuserve.com
>
Lee Daniels on sun 27 dec 98
Hi Anita - I've been playing around with making "finger udus." They're
about 6" tall and played by holding the bottom against your stomach and
tapping the sound hole with one hand and the neck with the other. Kinda
fun!
- Lee in Seattle
----------
> From: Nick Feng
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: Re: drum Making -udus
> Date: Thursday, December 24, 1998 11:21 AM
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I used to make the hourglass-shaped dymbeks for years -- got my goat
skins
> (first rate quality) from a company in Chicago that specializes in just
this
> sort of thing UNITED RAWHIDE MFG. CO (312) 276-1177.
>
> But these days, I only make udus! They are so much more fun to throw,
and
> to play, and, they require no skins at all. Anyone else out there making
> these? Udus are a drum native to Nigeria, shaped like a big pot-belied
jar,
> with a long, widish neck. There is a hole cut into the side of the pot
that
> you hit with the palm of your hand -- a beautiful sound!
>
> Anita
> -----Original Message-----
> From: doug honthaas
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Date: Tuesday, December 22, 1998 11:23 AM
> Subject: Re: drum Making
>
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> At 11:56 PM 12/21/98 -0500, you wrote:
> >Veronica,
> > Thanks for the information about Tandy. I have ordered from them
> >before, leather stamps which, by the way, make great impressing tools
for
> >delicate designs, but I had not thought of them for the drums! Since
they
> >are leather suppliers, just goes to show how my brain is NOT working
these
> >days.
> > You had offered to send Carina more information, and I wonder if
> >you could share that with me too. I am interested in making small-scale
> >drums but haven't the faintest idea where to begin. If you can recommend
>
>
> UP here in Montana, drumming is pretty big. Any occasion, campfire, full
> moon gathering can turn into a spontaneous drumming session. Most folks
> have some variation of wooden drums but my nephew brought over a few
simple
> clay drums one day and I went nuts. Just started throwing all shapes and
> sizes. They all work and different styles have different advantages.The
> smaller ones are easier to carry around and dance with while some of the
> bigger ones have incredible rumbles.
>
> Some friends took a bunch of photos a my Christmas home show and I should
> have them in hand in a week or two and will try and get some photos
scanned.
>
> After experimenting with many different sytles, my current favorite is a
> tall challice or goblet shape, single rimmed with ring attachment for
head.
> Earhenware works great but if you are using stoneware make sure the
> claybody is suited for these lareger pieces. I made some out of a very
> closed stoneware body and had some trouble getting the top and bottom to
> stick together without cracks . Now I use clay with more sand or grog. I
> throw the drum in two pieces ...about 5 lbs. each. The botton is stem-
> shaped and to top piece is just a nice big bowl with a fat,rounded rim.
> When leather hard the pieces are trimmed, the bottom cut out of the bowl
> with a needle tool and I attach the two well scored pieces with lots of
> slip.Dry very slowly. Decorate, glaze, carve as desired. Bisque and fire
as
> ususal.
>
> Attaching head:
> 1) cut 2 ( or maybe three)circles out of prepared rawhide (see last
weeks
> instructions on making rawhide) that are about 1 1/2 inches larger in
> diameter than the diameter of the drum top. Take one of the circles and
> make very small holes (just large enough for the lacing to go through)
> about every 2 inches all around about 1/4 inch from edge. Soak this
piece
> overnight.
>
> 2)Take the other circles and starting from the outside start cutting
about
> a 3/4 inch strip. Keep going round and round until you get this very long
> and curly strip of rawhide. Note: rawhide string or lashing is made from
a
> circle and not from a straight piece of hide. Now soak these pieces
> overnight.
>
> 3)The next day I take a metal ring ...6'' to 10''...(from craft store)
that
> is big enoug to go over bottom of drum but to small to go over the belly
> (bowl part)and start wrapping this ring TIGHTLY with the now soft rawhide
> strip. Dental floss works well to secure ends while wet.Some traditions
> just use heavy cloth strips to cover the ring but the rawhide looks
really
> great!
>
> 4) Then next day after the now rawhide covered ring is fully dried I
start
> to string the drumhead on. You can use soaked rawhide lacing, leather
> lacing or artifical rawhide lacing to attach the head. First I slip the
> ring over the foot of the drum,place the soaked rawhide circle drumhead
on
> top and just start threading round through a hole in the head down and
> arouwn the ring till it is strung. You will have to adjust your tension
> good and tight and even. Make sure to string it as tight as possible. To
> get a little fancier you can intermix beads between the head and ring and
> these beads can be used to adjust tension of the drumhead. Dry slowly.
>
> Hope to have some phots for you soon. Veronica
Joy Holdread on fri 1 jan 99
In a message dated 12/24/98 12:31:42 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
nfeng_ms@email.msn.com writes:
>
> But these days, I only make udus! They are so much more fun to throw, and
> to play, and, they require no skins at all. Anyone else out there making
> these? Udus are a drum native to Nigeria, shaped like a big pot-belied
jar,
> with a long, widish neck. There is a hole cut into the side of the pot
that
> you hit with the palm of your hand -- a beautiful sound!
>
> Anita
Anita,
About how large & do you close off the neck?
Joy in Tucson
Anita or Nick Feng on sun 3 jan 99
The top of the neck is open. The overall height of the udus are around 16"
tall. You can take a look at my web site to see one (it's at the bottom of
my ocarina page) and hear what it sounds like (doesn't really give a good
representation of the real sound, though)
www.scn.org/~bg599
Anita
-----Original Message-----
From: Joy Holdread
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Friday, January 01, 1999 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: drum Making -udus
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>In a message dated 12/24/98 12:31:42 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
>nfeng_ms@email.msn.com writes:
>
>>
>> But these days, I only make udus! They are so much more fun to throw,
and
>> to play, and, they require no skins at all. Anyone else out there
making
>> these? Udus are a drum native to Nigeria, shaped like a big pot-belied
>jar,
>> with a long, widish neck. There is a hole cut into the side of the pot
>that
>> you hit with the palm of your hand -- a beautiful sound!
>>
>> Anita
>
>Anita,
>About how large & do you close off the neck?
>Joy in Tucson
>
Bobbi Bassett on wed 6 jan 99
In a message dated 99-01-01 20:52:55 EST, you write:
> About how large & do you close off the neck?
> Joy in Tucson
I've been following the thread about these bottle drums because I, too, make
them. Until now I've really had nothing to contribute.
Then my Jan/Feb issue of New Age Journal arrived. In this issue is an article
on page 74, entitled "The Rhythm Method". It is about percussionist Mickey
Hart and the spiritual, emotional and healing powers of drumming. On page 77
is a picture of Mickey and 2 oudou's (never was sure about the spelling
before). A picture is really worth a 1000 words.
Hope this helps.
Bobbi in central PA
May the gentle spirit of nature surround you and renew your soul.
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