And the Beat Goes On....

Starting the day with the beat of the drum at sunrise!

"Drums keep pounding rhythms to the brain...." - Sonny and Cher -

Have you ever listened to a band without the drums? I'm not talking about an acoustic set performance that features one musician, I'm talking about a complete band. The truth is, it wouldn't be a band without those beats bringing in the grounding vibrations to the song.

If you take a journey back in time the frame drum is the oldest known musical instrument. It is said to be the grounding force, the "heart beat" of Mother Earth. It is a primal instrument whose rhythms can evoke a sense of harmony with nature. There are many cultures that use hand drums for healing, meditation and connecting with the land and even each other. Drum circles are known for exactly that connection. The earthly vides emitted from wood and hide are infectious. Great drum circle leaders can guide people to the most soulful places.

What I find most surprising is how drumming is historically defined as a feminine energy. Sacred drumming was one of the primary skills performed by female deities (Mother Goddesses) in many Mediterranean cultures. I am not writing this to plant an historical seed but more to share my experience with the frame drum which was illuminated one day while I was listening to a YouTube channel (Calm Whale), a favorite of mine when I'm buzzing around the house cleaning or gardening or doing what we do when we are in the solace of our homes. Calm Whale featured a video of shamanic drumming along with other instruments like the chimes and hand pan (and beautiful visuals I might add.) The rhythms and beats stopped me (I literally paused to listen) and made me want to create similar rhythms and beats myself!

I began researching frame drums, found more channels on YouTube, learned how the different sizes created different tones and vibrations. I was hooked. Over time I learned how to play these beautiful drums practicing and perfecting many different techniques (I now own seven frame drums!!) It's not just about banging on a piece of rounded wood with a sheet of material (either animal hide or synthetic skin). It's about the vibrations radiating from these instruments.

There is a wide range of frame drum makers. Once you sample a frame drum there is a vibe that osmotically gets transferred from the drum to the drummer. Originally, the drums are made from various types of beautiful woods (rosewood, maple, birch, mahogany, cherry, oak) with usually rawhide or other hides (buffalo, goat, deer, moose, bear) stretched across and around the wood.

PLEASE NOTE: Many companies will not use animals hides and have created wonderfully similar synthetics that emit beautiful, comparable sounds, which I highly recommend. Remo makes very fine synthetic drums made from mylar plastics and polyester film. (If you are using a drum already made from hide, I would highly recommend you take a moment, hand to your heart, and give thanks to the animal for their life with the promise of respecting that hide.)

The frame of the drums are usually circular (although I have played lovingly on triangular and square drums) and come in various diameters. Each size, obviously, will produce all different tones, the largest having the deepest, most beautiful (in my opinion) voices. They even come with beautiful, ancient symbolic art on the heads of the drums.

The world today, the times we live in, almost beg us to find places to retreat and discover alternative modes of relaxation, meditation, peace and tranquility. Find yourself a beautiful drum, find your own beat, create your own rhythm, join a drum circle.

And the beat goes on.....