Acoustic Musical Instruments » Drums http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com Piano, Guitar, Bass, Strings, Songs, Chords, and Harmony Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:47:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Introduction to the Bodhrán http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/introduction-to-the-bodhran/ http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/introduction-to-the-bodhran/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:25:39 +0000 keira http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/?p=842 BodhránThe Bodhrán is an Irish frame drum instrument that ranges in size between 25 cm and 65 cm, or 10 inches to 26 inches in its diameter. Most Bodhrán drums measure between 35 cm and 45 cm or 14 inches to 18 inches. The drum's sides range from 9 cm to 20 cm, or 3.5 inches to 8 inches in depth. The head of the Bodhrán is composed of goatskin, and it is tacked to one of the sides of the drum. Sometimes other animal skins are used, and some Bodhrán also use synthetic materials for the drum head. The other end of the drum is open ended so that the hand can be placed inside. When the hand is placed inside, it is capable of controlling the instrument's pitch and timbre.

Inside the frame there may be one or two crossbars, and sometimes these crossbars are removable, though finding these crossbars have become increasingly rare in terms of the newer, more modern instruments. Some modern professional Bodhrán drums integrate a number of different mechanical systems that are similar to the ones used in drum kits. The Bodhrán skin is typically tightened or loosened by way of an Allen wrench depending on what the current atmospheric conditions are.

Evidence shows that the Bodhrán was utilized by Irish forces during the Irish Rebellion in 1603, also known as Tyrone's Rebellion, and it served as a battle drum. It has also been said that this drum provided pipers and warriors with a cadence that they could keep to. The Bodhrán has also been linked to utilization for announcing when such an army arrived. This has led some people to think that the Bodhrán was derived from a war drum from Celtic cultures. It has been declared by some that the Bodhrán is the Celtic native drum that has a music history capable of predating Christianity.

The name Bodhrán is purported to mean skin tray, but there has also been a link to the Irish word bodhor, which means dull sounding or soft sounding. There is another theory all together that asserts that the name of the Bodhrán is derived from a similar word from Ireland, which is bodhar, and means deaf. The Bodhrán has been relatively new in introduction to Irish music, replacing the tambourine role. This suggests that another potential origin for the name of the Bodhrán comes from the abbreviation, bourine.

There is actually a really close similarity between Spanish military drums and the Bodhrán, suggesting that the instruments from Spain may actually have been introduced by the Irish when they served in the military in Spain. It has also been suggested that the instrument's origin may come from the skin trays that the Irish used to carry peat, and that the earliest of all Bodhrán instruments may simply have been skin that was stretched over a wood frame without having any real means of attaching it.

Photo Credits: rs-foto

Very Fine Waltons 18 Inch Tuneable professional bodhran

Very Fine Waltons 18 Inch Tuneable professional bodhran

 US $199.00
Sale
Remo ET451681 16x45 Irish Bodhran

Remo ET451681 16x45 Irish Bodhran

 US $118.00
Sale
NEW 18 BODHRAN IRISH STYLE TUNABLE GOATSKIN DRUM HEAD w TIPPER BOOKLET

NEW 18 BODHRAN IRISH STYLE TUNABLE GOATSKIN DRUM HEAD w TIPPER BOOKLET

 US $74.93
Sale
Bodhran 18x4 Tune Rosewood Single

Bodhran 18x4 Tune Rosewood Single

 US $85.43
Sale
18 Bodhran Irish folk drum double fixed crossbar w 2 tippers and zipper bag

18 Bodhran Irish folk drum double fixed crossbar w 2 tippers and zipper bag

 US $13.50
Sale
18 BODHRAN BAG PADDED CASE WITH BEATER POUCH

18 BODHRAN BAG PADDED CASE WITH BEATER POUCH

 US $15.76
Sale
18 bodhran goatskin head wood frame double cross tipper instruction book

18 bodhran goatskin head wood frame double cross tipper instruction book

 US $25.00
Sale
QUALITY MAPLE BODHRAN BEATER TIPPER BEATERS

QUALITY MAPLE BODHRAN BEATER TIPPER BEATERS

 US $7.84
Sale
NEW 14 MULBERRY WOOD FRAME SINGLE BAR IRISH BODHRAN DRUM w TIPPER BTG4MS

NEW 14 MULBERRY WOOD FRAME SINGLE BAR IRISH BODHRAN DRUM w TIPPER BTG4MS

 US $47.93
Sale
Waltons 18 Plain Bodhran Package

Waltons 18 Plain Bodhran Package

 US $80.00
Sale
Bodhran Tipper Original Goatwhacker in Ipe

Bodhran Tipper Original Goatwhacker in Ipe

 US $17.00
Sale
Bodhran Tipper Original Goatwhacker in Purpleheart

Bodhran Tipper Original Goatwhacker in Purpleheart

 US $17.00
Sale
BODHRAN DRUM CARRY CASE SOFT NYLON 16 x 7 1 2

BODHRAN DRUM CARRY CASE SOFT NYLON 16 x 7 1 2

 US $17.00
Sale
GOT BODHRAN MUSIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT T SHIRT TEE SHIRT TOP

GOT BODHRAN MUSIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT T SHIRT TEE SHIRT TOP

 US $13.99
Sale
Bodhran Beater Bamboo Brush Sticks

Bodhran Beater Bamboo Brush Sticks

 US $13.24
Sale

Originally posted 2009-10-09 03:43:19. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • banjoIntroduction to the Banjo Instrument The term banjo actually refers to a family of instruments rather than just a single instrument that fits into another family. The banjo instrument family makes use of a membrane made of hide or vellum that is used as a sound board. The first banjo instruments were brought to the......
  • bugleWind Instruments Guide 101 pt 2 Here is a guide to some of the more common and more interesting wind instruments. Some of these instruments are common place in the United States and others have a decidedly more worldly origin. Bugle The bugle is a type of wind instrument that does not actually contain any valves......
  • Playing the BodhránPlaying the Bodhrán The Irish drum known as a Bodhrán is an open ended frame drum, which allows the player to place their hand inside the drum. Having the hand inside the instrument provides a way to control the pitch and timbre of the drum. Generally, the Bodhrán ranges in diameter from between......
  • dulcimerHammered and Lap Dulcimer Instruments The Hammered Dulcimer What the dulcimer is, is a stringed instrument that has perceived to be an ancestor to the modern piano. It possesses a number of courses of between two and five strings for each note, and they are stretched across a shallow trapezoid shaped box that is made......
  • tromboneThe Trombone - a Jazz Instrument that Slides A member of the brass family, the trombone is a wind instrument that is played much in the same way as other brass instruments. The lips are pursed and the musician blows into the mouthpiece in order to create sound. The trombone is unique in that it features a slide......
Online Stores ]]> http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/introduction-to-the-bodhran/feed/ 0 Drums Around the World – A Brief History of Percussion Instruments http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/drums-around-the-world-a-brief-history-of-percussion-instruments/ http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/drums-around-the-world-a-brief-history-of-percussion-instruments/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:36:56 +0000 keira http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/?p=30 Man has been beating drums and playing percussion instruments for as far back as history records have existed. Many books will tell you that it was back around 6000 BC that percussion instruments really made their mark. Hollowed out logs have been found along with other artifacts throughout the years, leading archaeologists and anthropologists to assume that they were used as communication devices during more primitive times. Drums have since taken on a much more prominent role, especially in tribal ceremonies and gatherings where they were utilized for celebration and ritualized dancing.

Music and musical instruments are an extremely part of our history. Rhythm and song have both been used for as long as we can tell in order to express feeling and meaning, as well as to accompany rituals and ceremonies. Music has been a part of human life and culture for as long as the history books can reach. Our earliest civilizations used music as a means of communication as well as to express feeling. The one instrument that has stood out beyond all others throughout the history of music is drums and other percussion instruments. Percussion instruments like drums have earned a place in every culture and history all around the globe. Different variations of drums and drum sets have been found occurring in every culture under the sun, even drums crafted from hollowed out logs, hollowed out gourds and other hollowed out instruments with skin stretched taut over the top. Different sized drums all create different beats and sounds, allowing different cultures to communicate with one another.

In most African cultures, drums and other acoustic percussion instruments were vital in the use of religious ceremonies and rituals. The people belonging to different African tribes would rely heavily on the use of drums as a means of expressing themselves. When the slave trade became popularized, the drums they created began to travel across oceans into other continents and countries as well. African drums provided a truly unique sound that heavily influenced Rock and Roll music in Western culture. Those same rhythms and beats can still be found in today's sounds, providing a strong influence in even today's music.

When it was eventually discovered that a single player could easily manage more than a single drum at a time, people began to put together groups of drums that a single musician could play, which is how the early drum set was born. These groups were generally compromised of a variety of different drums assimilated from different cultures and all over the globe. Cymbals and tom toms for example were brought in from China, sizes adjusted over time to allow for ease of play when playing with drumsticks. Musicians began to discover, especially in the 1930s and beyond that the proper drum placement could allow a single musician to handle an entire set of drums, meaning that only a single drummer was needed rather than an entire band of drummers. This is when the basic drum kit was created, and why it is still so popular today

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-15 05:09:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • dictionaryAcoustic Musical Instruments Glossary Action - This is a term that is used to describe how a musical instrument plays. The use of this term is highly varied within the industry, but the general sense that it refers to is the playability of the instrument or how well it functions on a mechanical level.......
  • BodhránIntroduction to the Bodhrán pt 2 A traditional Irish instrument, the Bodhrán is an open frame drum. The head of the drum is traditionally made out of goat skins, but other animal skins as well as some synthetic materials can be used. The head of the Bodhrán is tacked to one end of the frame and......
  • sethlakemanRenewing the Folk Music Movement with Acoustic Musical Instruments Seth Lakeman, a folk music star that is nominated for a Mercury Prize has been talking about the acoustic of folk music and acoustic musical instruments. For example, Lily Allen's new single is featuring a banjo solo, which would not have happened in years past but now apparently seems to......
  • tromboneWhich Acoustic Instrument is Best for Beginners? Have you decided to take up an acoustic musical instrument, but you are not sure which acoustic instrument is best for beginners? When deciding to purchase an acoustic musical instrument, there are a number of different factors that will put influence on your buying decision, including which are easy and......
  • doublebassIntroduction to the Bass Instrument The bass is also known as the double bass or the doghouse, and it is both the largest as well as the lowest pitch instrument in the violin family. Just like the violin, the double bass instrument evolved from the viol in Europe. Fine bass models are made out of......
Online Stores ]]> http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/drums-around-the-world-a-brief-history-of-percussion-instruments/feed/ 0 Introduction to the Bodhrán pt 2 http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/introduction-to-the-bodhran-pt-2/ http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/introduction-to-the-bodhran-pt-2/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:15:21 +0000 keira http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/?p=850 BodhránA traditional Irish instrument, the Bodhrán is an open frame drum. The head of the drum is traditionally made out of goat skins, but other animal skins as well as some synthetic materials can be used. The head of the Bodhrán is tacked to one end of the frame and the other end of the frame is left open. This open end allows the player to place one of their hands inside to better control the pitch and timbre of the drum. The Bodhrán can range in size from 25cm to 65cm, or 10 inches to 26 inches in diameter, and its depth can range from 9cm to 20cm, or 3.5 inches to 8 inches.

There are not really any known references to the Bodhrán drum prior to around the 17th century. There are a number of different types of drums that were used since ancient times in Ireland and played either with the hands or with sticks, but the Bodhrán is a drum that did not gain any real wide recognition as being a legitimate instrument for music until the resurgence of Irish traditional music, which occurred around the 1960s, and which allowed it to become widely known by way of the music played by Sean O Riada and numerous other musicians as well. Prior to this point, the Bodhrán was mostly used for the purpose of festival processions, and this was only in the southwestern portion of Ireland.

The second wave of the revival of Irish music tradition in the 1960s as well as the 1970s brought about virtuoso playing of the Bodhrán, bringing it to the forefront of the music movement where it was popularized even further by way of a number of bands including but not limited to The Chieftains and Ceoltóirí Chualann.

Although the Bodhrán is most commonly played in Ireland, it has also managed to gain some popularity through the world of Celtic music, including in Cape Breton, in Scotland, in the north mainland part of Nova Scotia and in Newfoundland as well. There is a Newfoundland based music group called Great Big Sea that makes use of a Bodhrán drum in many of the songs that they produce. There is also an American based Celtic band known as the Sandcarvers that utilizes the Bodhrán drum in many of their recordings as well as a number of their live shows. In traditional music in Cornwall, a version of the Bodhrán that is commonly known as a crowdy crawn is sometimes used. The name of this instrument has often meant "miscellaneous" as it has been used throughout history to store a variety of different odds and ends.

The Bodhrán is an instrument with an unknown past, but a bright future as new modern musicians pick it up and begin to develop new techniques for playing it.

Photo Credits: meonomous

Very Fine Waltons 18 Inch Tuneable professional bodhran

Very Fine Waltons 18 Inch Tuneable professional bodhran

 US $199.00
Sale
Remo ET451681 16x45 Irish Bodhran

Remo ET451681 16x45 Irish Bodhran

 US $118.00
Sale
NEW 18 BODHRAN IRISH STYLE TUNABLE GOATSKIN DRUM HEAD w TIPPER BOOKLET

NEW 18 BODHRAN IRISH STYLE TUNABLE GOATSKIN DRUM HEAD w TIPPER BOOKLET

 US $74.93
Sale
Bodhran 18x4 Tune Rosewood Single

Bodhran 18x4 Tune Rosewood Single

 US $85.43
Sale
18 Bodhran Irish folk drum double fixed crossbar w 2 tippers and zipper bag

18 Bodhran Irish folk drum double fixed crossbar w 2 tippers and zipper bag

 US $13.50
Sale
18 BODHRAN BAG PADDED CASE WITH BEATER POUCH

18 BODHRAN BAG PADDED CASE WITH BEATER POUCH

 US $15.76
Sale
18 bodhran goatskin head wood frame double cross tipper instruction book

18 bodhran goatskin head wood frame double cross tipper instruction book

 US $25.00
Sale
QUALITY MAPLE BODHRAN BEATER TIPPER BEATERS

QUALITY MAPLE BODHRAN BEATER TIPPER BEATERS

 US $7.84
Sale
NEW 14 MULBERRY WOOD FRAME SINGLE BAR IRISH BODHRAN DRUM w TIPPER BTG4MS

NEW 14 MULBERRY WOOD FRAME SINGLE BAR IRISH BODHRAN DRUM w TIPPER BTG4MS

 US $47.93
Sale
Waltons 18 Plain Bodhran Package

Waltons 18 Plain Bodhran Package

 US $80.00
Sale
Bodhran Tipper Original Goatwhacker in Ipe

Bodhran Tipper Original Goatwhacker in Ipe

 US $17.00
Sale
Bodhran Tipper Original Goatwhacker in Purpleheart

Bodhran Tipper Original Goatwhacker in Purpleheart

 US $17.00
Sale
BODHRAN DRUM CARRY CASE SOFT NYLON 16 x 7 1 2

BODHRAN DRUM CARRY CASE SOFT NYLON 16 x 7 1 2

 US $17.00
Sale
GOT BODHRAN MUSIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT T SHIRT TEE SHIRT TOP

GOT BODHRAN MUSIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT T SHIRT TEE SHIRT TOP

 US $13.99
Sale
Bodhran Beater Bamboo Brush Sticks

Bodhran Beater Bamboo Brush Sticks

 US $13.24
Sale

Originally posted 2009-10-13 03:51:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • BouzoukiIntroduction to the Bodhrán and Bouzouki Instruments There are musical instruments that you hear a lot about, and then there are many that do not find their way into the limelight much at all. The Bodhrán and Bouzouki instruments are examples of unique musical instruments that are still being played but that do not get a lot......
  • Playing the BodhránPlaying the Bodhrán The Irish drum known as a Bodhrán is an open ended frame drum, which allows the player to place their hand inside the drum. Having the hand inside the instrument provides a way to control the pitch and timbre of the drum. Generally, the Bodhrán ranges in diameter from between......
  • gusleFiddling Instruments: A Primer pt 4 ... Continued from pt. 3 The Tarhu One of the most significant new developments in the technology behind spike fiddle instruments can be found in the form of the circular bodied instruments known as Tarhu, as they are made by an Australian luthier known as Peter Biffin. With these instruments......
  • BodhránIntroduction to the Bodhrán The Bodhrán is an Irish frame drum instrument that ranges in size between 25 cm and 65 cm, or 10 inches to 26 inches in its diameter. Most Bodhrán drums measure between 35 cm and 45 cm or 14 inches to 18 inches. The drum's sides range from 9 cm......
  • drumA History of Drums and Tribal Music Different styles of drums all have their own unique histories. African tribal music and the drums associated with it are completely unique to the other drum types that have been developed throughout the world. One example of an African tribal drum is the Djembe, a drum that has an extraordinary......
Online Stores ]]> http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/introduction-to-the-bodhran-pt-2/feed/ 0 Playing the Bodhrán http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/playing-the-bodhran/ http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/playing-the-bodhran/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:15:20 +0000 keira http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/?p=847 Playing the BodhránThe Irish drum known as a Bodhrán is an open ended frame drum, which allows the player to place their hand inside the drum. Having the hand inside the instrument provides a way to control the pitch and timbre of the drum. Generally, the Bodhrán ranges in diameter from between 25cm and 65cm, or 10 inches to 26 inches. The sides of the drum can range from 9cm to 20cm, or 3.5 inches to 8 inches deep. The head of the Bodhrán is tacked to the other end of the drum and can be made from a variety of materials. Goat or other animal skins are more traditional, but synthetic materials are used as well.

The Bodhrán is typically played in a sitting position and it is traditionally held in a vertical position on the thigh of the player with the player's upper body and arm supporting the instrument, typically on the left hand side for a player that is right handed. The hand is placed at the inside of the drum skin so that it may be used in order to control the instrument's tension, and by proxy, the pitch and the timbre of the instrument as well by applying a varying amount of pressure to the surface. If there is a crossbar, the hand may be pressed against this crossbar in order to change the tension as well.

The Bodhrán drum is then struck using other arm, which is typically the right arm, and it is played using either the bare hand or a piece of wood turned on a lathe, which is known as a beater, a tipper, a bone or a cipin depending on the player. These tippers were traditionally fashioned out of double ended knuckle bones, but they are much more commonly made out of holly, ash or hickory in this day and age. There are also brush ended beaters as well as rim shot techniques that add contrast to the sounds produced by the Bodhrán, and these were initially introduced by a man named Johnny McDonagh.

There are a number of different playing styles when it comes to the Bodhrán, and they are named following the region of Ireland where they originated from. The most popular Bodhrán playing style is the Kerry playing style, which makes use of a tipper that has two heads. Another type of Bodhrán playing style is the Limerick style, which uses only one of the ends of the tipper when playing the instrument.

As the Bodhrán picks up in popularity, modern players are developing new ways to vary the pitch and the sound of the instrument so that players can follow whatever tune is being played. Each of these playing styles is a unique take on this use of this interesting and versatile instrument.

Photo Credits: Amadian

Originally posted 2009-10-12 03:46:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Glass ArmonicaMetal Instruments 101 pt 2 ... Flexatone continued. It is fixed at the wide end to a metal frame that is approximately 30 cm or 12 in in length that possesses rubber beater or wooden beaters at the lower end, attached to rods. The player will wave the flexatone instrument around so that the beaters......
  • accordionAccordion 101 The accordion is closely related to another instrument, the concertina. Both of these instruments are essentially glorified mouth organs that utilize reeds that are generally made out of tempered steel. These tempered steel reeds are set in vibration using a rectangular shaped bellows. The bellows are operated using the left......
  • guitarGuitar Buying Advice Walk into any music store and you are bound to find an entire wall covered in guitars; including electric guitars, bass guitars, acoustic guitars and plenty of other specialty guitars as well. Purchasing your first guitar is not nearly as easy as choosing the most attractively designed instrument that you......
  • harmonica1The Harmonica in American History The Harmonica was not originally developed in America, but rather saw the beginning of life in Germany. However, the Harmonica has a rich history in North America, and contributed heavily to the history of music in America as well. Hohner began to manufacture harmonicas in 1857, and shortly after this......
  • BouzoukiIntroduction to the Bodhrán and Bouzouki Instruments There are musical instruments that you hear a lot about, and then there are many that do not find their way into the limelight much at all. The Bodhrán and Bouzouki instruments are examples of unique musical instruments that are still being played but that do not get a lot......
Online Stores ]]> http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/playing-the-bodhran/feed/ 0 A History of Drums and Tribal Music http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/a-history-of-drums-and-tribal-music/ http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/a-history-of-drums-and-tribal-music/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:39:25 +0000 keira http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/?p=283 Different styles of drums all have their own unique histories. African tribal music and the drums associated with it are completely unique to the other drum types that have been developed throughout the world. One example of an African tribal drum is the Djembe, a drum that has an extraordinary cultural heritage in African. Although the Djembe is similar in cultural use as well as significant to the drums in other countries as well as other tribes spread out over the African continent, the differences that it possesses may be minute but are significant all the same.

The Djembe is a drum that has great cultural heritage to the Mandinka people. Its origins date back as far as the great Mali Empire which existed in the 12th century. Of all of the African drums that were developed throughout history, and those that still exist today, the Djembe has become one of the most important, as it is extremely sought after even in the Western world. This is a drum that has inspired people to develop these drums all over the world, so master Djembe drum makers can be found world wide.

The Djembe has been primarily developed in Mali, especially in and around the Kayes region. This drum is one of many that was developed for cultural and communication purposes more than for general music purposes. While the Djembe can be used to create a variety of different styles of music, it was primarily used to ritual and cultural musical styles, and for communicating within African tribes. The drum rhythm associated with the Djembe, known as Diansa, is performed in the evening time on the day of most celebrations, including but not limited to during full moons, in the spring, in the summer, during winter harvest, during weddings and baptisms, when honoring mothers, immediately following Ramadaan, and numerous other celebrations as well.

Tribal drums and drumming were both developed over time, especially as a means of developing tribal dancing, one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Various different beats and rhythms were played on the Djembe and other tribal drums in order to create the sounds necessary to facilitate the development of these dances. Similar celebrations and cultural rhythms were also applicable in regions of West Africa and Senegal as well. The Djembe saw a great amount of design and development through the years, not only in African regions but all over the world as the importance of tribal music and dancing grew in significance.

The most suitable covering for the surface of a Djembe drum is African goatskin. Central Africa has the perfect climate conditions and the most ideal grazing conditions for goats. The skins provide the best sound when stretched over the heads of the Djembe drums, creating high quality drums as a result. Djembe drums have changed a lot over time to suit their purposes, especially in producing tribal drumming for communication, culture and ritual, and for facilitating the development of African tribal dance.

Photo Credit: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-25 05:35:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • blog traffic exchangeManufacturers: Recording King In the 1930's, Recording King was known for their quality banjos and guitars at reasonable prices. This was especially important at the time because the United States was stuck in the middle of the Great Depression. The instruments were included in the Montgomery Ward catalog and delivered right to people's......
  • accordionsWind Instruments Guide 101 pt 1 Wind instruments are actually known more technically as being aero phones. Wind instruments are capable of producing a sound when the column of air within them is set into motion or vibration by way of either a reed or the lips of the player. The tuning of these instruments is......
  • concertinaBrief History of Concertinas A concertina is a free reed acoustic musical instrument, falling in the same family as the accordion and the harmonica. The concertina musical instrument has buttons and bellows much in the same was as an accordion does, however the buttons typically exist on both ends rather than just on a......
  • kotoHistory of the Koto The Koto is a stringed instrument that came to Japan from China during the 7th and the 8th centuries. It is a large instrument that is about six feet in length and it has a hollow wooden body and 13 strings. The strings are ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku,......
  • pianoThe Modern Piano It has been a staple of classical and contemporary music, used by musicians from Mozart to Elton John and more. Many musicians who have brought their fingers to the ivories have created music that has inspired and captured the hearts of countless people all over the world. That instrument is......
Online Stores ]]> http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/a-history-of-drums-and-tribal-music/feed/ 1 Bongos and Congas http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/bongos-and-congas/ http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/bongos-and-congas/#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:47:39 +0000 keira http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/?p=403 bongoscongasIf you are interested in making beats, then you should know that there are a wide variety of different types of drums out there that can make beautiful music. Two of the most intriguing drums from the family of drums are the bongo drums and the conga drums.

The bongo is a small version of the average drum, and actually incorporates two different open ended drums together. These two drums are joined together with one another, meaning that bongos always come in groups of two. The drum heads for bongo drums are most commonly constructed from animal skins, though you can also buy bongo drums with plastic heads. The body of the drum is either made from ceramic, wood or metal. What makes bongos unique is the fact that each of the two drums is a different size, which is why each of the drums sounds unique to the other. In order to play the bongo drums well, you have to be able to coordinate well between them.

A pair of simple bongos does not have the stretchable drum head that you can tune in order to play different notes. Better quality bongos do offer this, however. The way that you play bongos is actually quote interesting. You use your finger tips, the heel of your hand and your thumbs to make the sound. You can strike the head with different parts of your hands in order to generate different sounds. Special drum oil is required in order to protect the drum heads on your bongo drums, otherwise your hand and the air will take all of the moisture out of the skin of the bongo drum head, making the skin dry and paving the way for cracks, warps and other issues that will change the sound in a negative way.

The best thing about bongo drums is how small they are, because they are not expensive and are extremely portable. If you know how to play the bongos, you can inject your music stylings into bands and music of all genres to create new and interesting sounds.

Conga drums are almost like bongos, though they are much taller and larger than the smaller, portable drums. Conga drums are single headed with slender builds. They are Cuban drums but it is believed that hey are derived from African history. The shells of most conga drums are fiberglass or wood. The playing system for the conga drum is a lot like playing a bongo, the conga drum is simply much taller. Congas are used both in folk music and in popular music as well. African music has made a great deal of use including Rumba, Afro Caribbean, Latin, Salsa and many other styles of music.

Bongos and congas are quite similar in nature with one another, only that one is smaller or larger than the other. The sound is not completely similar, but they do sound alike. Both are rhythmic drumming instruments with similar playing styles, and both are quite popular and can be implemented in nearly all types of music.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-01-22 05:06:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • banjoA Brief History of Banjos The banjo was originally developed and used by African Americans enslaved in the South. The slaves used gourd to create makeshift instruments that looked like the ones they used in Africa. In fact, the word "banjo" is believed to have evolved from a Kimbundu term for a similar musical instrument.......
  • guitarplayer5 Tips for Acoustic Guitar Playing Here are a couple of acoustic guitar tips for free that every beginner should learn sooner than later. Some of it is harder to learn than it is for others; forewarned is forearmed. Guitar Tip #1 - You are incredibly unlikely to hear anyone ever say to themselves "It is......
  • BodhránIntroduction to the Bodhrán pt 2 A traditional Irish instrument, the Bodhrán is an open frame drum. The head of the drum is traditionally made out of goat skins, but other animal skins as well as some synthetic materials can be used. The head of the Bodhrán is tacked to one end of the frame and......
  • harpThe History of the Harpsichord The history of the Harpsichord can be traced back to the 15th century, but the instrument actually got its start from the psaltery, which was a stringed instrument that the player held upright to pluck its strings (unlike the dulcimer which rested on the player's lap so the strings could......
  • standupWhich is Best: Stand Up Bass or Regular Bass? The first thing that you need to understand when it comes to comparing a stand up bass against a regular bass is that despite the similar naming structure, these are actually two very different instruments. The term "bass" is used to refer to an entire family of musical instruments that......
Online Stores ]]> http://www.acousticmusicalinstruments.com/bongos-and-congas/feed/ 0