Stoneware Pottery Hoop Hand Drum, Roped Bodhran with Goat Skin Head and Padded Mallet

These hoop drums are the result of years of development. I have had, and
played, so many hoop style native drums, tars, or Irish bodhrans that sound
like cereal boxes. Raw hide lacing dries over time and becomes brittle and
breaks. The skins are poorly stretched and vary widely with the humidity. The
use of heavy skins always makes a thumper. NOT these hoop drums!
They can boom and whisper, be played with fingers like a tar, with a beater
like a native drum, or with a double sided stick like a bodhran.

This drum is 11.25 inches in diameter, by 1-7/8 " thick. Though made of
stoneware it is light enough to hold in one hand and play easily. The goat skin
is beautifully stretched and without blemish on this drum. Comes with a padded
deer skin beater mallet. Has a hanging or thumb loop built into the
circumference rope.

My hoop drums are based on a stoneware 'wheel rim' shaped ring. Stoneware is
incredibly strong under balanced compression, so the light weight goatskin can
be stretched until they sing! I use a polyester 1/8" climbing rope, that
maintains its tension. The use of rope allows you to re-tension the head should
it stretch, using an African weave method on the back (though I have never
needed to re-tighten one! ). They do drop slightly in tone in extreme humidity,
but I have even played them in a sweat lodge. NEVER try to tune a drum over a
fire, you may get a temporary raise in pitch, but mainly just dry and harden
the skin, greatly shortening its life.

A wood hoop drum's resonance is deadened by the wood. When struck, these
stoneware drums resonate like a deep low bell. You can waiver the drum and get
an amazing throbbing sound great for healing work and guided meditations. When
using a beater, a slight finger pressure on the middle of the skin from the
back raises the pitch for another sound. Played with only the hands this drum
offers a super responsive pallet of tones for an intricate rhythm.

While doing a repair on an antique East Indian battle drum, I learned this
technique of lacing to the edge of a thin skin. It is similar to lacing a
African dun dun head on with out the use of metal rings.Folded under the flap
of skin on the edge is a length of rope. The pulling ropes puncture through
both layers at each rope lope, catching the circumference rope between the
skin. This allows the rope to grab a thin skin and pull it tightly without
tearing! Try the sound of our Stoneware Ceramic Hoop drums for hand playing and
you'll never go back to wood!

A Ceramic drum can break, so hey, don't drop it! These drums need care, don't
treat it like a tree wrapped in buffalo skin and throw it in the car trunk, it
is a fine instrument ! The center ropes in the back can be wrapped with cloth
or leather to make a more comfortable grip. I highly recommend you store it on
a wall hook, away from sunlight and moisture. They are gorgeous as a wall piece
when not in use.

Look at a sample of other ceramic drums: