I'm excited as all get-out!

[Bill Saragosa]

Hi Everybody,

I'm trying to get the feel for this forum...it is a bit new and different, so I guess it takes a bit of accustomization. My assumption is that "Start a new discussion" is analogous to "start a new thread", just it sounds slightly more ponderous...

At least we are rid of the horrid blue-and-brown "cappucchino" motif. That is a very good start!

OK, I'm excited as all get-out because I just booked a flight to Naples, Italy that allows me to take in two very interesting folk festivals. Both are in small villages tucked away in the hinterlands, and feature (of course) folk music.
In southern Italy, that means primarily the Zampogna (bag pipes) and Tamburello (frame drum) with accordions and other instruments thrown in.

I was informed about these two festivals by a friend who is also a Tamburello maker. ( If anybody might be interested, send a pm and I will send the links & stuff)

Anyway, as a DCF, I'm very interested in using frame drums in general, and Tamburellos in particular, in DCF work. Tamburellos are great because of the impressive tonal varieties, and also for the way they project when necessary.

The down side of using frame drums, the malletless variety I mean, is of course there is a bit more of a learning curve for the beginner compared to African-style hand drums, or even doumbeks. Well, one can always just hold the thing any way possible and make whatever sounds possible, but from my experience so far, without much projection there isn't so much satisfaction.

One plus with Tamburellos is that they are also a shaker instrument, and a shaker-rumble instrument, in easier ways than other frame drums such as the riqq. (at least for the beginner)

What experiences do we as a new Social Network have with working drum circles with frame drums?

Cheers,
Bilhelm

[Laura Cousins]

Hiya Bill .. I've tried to use frame drums with my smaller women's groups, with a variety of success. As you said, there is less of a feel-good factor with these drums because they are harder to play and not as loud and chunky as, say, djembes.

One group I worked with was Iranian women. They felt drawn to the frame drums but got very cross because they were so hard to play and several of them went into crisis mode every time they tried. It was almost as though they felt that they "should" be able to play them, because they saw the drums as something they could identify with culturally. Eventually I had to leave them at home :(

Christine Stevens, in her Healing Drum Kit, suggests three or four really painfully simple ways of playing a frame drum -

"Brush" - just brush with the fingertips
"Tap" - on edge of drum head
"Tap-A" - two quick taps in a row
"Boom" - open sound, bounce fingers near centre of drum
"boom" - closed sound, hand stays on drumskin
"Roll" - either use two hands or rock one hand between the thumb and the little finger.

Simple but effective!

L x