frame drum
Quick Summary
A frame drum is a type of small, handheld drum with a narrow frame and typically a single membrane. These drums are often equipped with disk jingles and are played by striking the membrane with a hand or a stick. The tambourine is a common example of a frame drum.12
Frame drums have a long history, with evidence of their use in ancient cultures like Mesopotamia and Egypt. They became popular in Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly from the era of the Crusades. Frame drums were frequently used to accompany singing and were played by both men and women. Their shape can vary, and they may have one or two heads, sometimes featuring attached jingles or snares.32
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percussion instrumentMembranophonesThe frame drum came from Mesopotamia at an early date. The barrel drum was possibly known in Hellenistic times, for it appears in the Greco-Indian culture of Kushan. A shallow drum is depicted on a Greco-Scythian metal gorytus, or bow-and-arrow case, of the 4th century bce,…
Read MoreThe frame drum came from Mesopotamia at an early date. The barrel drum was possibly known in Hellenistic times, for it appears in the Greco-Indian culture of Kushan. A shallow drum is depicted on a Greco-Scythian metal gorytus, or bow-and-arrow case, of the 4th century bce,…
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percussion instrumentMembranophones…were of considerable proportions: huge frame drums existed from the 3rd millennium on in Mesopotamia, and the waist-high lilissu had a goblet form—a bowl on a stand. All these were played by men, but the smaller frame drums appearing in Sumer about 2000 bce are depicted in the hands of…
Read More…were of considerable proportions: huge frame drums existed from the 3rd millennium on in Mesopotamia, and the waist-high lilissu had a goblet form—a bowl on a stand. All these were played by men, but the smaller frame drums appearing in Sumer about 2000 bce are depicted in the hands of…
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percussion instrumentMembranophones…Scandinavia; it differs from other frame drums in that it has a fixed handle and is struck on the hoop, not on the membrane.
Read More…Scandinavia; it differs from other frame drums in that it has a fixed handle and is struck on the hoop, not on the membrane.
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