STRING DRUM

ONCE UPON A TIME...

Whatever its origin may have been, the world has always been accompanied by movement and consequently by sound. In perfecting his tools, primitive man discovered the sound made by an axe when felling a tree (the sound of the drum). Perhaps the vibration of the string of his hunting bow inspired him to invent the various chordophones or string instruments. In observing his environment, man can be justly proud of one thing in particular: the invention of musical instruments. There are many different types of drums. Normally, these are played with the hands or with a stick. But the STRING DRUM is a different thing altogether.

MATERIAL NEEDED

A shallow round plastic box, a small wooden pole 1 cm in diameter (roughly 50 cm long), 40 cm of string and some wire nails.

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES

A pair of scissors, a saw, a hammer, a drill with a 2 mm bit and some contact.

HOW TO MAKE THE INSTRUMENT

Clamp the wooden pole into a vice and using a hand-drill make a central hole roughly 3 cm deep in one of the ends (if you use an electric drill, you should ask for help from someone who has experience in working with these tools). Next, using the saw, cut off two pieces, each .of them 1.5 cm long. These two pieces of wood are going to operate as drumsticks. Using the scissors, cut a hole in the side of the box so that the wooden pole can pass through it from one side to the other, fixing it at one end with a nail. Thread a string through the box at right angles to the pole and tie the two bits of wood to each end. To help you thread the string through the inside of the box, 1 suggest you use a wire as a guide.

DECORATION

If you look at the photograph of the instrument, you’ll see that there’s a series of numbers on the box, which are reminiscent of a clock. So, don forget that time is divided into two, some of it’s for playing and the other part’s for studying. If you find yourself in that part known as playtime, then decorate your instrument to your own taste.

HOW TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENT

Hold the drum by the wooden pole and twist it from one side to the other so that the drumsticks beat out the rhythm that you want on the box.