Shaman Drum
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The Shaman is a wise man or woman in a religion called shamanism. This is a belief that the world is full of spirits who can be communicated with, through the shaman. One method shamans use is beating a drum in a ritual. The shaman drum is held by a handle, and the membrane is struck with a beater. Today, real shamans and their drums are rare. Most shaman drums outside of museums are modern reproductions, like the one shown here.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Wooden body, with animal-skin drum heads. |
| Size |
| Variable : this example has a diameter of 18 in (45 cm). |
| Origins |
| The shaman drum is played all around the Arctic Circle in Europe, Asia, and North America. It also occurs in some areas south of this, including Siberia, Mongolia, and among the American Indian tribes. |
| Classification |
| Membranophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| The word "shaman" denotes someone who is able to contact the spirits of his people. In some cultures, it is believed that the shaman rides to the spirit world on his drum. |
