The Odaiko is a large Japanese barrel-shaped drum. Taut skins are stretched across each end of the body, though usually only one end is struck. It sometimes rests on a stand and is played with two sticks whose ends may be padded. The odaiko is used as a bass drum in many styles of Japanese music, especially in the theater and for some types of festive dances.
Family |
Percussions |
Pitch range |
None. |
Material |
Wooden body, with two calf-skin membranes. |
Size |
Variable : up to 6 ft (1.80 m) in diameter, but usually between 24-36 in (60-90 cm). |
Origins |
The odaiko was once used as a battle signal, and now features in Kabuki theater (a popular form of theater that has evolved from 17th-century aristocratic theater), Zen Buddhist ritual, and traditional dances. |
Classification |
Membranophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a stretched skin. |
And also... |
Nothing else. |