Odaiko

previous instrument

previous

next instrument

next

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.

picture of Odaiko