sycamore drum

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Sycamore Membranophone

by Dino Labiste

The smooth, mottled brown and white bark and coarse, light green foliage were distinctive features of the large trees that grewalong the wet soil of the stream banks. Their barrel-shaped trunks averaged around 2 to 4 feet in diameter, sometimes muchlarger. Their spreading branches reached heights of 40 to 80 feet. These trees with the massive, stout trunks were Platanusracemosa. Commonly known as California Sycamore.A young sycamore trunk sat on the grass in the primitive campground near the stream. The stump measured a foot in diameterand stood 12 inches high. An ideal substitute for a primitive chair. The stump's relatives towered only a few yards away. Theyoung sycamore never got a chance to realize its full potential like its older, sycamore siblings. A casualty of a roadside clearing,the sycamore trunk eventually became a comfortable seat for a weary hiker. In the interconnectedness of life, the stump alsobecame the home of burrowing larvas and a colony of termites.When I came upon the stump, the termites had vacated their sycamore home and left a labyrinth of holes and decaying wood thatwas once the core. I rescued the young sycamore trunk fromits unfortunate fate and decided to breath life into the stump bytransforming it into a drum. I thought of returning someday to the same spot with the sycamore drum so that it could sing to its

towering siblings.

How to Make a Two-Headed Drum

Find a tree trunk and hollow out the core.If you can find a trunk that has been naturally bored through by bugs or decay, it'll make your work easier. Otherwise, you'll have to either carveout the center with a chisel or burn out the core with hot coals.The air chamber of the drum body greatly influences the sound of the struck membrane. The deeper the chamber, the greater the resonance.

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The top and bottom rim were ground smooth by abrading the stump against a flat, concrete pavement. The flatter the rim, the tighter the fit of thehide. Also slightly beveling the outer edges of the top and bottom rim will make the rawhide drumhead fit tightly.

As it dried, the sycamore stump, over time, developed fissures along the inside of the termite eaten core. I applied pine pitch sap, that was liquifiedwith alcohol, to the cracks. The sap solution was reapplied and allowed to dry before continuing to the next procedure.

Deer rawhide was used for the two membranes and coconut coir was utilized for the lashings.

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Soak the rawhide in a barrel of water for one hour or until pliable. Cut a circle of membrane that extends at least 2 inches beyond the edge of oneopening. Cut out another membrane for the other opening.

Place the 2 membranes back to back and punch through both simultaneously. Holes were punched with an awl around the edge of the membranesat 2 inch intervals and 1 inch from the edge.

Center the bottom end of the drum body on top of its matching membrane and place the other membrane on top of the top rim of the drum. Alignthe holes of both membranes. Lace the rawhide drumhead. After lacing all the holes, the cordage is then pulled tight and tied.



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A drumstick was made from a wild rose stalk. A groove was carved 1 inch down on the beater end. The stalk was fitted with a head of brain tannedbuckskin and stuffed with buffalo hair. A buckskin thong lashed the leather head to the notched end of the wild rose stalk.

Double-headed drums entirely enclose the air chamber, but the flexibility of the second head affects the vibrating air within the chamber. A hole inthe side of a double-headed drum is often made to allow air flow and therefore greater sound transmission (this is optional. If your drum soundsgood, then a hole is not necessary).

The sycamore stump had a natural hole in its side that came from a knot in the trunk.

Humidity changes the resonance of drums of rawhide. A damp day lowers the sound. It is not unusual for a drumhead to be heated briefly over afire to bring it to proper pitch.I avoided this procedure whenever the dampness and humidity caused the membranes of the sycamore drum to soften. The cracks of the drumbody were filled with pine pitch. Placing the sycamore drum next to fire would have melted the pitch, makng a sticky mess. When the drumheadsoftened from humidity, the sycamore drum was put away until the rawhide dried.

The new drum was brought to its original home. As the night enveloped the primitive campground, the sycamore drum made itsappearance at the campfire. Aside fromthe crackling sounds of the fire, the night air was quiet and still, like the opening night atthe opera. The drumstick baton was raised and the first beat of the sycamore drumechoed in the night. Its rhythmgave it a life ofits own, as if to say, "I am alive again. Hear my voice! Hear me sing!"



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E-mail your comments to "Dino Labiste" [email protected]

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