Remo Fiberskyn 3 Frame drum Pimped Out Tuvan / Siberian Shaman Style
I added a number of cords made of braided satin ribbon, I also suspended hand made 18mm brass leaf bells from the arm
the bells “clink gently when the drum is hit
this is an example of a Simple Way to dress Up your drum
what you used is up to you and should have Significance For You
Tuvan Style Frame Drum
I prefer a synthetic head for any drum I travel with, they are less prone to humidity problems and are much lower maintenance
the Remo Fiberskyn 3 drums have an interesting voice feature- in addition to their consistent, mellow almost bell like tone, they have a more subtle “back voice”
I have also found that having a suspension system on the frame drums allows the Vibration from the head to resonate throughout the entire drum without getting damped down by the hand holding the frame, which is desirable in a Shaman Style Drum
This particular suspension is a cross between the rigid suspension of a Bodhran and the cord/sinew suspensions common to Shaman Drums
I have found a wooden grip handle less tiring for longer periods of drumming with the added benefit of allowing more drum control
Recent batch of for sale drum beaters
I call this style beater Fuzzy Foot because they can look like an animal foot while you are using them.
I based the style of these drum beaters on the traditional drum beaters used in many areas in the various Mongolian Republics such as the Republic of Tuva
these beaters have a different tonal quality than the more standard Native American style drum beaters, mainly because of the fur. there is also a greater of lesser difference in feel because of the difference in handle shape. Some folks feel the offset allows more clearance for their knuckles. I find they are kind of fun to use.
The Tone the beaters make is softer and a bit more muted, However the Vibration in the drum head is not diminished, I also find I have a bit wider range of strike moves and a bit more control over the songs my drums sing
about this particular batch
I had carved and sanded all of the beater sticks- no power tools used
the fur is held on to the beater by lacings and hooks whittled into the back side of the beater head, in Tuva the traditional beaters have either coins or metal rings worked into the lacings to act as a rattle. I chose not to include these
the woods are Easter Red Cedar collected from a branch that were collected after a storm, a piece of Driftwood (possible Cedar or Pine) collected at Eastern Point Beach n Groton, Ct., and a Piece of Bittersweet vine collect in Stonington, Ct
the furs are Black Bear, Buffalo, & Coyote scrap pieces
the Sheep Skin is from a shearing lap throw, and Raccoon is reclaimed from collar
I’ll be posting these to my Etsy Shop atinkar
you can judge the length from the yardstick
the Sistrum made from “Upcycled” & found materials
the handle is cedar driftwood collected in Groton, Ct
the Hoop is from is cookie tin
the rods are from a dry cleaner’s hangar
the shakers are washed bottle caps
the “new” materials
washers for shaker bits
some leftover Aluminum siding nails
& Jute cord wrap
this is all hand tool worked- (except for the electric drill)
$25
the pillow shakers are a “silly whim” experiment that worked
squares of random rawhide set up to use as a hand shaker- the sound is a bit louder than shaking a packet of medium sized seeds
on 2 I made a “finger loop” 1 – the blue- is plain
$7.50 ea
plus S&H
you can judge the length from the yardstick
from top Left to Right
These Rattles each are hand held & can be held in several ways- if you hold them so the “tympanic membrane/rawhide is covered with your thumb the sound is muted
uncovered the sound is louder
these are well suited for indoor use & may be used in areas where noise is an issue
Top Left- Cow hoof: I was in a silly mood and decided to experiment with a few cow hooves & scrap rawhide
these each are hand held & can be held in several ways
if you hold it so the “tympanic membrane/rawhide is covered with your thumb the sound is muted
uncovered the sound is louder
these are well suited for indoor use & may be used in areas where noise is an issue
the shaker bits are a minimum of 1 optical quartz stone chip, white sage (California White and/or Artemesia), and and golden tan washed gravel
the shell rattles all have the Umbonium shells for the main shaker bits
the tymapnum/rawhide is transparent enough to see the
shaker bits $10 ea
Lower Left- Quahog shells larger or smaller
with black suede accents
due to the thickness of the shell walls these are decidedly “personal” rattles and rather quiet- fine for “Hospital Quiet” settings I have sealed the shells with a coat of undiluted Weldbond
these are nice “palm” shakers
$6.50 & $10 ea
Top Center
Medium & Larger Cowrie shells
I did a simple treatment- making the tympanum from a goatskin drum head that had split
with a simple deerskin band
I sealed the typanum & band with Weldbond
the Cowries range in price from $7.50 to $15
Center Bottom
Conch shell (from East Lyme- made scungilli in sauce from the conchs)
lake all the “spiral” shells if you rattle “correctly” it is possible to get the shaker bit to work into the middle of the shell- and then back out
the closer to the surface layer the bits are the louder the sound
the narrow end can almost serve as a handle by itself
Conch – $17.50
Right side- moon shells
$15 to $17
plus S&H
for my drum beaters and rattles:
the white birch is mostly from a storm downed tree in Stonington & a few pieces from Groton
Sassafras is from Bozrah, Ct
There is also some Flowering Crab & Pink Forsythia (a shrub)
Occasional Rhododendron & Eponymous
the Black birch is Groton, or Stonington
you can judge the length from the yardstick
the rattle body is “upcycled/reclaimed” Pecten Raveneli Shells with deerskin bands
the sticks were cared to fit the contours of the shell
glued into place and “strapped on” with the Deerskin
the shaker bits are a minimum of 1 optical quartz stone chip, white sage (California White and/or Artemesia), and Umbonium (mini turban shaped) shells
the sticks
Top- I think it is white or black birch Buff deerskin wrap
2nd down- Pink Honeysuckle Shrub light gold deerskin wrap & sisal accent (there is a crack in the stick occurred in drying does not affect the strength of the handle)
3rd down driftwood handle with buff deerskin
bottom Flowering Crab stick (from my dwarf flowering crab)
Raw linen cord wrap
these are $12.50 each
plus S&H
for my drum beaters and rattles:
the white birch is mostly from a storm downed tree in Stonington & a few pieces from Groton
Sassafras is from Bozrah, Ct
There is also some Flowering Crab & Pink Forsythia (a shrub)
Occasional Rhododendron & Eponymous
the Black birch is Groton, or Stonington
you can judge the length from the yardstick
these short handle rattles have driftwood handles
the shaker bits are ( a minimum of 1 optical quartz chip, dry stem bits from white sage (California &/or Artemesia)
and pistachio shells
These gourds dried indoors over 18 to 24 months
were dipped in Listerine to help prevent mold & keep some hints of the original coloring
the middle gourd had the outer color skin layer come off in places when I was cleaning it
the sound fairly soft and muted enough for use in locations where noise level is afactor
these are all plain (no collars)
the top rattle is on a white birch stick
the lower 2 are driftwood sticks
the lower 2 have a simple deerskin collar
all the rattles have been sealed with a coating of
Weldbond adhesive- this can be painted with either latex or oil based paints
*these are Not Sweat Lodge safe (prolonged high humidity may make the coating tacky)
(based on personal experience) prolonged High energy/very vigorous shaking may cause the gravel to abrade the inside walls & wear thru any thin spot in the wall
they are fine for general use
plus S&H
for my drum beaters and rattles:
the white birch is mostly from a storm downed tree in Stonington & a few pieces from Groton
Sassafras is from Bozrah, Ct
There is also some Flowering Crab & Pink Forsythia (a shrub)
Occasional Rhododendron & Eponymous
the Black birch is Groton, or Stonington
you can judge the length from the yardstick
these short handle rattles have driftwood handles
the shaker bits are ( a minimum of 1 optical quartz chip, dry stem bits from white sage (California &/or Artemesia)
and washed gravel
These gourds dried indoors over 18 to 24 months
were dipped in Listerine to help prevent mold & keep some hints of the original coloring
the sound is a bit sharper than rice & mellower than glass beads
these are well suited for Indoor & small space use
the top rattle is plain
the lower 2 have a simple deerskin collar
all the rattles have been sealed with a coating of
Weldbond adhesive- this can be painted with either latex or oil based paints
*these are Not Sweat Lodge safe (prolonged high humidity may make the coating tacky)
(based on personal experience) prolonged High energy/very vigorous shaking may cause the gravel to abrade the inside walls & wear thru any thin spot in the wall
they are fine for general use
plus S&H
for my drum beaters and rattles:
the white birch is mostly from a storm downed tree in Stonington & a few pieces from Groton
Sassafras is from Bozrah, Ct
There is also some Flowering Crab & Pink Forsythia (a shrub)
Occasional Rhododendron & Eponymous
the Black birch is Groton, or Stonington
you can judge the length from the yardstick
the top rattle has steel jingles on steel wire- the jingles are composed of hardware & jewelry bit plus tambourine jingles- the stick is Black Birch $16
the middle rattle has assorted shells on steel wire with Black Birch stick $15
the lower rattle has brass jingles -jewelry parts on brass wire & white birch stick $16
plus S&H
for my drum beaters and rattles:
the white birch is mostly from a storm downed tree in Stonington & a few pieces from Groton
Sassafras is from Bozrah, Ct
There is also some Flowering Crab & Pink Forsythia (a shrub)
Occasional Rhododendron & Eponymous
the Black birch is Groton, or Stonington
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Wanda L. De Coteau 
Written
on September 5, 2012