Drum Art FAQ
What is the difference between a shaman drum and a frame drum?
What are shaman drums?
Shaman drums are drums with a cross handle at the back and they produce a warm deep bass sound. They are played with a mallet and no musical knowledge is needed to play them. 95% of people who get in touch with me want a shaman drum for the easy of playing and for use in ceremony and shamanic work. On my Youtube channel, you will see me playing shaman drums!
What are frame drums?
They are drums without a cross handle and are not played with a mallet, but with the hands. They require more of a technique to learn how to play different strokes. You can still play them with a mallet, just they will not sound as deep as a shaman drum.
Frame Drum Lessons
If you'd like to learn how to play, please get in touch with my colleague and friend Christine Hübner - Percussionist | Freelance musician | Frame drum teacher
Contact: christinepercussionist@gmail.com
Social media:
FB: Christine Hübner
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073195915145
YT: Christine Percussionist
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSijn_B6uSzcr31IFudj8tQ
Do you offer commissions?
Yes. You can request a commission of something totally new or have a drum similar to one that has already been made.
What do the symbols on your drums mean?
During the creation process, I infuse the drums with healing energies and intention.
Most of my drum motifs come with a golden ring of codes. Many people call these "light codes / light language". They do not have a meaning in words, but are understood with the heart. They represent universal beauty, harmony and love.
How to hang a drum on the wall?
One or two long nails into the wall will do it, just like you would hang a canvas! The ones I use are 1,7 inch / 4cm long. You can use even longer ones, if you prefer. Just make sure you put it in a quiet corner, where there aren't kids or pets around to bump into it.
Is there a mallet included with your drums?
Yes, each shaman drum comes with a hand painted light code mallet. Each one is unique, though they always have a black background and usually golden codes.
(Frame drums do not come with mallets as they are traditionally played with the hands but a mallet can be bought separately from me.)
How long does it take you to paint a drum?
Please ask for how long it takes to create your drum, this depends on my schedule and I will give you an estimate if you need it. I am grateful if you have time, as I don't like to rush the process, and I prefer going to the post office only once a week.
I can not guarantee a certain delivery date. Once a drum is mailed, I have no influence anymore, how long postal services take!
Do you paint other drums?
I do not paint on leather hide. So yes, I could order another type of REMO drum for you and paint it, but it will need to have the vegan Fibreskyn - so it would be either a Remo Frame Drum or the Remo Buffalo Drum - both have the same skin, the Remo Buffalo Drum has a cross handle and a mallet and the Remo Frame Drum does not.
Do you paint other sizes than 16 inch?
I also offer 14 and 22 inch sizes.
Can I ship in my own drum for you to paint?
No.
Are they suitable for sweat lodge use?
No. The drum itself and the paint are fine. But the high temperature might change the tension of the drum skin for good.
What material are your vegan drums?
The material is a synthetic material called Fibreskyn and is made by the company REMO. I do buy the "raw" drums from Remo, so I am not making the drums myself, but I paint them.
What shaman drums do you use?
REMO BUFFALO DRUMS
My painted drums are Buffalo drums from REMO. You can order those "raw" drums with the logo at Amazon, Thomann or other online shops. (I cover up the logo with my Molotow markers).
What is a synthetic drum?
A drum that does not use animal skin - so it has a synthetic skin! Just google Remo and you find them anywhere worldwide. They are quite famous as they hold their tune no matter the weather and are easy to travel with and make good instruments for outdoor use. Plus they sound good!
Advantages of a synthetic drum:
- holds tuning outdoors very well
- ideal for traveling: no biosecurity problems when flying to other countries
- vegan
If you want a traditional shaman drum made from animal hide, I recommend DAVID & ROMAN DRUMS - they are tuned with air (pneumatic pitch control). You tune it with a simple bike pump. They sound stunning and are very well made. They are 200-300 Euro, depending on size. http://www.davidromandrums.com/eng/site01.htm
What materials do you use for painting your drums?
I use acrylic paint, acrylic markers and acrylish varnish to seal them off at the end. The brand of markers and varnish is MOLOTOW. The markers are called ONE4ALL and I use them in 2mm. (I now also use Posca markers, they have a bit different colors.)
If you want to paint a regular skin drum, you can also use henna (henna does not work on fake skin and vegan drums like Remo). Please google henna for drum painting, I am not experienced in this. Or you can use acrylics for that as well, as long as the drum skin is not treated / oiled. Ask your provider about this.
I have also seen people use oil colors to paint drums, but again, no personal experience as I choose acrylics as they dry fast and are water-based. For more info and a step by step tutorial, visit: