Kdrums

Hand Drum

Hand drums have long been utilized by several civilizations worldwide, including Cuba, China, and Africa. You might have gathered from their name that these instruments are meant to be played by hand, but they can also be hit with mallets or tippers. Interestingly, many hand drums have a deeper meaning when utilized in cultural or ceremonial contexts, and they frequently necessitate a particular playing style.

Rare Stradivarius Drums

Museum curators, instrument dealers and some of the world's most esteemed musicians will be clutching paddles today at Cloiduff's auction house in New York. They're gathering for what is expected to be an eight-figure sale of perhaps the rarest instruments ever to appear at auction: a pair of lovingly restored Stradivarius timpani.

The instruments — also known as kettledrums — were lost roughly a century after they were built by Cremonese master luthier Antonio Stradivari, whose violins, cellos and especially violas now sell for millions or even tens of millions of dollars. The drums were rediscovered late last year at the Vatican by Cardinal Johannes Feddersen during a routine inventory of kitchen equipment.

Bongos Hand Drums

Bongos are the well-known Afro-Cuban hand drums. They’re tiny in size and are played along with Congos. Bongos have the hardest names to pronounce, not unless you’re bilingual. They comprise two pairs, including the macho drum’s smaller ones, while the larger one is known as the hembra drum.

They have conical or slightly tapered wooden shells. But in modern days, manufacturers are using fiberglass and metal to create bongos, making their tone vary slightly between brands. Drummers use the hands and fingertips to play this type of hand drum. Due to their high energy and the momentum of their hits, you can hear their music in salsa and cha-cha.

Humor for your Monday.

Timpani

Timps are vital parts of most orchestras. They’re massive drums that are most commonly used in groups of either two or four. A unique thing about them is that they produce melodic tones. So, a timpani player has to tune the timps to fit the key of the song that they’re playing in.
To do this, the player will press on pedals below the timps that tighten or loosen the drum skin. Once the timps are in tune, they produce a bellowing bass tone that is iconic in many compositions.