Q&A for How to Make a Homemade Drum

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  • Question
    What is the proper way to hold a drumstick?
    Bart Robley
    Drummer, Drum Teacher, and Author
    Bart Robley is a Drummer, Drum Teacher, and Author based in Ontario, California. Bart has been sharing his expertise in drumming knowledge through teaching for over 30 years. He makes his teachings globally accessible by offering lessons in an online format. Bart has authored three instructional books and created three instructional DVDs. He received a Bronze Telly Award in 2009 for his DVD "School Of Hard Rocks. Additionally, Bart has been the drummer for the Sam Morrison Band for over 25 years.
    Drummer, Drum Teacher, and Author
    Expert Answer
    With the French grip you're holding your hands in front of you and your palms are facing each other. You hold the sticks between your thumb and the first knuckle of your index finger. You'll have a pivot point about a third of the way up to this stick. The Germanic and the American grip are both more palm down, with a 45-degree angle, your palms would be facing more down.
  • Question
    What makes the drum have a high or low frequency?
    Community Answer
    Adding mass decreases the pitch. Decreasing the mass increases the pitch. Also, smaller drums have higher pitch, and bigger drums have lower pitch.
  • Question
    How do I play the drum?
    Community Answer
    Bang the tape, balloon, or leather covering with your mallet. It should produce a sound varying in pitch depending on how big your drum is, which material you used, and how hard you hit it.
  • Question
    Would a bucket be okay for a container?
    Community Answer
    A container with an open top and bottom is usually preferred, but a bucket will do nicely and will give a unique sound to the drum.
  • Question
    Are there any other solutions instead of faux leather?
    Community Answer
    Duct tape works great and sounds really good. You can choose from many different designs so you can make it look any way you want it to.
  • Question
    Can I use a piece of cloth instead of a piece of leather?
    Community Answer
    You can probably use cloth, but leather produces a better sound. It all depends on how tight you make the cloth.
  • Question
    Can I use my hands to play the drums?
    Community Answer
    You can, though it may not sound as good, depending on the type of drum you made.
  • Question
    Can I use a plastic Solo cup?
    Community Answer
    You could possibly use one, though the playing surface is greatly reduced. The sound could possibly be hampered as well. People have gotten away with it, so go nuts.
  • Question
    What can I use besides faux leather?
    Community Answer
    Duct tape or masking tape, or you could use painter's tape for a little more color.
  • Question
    Is it necessary to use masking tape?
    Community Answer
    No, you can use duct tape, balloons, fake leather and cloth. I didn’t want to use masking tape either so I went with duct tape.
  • Question
    How can I make a drum if I don't have balloons and tape?
    Community Answer
    You could use a bucket with super glue or gorilla glue and some other material, or use hardcover books and chopsticks.
  • Question
    Are there any additional or different steps when using actual leather instead of fake?
    Community Answer
    The steps would be the same. Just ensure the leather is big enough for the frame you're putting it on.
  • Question
    How can I increase the mass of the drum to decrease the frequency?
    Community Answer
    Add outside decoration and a thicker head, (add layers to the outside of the head) and you can also use a bigger mallet in order to deepen the drum's sound.
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