Octagonal Drum Frame Made of Old Spruce Wood

After receiving your repeated requests, we are thrilled to now offer drum frames as part of our program.

What makes our frames special is that we craft them ourselves from locally sourced spruce wood. We use timber felled directly from the forests that surround us, which is then carefully dried for several years to ensure stability and quality.

When available, we also create frames from rustic reclaimed wood. You may notice charming worm marks, but please rest assured: the wood is technically sound and perfectly dry. In the case of our reclaimed timber, it is decades old, and nothing is alive in it anymore.

A true drum frame is traditionally made by bending a single wooden slat using heat and moisture.

While we hope to explore this technique in the future when time permits, for now we are proud to offer our high-quality frames in an 8-corner, octagonal design.

Drum Frame Properties

• Diameter: Measured from corner to corner – sizes 30-65cm (This measurement may vary slightly as each frame is individually handmade)
• Frame height: 7cm
• Frame thickness: 1.2 cm
• Wood: spruce (locally felled, carefully dried)
• Edges: rounded/chamfered

 

The individual segments are glued to each other and reinforced at the joints by a loose tongue, so that the shear forces created by the drumhead tension cannot destroy the frame.

In the product pictures you will find our own drum, which is made with such a drum frame. This picture is for illustrative purposes only, so that you can imagine what your drum might look like.

 

Tips for Making a Drum

Depending on the type of tension you choose, you must select a drumhead that is larger than the diameter of the drum.

If we take our drum as a starting point, a drumhead of the following size was used:

Diameter 55cm + (2x(1.2cm + 1.2cm) [frame stave thickness]) + 2x7cm [frame height] + 2x3cm (The overhang on the inside of the drum, where the pull of the lacing then acts) = approx. 80cm

If you want to make a Siberian shaman drum with this drum frame, you will need a rawhide with a diameter of at least 75 cm. You also need approx. 13m of strip with a width of 1cm for the lacing.

Which Rawhide Should I Choose?

Deer, wild boar or horse are usually used. Every rawhide has its own sound. We also offer individual cutting of drumheads and rawhide strips.

Horse

Considered the benchmark for many traditional drums, especially in Siberian and Central Asian shamanism. Suitable for powerful, rhythmic playing.

Sound: Very loud, rich, with a wealth of overtones. Produces a long, “soaring” sound with a pronounced low-frequency component. The sound is deep and “cosmic.”

Deer

Responsive, bright sound. The rawhide holds sacred significance for the peoples of the North.

Sound: Warm, soft, melodious, and yet quite strong. The sound is less aggressive than horse, with a clear and pure tone.

Wild Boar

Stiff, requires good stretching and a strong hand. Due to its stiffness, it can be fastidious to tune but produces an absolutely unique sound.

Sound: Very characteristic, rough, with a rasp and a large number of overtones. The sound is gritty, “earthy,” powerful. Creates a feeling of antiquity and strength.

Water the skin well before crafting. The strips must also be well soaked during processing.

Care

🥁 Like any musical instrument, this drum requires careful handling. Please avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, as the heat can place excessive strain on the drumhead.

🥁 Prolonged moisture—without subsequent thorough drying—can warp the wooden frame. The drumhead may also lose its tonal quality or even develop mold. (All our drumheads are made from naturally dried, chemically-free dehaired rawhide, as tradition dictates.) Drastic temperature changes can similarly affect the lacing and the stability of the drumhead.

🥁 You can treat the drumhead with a small amount of oil or beeswax (similar to products used for leather shoe care). Be careful not to over-apply, as a greasy surface should be avoided. This treatment will help make the drum more resistant to moisture.

🥁 The drum frame itself, where it is covered by the drumhead, requires no special maintenance. However, if any part of the wood is exposed, you can treat it every few years with a natural oil like linseed oil. After application, allow it to dry completely.

🥁 In short, if you use your drum normally, keep it from extreme conditions, and care for it with love, it will faithfully serve you for a lifetime.

 

Miscellaneous

Drums are the original instrument. This type of frame drum is still used today by shamans in Siberia. Knobs are added to the drum on the frame which have a specific meaning. A carved wooden shaman (Altai region) is usually incorporated into the lacing on the back. Sometimes loops, cords, shells, metal discs or bones are incorporated. All of this always has an individual meaning and benefit on the journey to the ancestors.