Our stock of monkey drums has been a bit sporadic lately... please contact us for price quotes and availability.
Udu Igbah drums:
The Udu Igbah is a formidable music making tool. In addition to the familiar percussion sounds, it produces many new sounds as well! The drum head is made from genuine goat or cow hide and can be played with a hand or mallet for special effects. Since the drums are handpainted, design and color may vary slightly from the picture. Doughnut ring included.
7-inch diameter Udu Igbah with drum head --
List price $240 Our price: $204.00
The tongue drum is of Aztec origin. Also called log drum or
tone drum. The slit drum is a similar log drum of African origin.
Traditionally made from a hollowed log -- the modern version is
a wooden box with tongues cut into the top, played with mallets.
Hardwood Music Tongue Drums
Hardwood Music Tongue Drums are handcrafted in Arizona by the father and son team of Michael and Joah Thiele. They use beautiful hand-selected domestic and exotic hardwoods, and tune each model precisely to a specific scale. These drums are used extensively throughout the recording industry by major performing artists. They are widely recognized as the "Strad" of tongue drums. Anything less is just a box!
Please note, while we stock an extensive selection of Hardwood Music drums, we may not have every model or every tuning listed below currently available. Also, since each drum is individually handcrafted, wood selection may differ. "Melodic Standards" models may be made of woods such as canarywood, shedua, mahogany, lyptus, padauk, chocolate cedar, or purpleheart. "Rhythmic Percussion" models are usually made from red elm and spruce. Melodic Standard drums may be customized with specific woods depending on availability. If you have a specific request, let us know.
Each drum is signed by Michael or Joah Thiele, and the woods used are also listed on the bottom of the drum. Two rubber mallets are included with drum purchase. Additional pairs of mallets can be purchased for $7.00.
A note from David Eisner, HMT owner, on Hardwood Music drums: "There are suppliers, and then there are suppliers of instruments in Michael Thiele's elite category. Working side by side with his son, this two-man shop produces (to our knowledge) the only TUNED hardwood tongue or slit drums. Michael is careful not to use endangered hardwoods, and hand-selects each piece of wood individually. Michael has had a long time friendship with the musician Ben Harper, going back to the days when Ben was a young teenager. If you view the video "Ben Harper Live at the Hollywood Bowl," you'll see one of Michael's drums made especially for Ben being used as the encore selection. Michael and I have had our differences over the years, but they are ones that never concern his fine instruments. He is a Dodgers fan and I am a Yankees fan!"
MELODIC STANDARDS Hardwood Music's Melodic Standards blend the highest level of visual and acoustic excellence to create a drum of exceptional melodic quality and visual appeal. The open harmonic tunings allow the novice, as well as the veteran musician, to create new and exciting music. Their careful selection of woods and years of research have enabled them to enrich the simple wood tongue drum with a bright resonance of unmatched quality. Each drum is designed and crafted to guarantee the best possible instrument within the limits of size and pitch selection.
House of Musical Traditions
Hardwood Music Tongue Drums
