Healing Drum Retreat

Drums are usually made from a wooden ring covered with animal hide that is tightly strung together to form a tension. This tension creates the resonating tone. Leather is sensitive to the elements, and with proper care your drum can last many years, bringing pleasure and healing to all.

Caring for your drum is a combination of respect and environmental awareness:

Respect your drum: Understand that the hide on your drum had been a living creature, and this skin still retains the essence of that spirit. Never lay your drum face down or facing a wall, this is a sign of disrespect. Greet your drum, and treat it kindly. Choose a beater based upon your drum’s impressions, not your own. Try different beaters and notice how they sound. Your drum will indicate a good match.

Environmental awareness: In creating your drum the hide was soaked and stretched on its frame. Binding such as sinew or leather was used to lace the hide on its frame, and as the drum dried the leather shrunk and tightened. Excessive heat will further shrink the leather on your drum. Do not leave your drum in the sun on a hot day. Just the same as you would not leave a live animal in your car, do not leave your drum unattended. Over shrinking of the leather can cause a change in pitch and even splitting of the leather. You can reduce the affects of heat on your drum by spritzing it lightly with water and storing it in a comfortable temperature.