Native Americans & Drums

My "self" handpainted thunder hoop drum.

The most important Native American instrument was and still is the drum, as you can tell by going to any powwow or Indian event. Different tribes have different traditions about the drum and how to play it, but the basic construction is very similar in most tribes: a wooden frame or a carved and hollowed-out log, with finely tanned buckskin or elk skin stretched taut across the opening by sinew thongs. Traditionally American Indian drums are large, two to three feet in diameter, and they are played communally by groups of men who stand around them in a circle. However, there were also some tribes in which each drummer had his own instrument, and it is possible to buy a smaller Native American hand drum for either musical or decorative purposes.

Huge two-sided drums played by several people at one time are used to accompany dances or songs, to call people together, for social occasions, and in competitions and ceremonies. The head singer, a position of great honor, has complete control over the drum and the right to lead all songs unless he chooses otherwise. Hand-held drums are also played at some pow wows. These drums can be beat for hours-a constant throbbing background noise like the constant throbbing of the Indian people's hearts.