How to Make Drums, Tomtoms and Rattles: Primitive Percussion Instruments for Modern Use

by Bernard S. Mason

Book Overview

Drums to have fun with, drums with magical powers, dance drums, tomtoms, water drums - just about any type of drum you could wish to know about or make is described in this book by Bernard S. Mason,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486218899
• Release Date: June 1974
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.4" x 0.5" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Fascinating Book on Woods Craft originally published in 1938

This is a reprint of Mason's classic 1938 edition. It is fascinating, even though Mason uses some slightly racist-sounding phrases, it is obvious that he repects (respected) Amerindian culture. He has a great feel for their spirituality. And personal experience with our First Peoples. It's a little corny and naive other parts. Mason's book has many drawings of original drums and their designs. He gives detailed practical instructions on how to build drums, hand-frame drums and a pow-wow drum, from processing a raw animal hide to bending wooden slats into a hoops, stretching and drying the drum head, painting and adding adornments. He left me with the impression that it is nearly impossible to build dud!Stinky probably spoke true (if the book was a 1938 musty-smelling edition) but Stinky's review was woefully misleading. The book is a classic on woods craft type drum building. It also provides an intimate glimpse into the recent past before thoughts and words were filtered through a politcally correct seive.