(Baonghean.vn) - Hamlet 5, Thanh Van Commune (Thanh Chuong) has long been known not only as a studious hometown, but also famous for its unique traditional drum making craft. Although there are only a few households making drums, the quality of the drums here is very good because of the resonant sound.
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| Making a drum requires many steps, but there are three main steps: stretching the skin, making the drum body, and carrying the drum. The drum skin is made from buffalo or cow skin. The older the animal's skin, the more durable and better the sound of the drum. After purchasing, the animal skin is thinly sliced, stretched, and dried in the sun. |
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| The drum body is made from flexible, light, and slightly elastic jackfruit wood, which makes the drum sound loud. “Buffalo skin and jackfruit wood, when played less, make more sound.” Jackfruit wood is put into the machine, sawn into curved, even strips, depending on the type of drum. The drum body is shaped in bamboo belts from the strips assembled together. When preparing to carry the drum, the craftsman will take the drum body out to plan and polish it to be round, even, and balanced. |
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The skin-stretching stage determines the sound of the drum.To put the drum on the pedestal, two people need to hold the skin to balance it, put it on the drum and tie it with ropes. To stretch the drum skin, after each time stepping on the drum skin, the worker uses the jack to push the drum up a little, like that until the skin is stretched and when struck, the sound is as desired. |
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| To fix the drum skin to the drum body, the craftsman must skillfully punch holes and pin rows of bamboo nails into them. From small drums (drum head diameter about 0.2m) to large drums (1.5m...), all are pinned with rows of bamboo nails, evenly and beautifully. |
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| After being held, the drum is polished smooth. This is the final step in completing a drum. |
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| If the buyer needs to attach a drum strap for easy hanging or carrying, it will also be added. Drum making facilities not only produce new drums, but also repair all types of drums. |
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| The drums are ready-made, customers can come and admire and choose to buy. The drums cost from 500 thousand VND to tens of millions of VND/piece. The drums here sell better during holidays, Tet, and Spring festivals. The drum making profession in Thanh Van is maintained and developed. |
Huy Thu
