Drumbeat of the Rainbow Fire

The drum has been the guiding force in my life for many years. My journey into rhythm began under the tutelage of Mongolian shaman Jade Wah'oo Grigori. Jade's ancient knowledge of drumming and healing rhythms was most influential in putting together my first book, The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming. I had a deep respect for the power of the ceremonial rhythms and drum ways of Jade's tradition, but I had to follow my own path of rhythm.

Though Jade was my mentor, the drum became my teacher and creative addiction. I developed an insatiable thirst for its rhythms. I became a rhythm seeker, learning new rhythms from other drummers, from nature, and from dreams and visions. I explored the rhythms of many of the world’s shamanic and spiritual traditions. It was only natural, at least from my perspective, that rhythm, as a path, would lead me to the rhythmic roots of all cultures.   

As I learned the drum ways of various world cultures, I found the same rhythmic qualities underlying all of them. Like the colors of the rainbow, each culture has its own hue or identity, yet each is a part of the whole. Although the focus or intent differs from culture to culture, rhythmic drumming invariably has the same power and effects in all traditions. The resonant qualities and attributes of these rhythmic phenomena are universal and come into play whenever we drum.          

The sound waves produced by the drum impart their energy to the resonating systems of the body, mind, and spirit, making them vibrate in sympathy. When we drum, our living flesh, brainwaves, and spiritual energy centers begin to vibrate in response. This sympathetic resonance leaves reverberating effects up to 72 hours after a drum session. These powerful effects can best be described in terms of their influence on the subtle energy centers known as chakras. Read more.

Zuni Shalako Drum

Shalako Kachina

I purchased this beautiful Zuni log drum depicting the Shalako ceremony from the artist in December of 1991. Elisia and I were traveling through New Mexico on a cross-country tour, promoting my newly released book, The Shamanic Drum. By chance we happened upon the annual Shalako festival, which is a series of dances and ceremonies conducted by the Zuni people near the winter solstice in which they celebrate the return of the sun and pray for rain, growth, and fertility. Shalako is named for its masked dancers who embody kachinas or ancestral spirits. Kachinas mediate between humanity and the gods of rain and prosperity in a sacred ritual performance that ensures the transformation of winter's death into spring's rebirth. Standing ten-feet tall and resembling birds, the colorful Shalako kachinas dance rhythmically, clacking their long beaks together. They come to the human realm to collect the people's prayers and take them back to the spirit realm.

"Shake the World with the Tiger Drum"

Nicholas Breeze Wood, editor of Sacred Hoop Magazine, is calling for a 'Tiger Drum' on the Thursday January 19, 2017. According to Nicholas, "Tiger Drumming is where people drum as a Tiger, to hold the line, to hold the sense of who they are, to hold their authenticity, their beauty, their integrity, their grace, their peace, their worth. A tiger knows who it is in the forest - be like a tiger." Tiger's medicine includes power, strength, self-assurance, and willpower in the face of adversity. Tiger is an ancient Chinese symbol of protection, dignity, ferocity, sternness, and Yin energy. Yin is the passive feminine principle of the universe, characterized as receptive, yielding, nurturing, grounding, and associated with the Earth or matter. Yin is the stable, unmoving, hidden aspect of things. Call upon Tiger for courage, resolve, and stability to help you hold steady during these unsteady times. Remain calm and centered in your power. See things as they are, in process of change, without fixation on imbalance; see the potential and call it forth. Shake the Earth with the Tiger Drum and the Earth will stop to listen.

Awaken the Shaman Within

Shamanism has achieved a dramatic modern resurgence. Recent studies by some of the world's foremost scholars on shamanism reveal that the contemporary world still hungers for transcendent experiences because the shamanic narrative is hard-wired in us all. Study results demonstrate that the cross-cultural manifestations of shamanism and its contemporary appeal are rooted in innate functions of the brain, mind, and consciousness. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate that the innate modules of rhythm, like percussion, provide a secular approach to accessing a higher power and applying spiritual perspectives. Each person has the ability to connect directly with shamanic states of consciousness through the power of the drum.

When pulsed at some three beats per second, rhythmic drumming induces an alpha wave cycle in the brain. Alpha activity is associated with meditation, light trance states, and holistic modes of consciousness. The alpha rhythm is the resonant frequency produced by our planet's electromagnetic field. All life on this planet is plugged into this primary frequency. When the brain oscillates in this common frequency, attunement to planetary collective consciousness is achieved. One's sense of being a separate individual gives way to an experience of union, not just with other individuals, but with the entire planet. Drumming is a quick and easy way to induce this state of unity consciousness.

This ease of induction of altered states and related experiences contrasts dramatically with the months or years of practice usually required by most meditative disciplines to induce significant effects. Today's drummers are rediscovering the trance or ecstatic aspects of drumming. This new rhythm consciousness is oriented not toward performance and musical virtuosity, but toward personal transformation, consciousness expansion, and community building. Shamanic drum ways do not require faith or changes in your definition of reality. No change in your subconscious mind is required either, for the drum only awakens what is already there. It will awaken the shaman that lies dormant within you. Read more.

The Cosmology of the Drum

An excerpt from the book The Shamanic Drum by Michael Drake

Humans have always looked beyond the factual world of ordinary reality for something solid on which to ground their lives. The models of the mystery of life have always been based on the myths of an immemorial imagination. "Mythological cosmologies do not correspond to the world of gross facts, but are functions of dreams and visions," writes the late Joseph Campbell, one of the great mythologists of the twentieth century. Dreams and visions have always been, and will always be, the creative forces that shape cosmology. It is an inherent product of the psyche, a symbolic language of metaphysics recognized by shamans and seers. The personal vision of the shaman becomes the collective vision of the group.

Mythological cosmology is evocative rather than referential. It is not science or history, but rather symbolism that serves as a catalyst of spiritual well-being. Like the beat of the shaman's drum, it disengages the individual from the integrating component of ordinary thinking consciousness and invokes the mysteries of the imagination and intuition. The realm of cosmology and the domain of shamanic trance are one and the same.

A Drum Called "Rolling Thunder"

The community drum in this photo is named "Rolling Thunder." She is a Taos cottonwood log drum with a buffalo hide head. She is the most powerful, healing drum I have ever had the good fortune to connect with. True to her name, she sounds and feels like rolling thunder! Rolling Thunder has been the heartbeat of our community drum circle for over twenty years. We put our prayers into the drum before we play. We then send our prayers out into the circle of life on the voice of the drum. The resonance of the drum "shakes the earth" and the earth stops to listen.

Also called council drums, these are large drums that can be played by many people at the same time. A community drum symbolizes the heartbeat of the circle. Community drums foster and sustain a culture of engagement and collaboration. Playing together on a community drum bonds the individual members of the circle. Moreover, a communal drum can be ritually awakened and dedicated to the work, process or mission the circle. Read more about community drums.

The Great Drum

The circle of the Earth

is the head of a great drum.
With the day,

it moves upward—booming.
With the night,

it moves downward—booming.
The day and the night are its song.

I am very small,

as I dance upon the drumhead.
I am like a particle of dust,

as I dance upon the drumhead.
Above me in the sky

is the shining ball of the drumstick.

I dance upward with the day.
I dance downward with the night.
Some day I shall dance afar

into space like a particle of dust.

Who is the Drummer who

beats upon the Earth-drum?
Who is the Drummer who

makes me to dance his song?

—Ojibwa

The Shamanic Drum as Cognitive Map

The Sami peoples of northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula in Russia practiced an indigenous form of shamanism until the religious repression of shamanic practices in the mid 17th century. The runebomme, an oval frame or bowl drum, was an important trance and divination tool of the noaidi, or Sami shaman. Sami shamanic drums depict their mythical representation of the world. Sami drumheads are decorated with cosmological rune symbols and drawings of heavenly bodies, plants, animals, humans and human habitations; sometimes divided into separate regions by horizontal or vertical lines. Sami drums are characterized by a central sun cross with arms protruding in the four cardinal directions. The cross symbolized the sun--the source of life. The horizontal or vertical lines represented the three realms of the shaman's universe.

The drum is a key to the cosmology of the Samis. The figures of the drum were a kind of cognitive map for the journey of the shaman's ego-soul between the three levels of the universe. At the same time it was the collective side of the drum, open to the public to be observed collectively and interpreted publicly by the shaman to the audience who shared the same cosmologic beliefs. The cyclic world-outlook of shamanism became manifest in the oval shape and the heliocentric figures of the drum. It was probably used, read and interpreted from different directions in a way that shifted annually in accordance with the seasonal variation. To learn more read "TheShamanic Drum as Cognitive Map" by Juha Pentikäinen. This article presents this rich iconography and ends on a comparative analysis of the "message" painted on these drums with Finnish folklore, its mythology and, especially, its ancient oral literature.

Healing Story, Singing Drum

Singing Elk Drum

This is a story about healing. It is also a story about a singing drum. In October 2011, I felt spirit calling me. I felt compelled to travel to the sacred sites that beckoned me. I followed my deepest instincts. I traveled with my drum, medicine bundle, and helping spirits to shamanize the meridian system of her numinous web, which is the planetary counterpart to the acupuncture meridian system of the human body.

Early man discovered these planetary currents called ley lines. In China, they were known as dragon currents. The Aborigines of Australia know them as a line of songs. In England, the Druids referred to the old straight track. Native Americans regarded the energy channels as the serpent power or the great dragons. According to Cherokee mythology, the dragons once followed the will of the great shamans who would invoke them to protect the people and the land.

These energy ley lines contain a two-fold element, a male and female, positive and negative, expanding and reverting breath, resembling two magnetic currents -- the azure dragon and the white tiger. At the intersection points of the planet’s energy web exist holy places, power spots, or acupuncture points. Like acupuncture needles, humans are capable of maintaining the harmonious flow of the planetary energy meridians by making an earth connection at power places.

Many magical things happened during my two month pilgrimage. I soaked in the healing waters of Umpqua, Buckeye, Travertine, Whitmore, and Keough Hot Springs. I camped at Panther Meadows on Mount Shasta. I hiked among the oldest living things on the earth in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

By happenstance, I encountered my dear friend and master drum maker Judith Thomson in Bishop, California. Judith and her husband, Lloyd studied about the healing power of sound with Jonathan Goldman. She studied the healing ways of the Native Americans who live in the states of Oregon and Washington. This included learning how they crafted drums and used their sounds for healing. Judith taught many people across the United States how to make drums and how to use drumming to heal.

Judith and I began facilitating workshops together in 1993. She was called by spirit to teach drum making and I was called to teach shamanic drumming. Unbeknownst to me, Judith had journeyed from her home in Packwood, Washington to facilitate a three-day drum making workshop in Big Pine, California. Upon her request, I helped Judith facilitate her final seminar before retirement and she helped me and twelve other participants birth the most beautiful singing drums I have ever heard.

After the seminar, Judith returned to Packwood and I was asked to stay for a drum blessing and workshop the following weekend after the wet rawhide drums had dried. The drum awakening ceremony was held outside next to Birch Creek. We asked each of the seven powers/directions to bless our drums. We thanked the animal spirits for giving their skins for our drum heads. We thanked the trees for the wooden rims and asked that our drums' hoops be connected to the World Tree which enables all trees to sing our prayers while drumming. Our drums were consecrated and we journeyed to meet our power animals.

The Big Pine seminar was the last time I ever saw Judith alive. She crossed over into the spirit world five months later on March 25, 2012. Judith mentored many drum makers and drum keepers in many communities across the United States and Canada. Her extraordinary passion and tireless devotion to "the way of the drum" has been a wellspring of inspiration for me. Hers was an authentic life well lived and she will be deeply missed.

The singing elk drum that Judith helped me birth at the Big Pine seminar turned out to be the last drum that she ever made. It has a remarkable range of tones and overtones. It is a powerful healing drum, but it is also a "desert drum." I learned this upon my return to my home in Salem, Oregon. In the humid, rainy climate of Western Oregon, the melodic desert drum that Judith and I created together became flat and toneless. It would only sing on the warmest, driest days of the summer. Even then, its voice was sad and melancholy.

For three years I debated whether I should soak the drum to loosen the rawhide, take the drum apart, and tighten the lacing of the drum, or simply return the drum to the Owens Valley. To rebuild a drum is to embark on a path of no return. You must first take stock of the situation and make certain that you have no other options. It should only be done as a last resort, for its effect upon the voice of the drum is unknowable. It should answer a real need and spring from unselfish motives. As Judith put it, "Making a drum is like pulling your heart together and giving birth to a new part of yourself."

Since rebuilding the drum would have irrevocably changed its voice, I chose to return the singing drum to its natal home. Like the adult Salmon that finds its way from the sea to the stream of its birth, I returned Judith's drum to the arid desert of its birth. I departed from Salem on April 16, 2015, retracing the route of my 2011 pilgrimage to Bishop, California. Along the way, I soaked in thermal hot springs, drummed in the earth's oldest living forest, visited an ancient vision quest site, and participated in sweat lodge and pipe ceremonies. The high point of my journey was when I presented Judith's final drum to my friend Marla. She is now the caretaker of this sacred drum. The drum is happy and sings again; it is full of songs.

Judith Thomson at the Big Pine Drum Making Seminar

Song of the Drum

My drum has many voices.

My drum tells many stories.

This drum is full of mystery.

This drum is full of dreams.

Listen to the drumbeat.

Listen to the heartbeat.

Now you hear the hoof beat.

Now you hear the wing beat.

All are One.

  —Michael Drake

How to Care for Your Drum

Drums should be cared for in a manner befitting their place in your life. It is a common practice to keep shamanic drums out of sight or wrapped in a cloth when not being used, as this will prevent careless handling of them or accidental disrespecting of the spirits of the drums by people unfamiliar with shamanism. Large community drums are usually covered with a blanket when not in use. The most important thing to remember is that shamanic drums are regarded as living, sentient beings and function best in the same conditions that humans find most comfortable. Basic care instructions are as follows:

1. Store your drum in a warm, dry place away from direct heat or sunshine. You can keep your drum in a water repellent nylon padded drum bag or simply wrap it in a special cloth or animal hide;
2. Protect your drum from moisture. When your drum gets wet, the wood swells and the rawhide sags. You can clean your drum by rubbing it softly with a slightly damp cloth;

3. Never leave your drum in the car for any length of time in extreme heat or cold as this can split the head. Leaving your drum in direct sunlight for any length of time can also make the drum's head split;

4. When the humidity is high, you can restore the tone of your drum by heating it slowly with a hair dryer, in front of a fire, or on a heating pad. Avoid heating the skin to a temperature that is too hot to touch. You can preserve the tone of a drum by putting it in a tightly closed plastic bag;

5. In high-humidity areas, some people put some kind of a natural conditioner on their drumheads once a year. You can rub a light coating of lanolin or neatsfoot oil into the back of the drumhead and on the cords. Your drum will stay in tune longer and absorb less moisture;

6. If a painted design on your drumhead is starting to wear away, you can touch it up with acrylic paint. After your paint has dried, apply a coat of clear acrylic sealer to the entire drumhead using a wide brush or spray the design with clear matte art fixative;

7. Should your drum ever require repair, consult the person who crafted the drum. If that is not possible, find another drum maker who works in a similar way. If you can find someone to teach you how to repair the drum, it's well worth the time to do so. 

With minimal care, your drum will last for many years as a trusted ally. The very first drum I made is over twenty-five years old and shows no signs of deterioration despite extensive use. The simplest way to care for your drum is to play it. A drum is not meant to be left hanging on a wall as a decoration. It is a sacred instrument that opens portals to the spirit world. Each time you pick up your drum, thank it, honor it, and express your gratitude for this gift from a greater being. To learn more, look inside my drum guide, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits.

How to Feed Your Drum

Honoring the Drum

In the shaman's world, all is alive. A drum is regarded as a living organism; not as an object. The drum has a spirit that can be awakened and if called upon, must be "fed." The spirits eat just as we eat. Shamans believe that if the spirits are not fed, the ritual may not go well. Shamans ritually feed their drums. Many use the head of the drum as an altar to offer blue cornmeal or tobacco to the spirit of the instrument.

Cornmeal is good "food" because corn is a sacred gift from the beings that live in the spirit world. The one offering the cornmeal first breathes on the grains so that the spirits know who is offering the gift. Offer the cornmeal to the four directions, and then to the drum itself so the spirit of the drum can eat it. The offering may be placed on the inside or outside of the drumhead. It is swished around the face of the drum for a few moments, and then left as an offering to the spirits of place -- the spirit and consciousness of every living thing in a time and place.

You can offer a pinch of dry tobacco in the same manner. The sacrament, tobacco, is the unifying thread of communication between humans and the spiritual powers. Tobacco feeds the drum and carries our prayers to the Loom of Creation, thereby reweaving the pattern of existence in accordance with those prayers.

Smudge smoke is also one of the foods for spirits. Cedar, sage and sweetgrass can be used for the smudging and feeding of drums. To smudge your drum, light the dried herbs in a fire-resistant receptacle and then blow out the flames. Smudge your drum by passing it through the smoke three times. Conclude the smudging by thanking the spirit of the plant whose body made the offering possible. To learn more, look inside my drum guide, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits.

The Soul of the Shaman

The distinguishing characteristic of shamanism is its focus on an ecstatic trance state in which the soul of the shaman is believed to leave his or her body and ascend to the sky (heavens) or descend into the earth (underworld). The drum, sometimes called the shaman's horse, provides the shaman a relatively easy means of controlled transcendence. Researchers have found that if a drum beat frequency of around three to four beats per second is sustained for at least fifteen minutes, it will induce significant trance states in most people, even on their first attempt. During shamanic flight, the sound of the drum serves as a guidance system, indicating where the shaman is at any moment or where they might need to go. The drumbeat also serves as an anchor, or lifeline, that the shaman follows to return to his or her body and/or exit the trance state when the trance work is complete.

The shaman's mount, namely the single-headed frame drum, originated in Siberia along with shamanism itself thousands of years ago. The word shaman comes from Siberia, and it is in this vast geographical region where shamanism proper is to be found. Siberian shamans use the frame drum to convey to the spirits of a place their greetings, any requests, and thanks. It is a spiritual practice designed to help human beings relate to all of nature. Siberia is one of the few places in the world where the shamanic heritage has remained unbroken. Read more.

The Shaman's Drumstick

Drums are an essential part of shamanic work; we use them for journeying, healing and celebration, both for ourselves and for the community. Additionally, the shamanic techniques of divination, extraction and soul retrieval and can all be performed with the drum. It can be used as a spirit boat and carry souls inside it during soul retrievals. The drum may serve as a purifying tool, a spirit-catcher or the shaman's mount.

The drumstick or beater is also a significant shamanic tool and has a powerful spirit and sound of its own. The best drumsticks are made of strong hardwood with a padded, leather covered head. They are usually decorated with fur, feathers, bead work or engraved with sacred symbols. Different beaters work better with different drums to bring out the tone qualities. By using different parts of the drumstick to play on different parts of the drum, different timbres can be produced for transmitting different meanings. There are hard beaters, semi-hard beaters, soft beaters, and rattle beaters, which are simply beaters with a rawhide or gourd rattle attached to the base of the handle opposite the head. The clicking of the rattle adds not only an interesting sound effect, but also produces an offbeat, which adds a new dimension to the sonic experience.

Furthermore, the shaman's drumstick has certain uses independent of the drum. In Tuva (southern Siberia), the rattle beater or orba, with its spoon-shaped head covered with animal fur and metal rings attached for rattling, is in part for practicing divination and drawing the attention of the spirits. The snare sounds associated with metal, stone and bone rattlers attached to beaters and drum frames are described as "spirit voices." When Tuvan drums were being confiscated and destroyed during the times of Soviet repression, some shamans used only their orba for rituals.

Among the Altaians of Siberia, shamans use the orba to invoke helping spirits, collect them into the drum and purify sacred space for ritual. According to M. A. Czaplicka, author of Shamanism in Siberia (2007, p. 171), when the shaman summons the spirits, "His tambourine sounds louder and louder, and he staggers under the burden of the vast number of spirit-protectors collected in it. Now he purifies the host, hostess, their children, and relatives by embracing them in such a way that the tambourine with the spirits collected in it touches the breast and the drumstick the back of each. This is done after he has scraped from the back of the host with the drum-stick all that is unclean, for the back is the seat of the soul."

Thus, drumsticks and drums are used in a variety of ways in shamanic rituals. The first step in learning how to work with these shamanic tools is to connect with the spirits of the instruments. By journeying to connect with the spirits, each shamanic practitioner can find out what a particular drum or drumstick is best suited for, such as divination, journeying, extracting, etc. When you meet the spirit of the instrument, it may teach you some special ways you can use it for your shamanic work that you did not know before. It may have a specific name, purpose or type of energy. Be open to the possibilities.

If the initial communication with the spirit of the instrument is not very clear, that's OK. Journeys like this can be repeated a number of times, in fact it is a good thing to do just to develop an ongoing relationship. You can journey to connect with the spirits of your instruments as often as you like. To learn more, read "Waking the Drum."

How to Connect with Your Shamanic Drum

As a drum circle facilitator, I get asked a lot about how to work with shamanic drums. Drums are an essential part of shamanic work; we use them for journeying, healing and celebration, both for ourselves and for the community. Additionally, the shamanic techniques of extraction, soul retrieval and divination can all be performed with the drum. Yet many people I meet who acquire a drum say they want to work with it but they are not sure how to. Connecting with the spirit of the drum is the first step in learning how to work with it.

There are many ways to connect with a drum. Some shamanic practitioners craft their own drums. A drum of your own creation will be imbued with your own unique essence. It will become a powerful extension of your essential self. Moreover, the spirit of a drum will pass through your hands into the drum as you make it. Other practitioners may choose to purchase drums, and then decorate them in ways that infuse their own energy into it. 

One of the best ways to connect with a drum is by journeying to meet the spirit of your drum. Begin by smudging the drum, and then call upon the spirit of the drum and ask it to come to you and become your ally. To support your journey, you can play the drum you are working with or listen to a shamanic journey drumming recording while holding the drum. 

When you meet the spirit of the drum, it may teach you some special ways you can use the drum for your shamanic work that you did not know before. It may have a specific name, purpose or type of energy (for example some feel very grounding, others more ethereal). Your drum may wish to be played, decorated or stored in a particular way. It may teach you a rhythm for invoking and enlivening it. When a helping spirit is invoked, there is often an accompanying rhythm that comes through. Be open to the possibilities. 

If the initial communication with the spirit of the drum is not very clear, that's OK. Journeys like this can be repeated a number of times, in fact it is a good thing to do just to develop an ongoing relationship. You can journey to connect with the spirit of your drum as often as you like. To learn more, read "Waking the Drum." 

An Invitation to Participate in a New Book

Today's post is a bit different from the usual; I am asking for your help with a project. I am in the process of writing a book titled "Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide." This book is the culmination of nearly twenty-five years of shamanic circling. Since 1989, I have been involved in facilitating shamanic drumming circles and hands-on experiential workshops nationwide. Many of the participants in my workshops were inspired to start or join drumming circles in their communities. Over the years many of these shamanic practitioners have shared the specific challenges and issues their circles experienced. This ongoing networking with other practitioners evolved into a manual which will offer some guidelines for anyone considering starting a shamanic drumming circle. The guidelines are also meant to help established drumming circles become more effective. If you have ideas for the book or want to share interesting insights that would be useful, either leave a comment below OR contact me via email and I'll get right back to you. I look forward to your thoughts. I'm excited about the prospects for this book. With your help, we can make it a truly-valuable resource for shamanic circles.

Post Update -- May 30, 2014: I am pleased to announce the publication of my new drum circle guide. I would like to thank everyone for their contributions and support. Click here to look inside my Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide.

What is Shamanic Drumming?

Shamanic drumming is drumming for the purpose of inducing a range of ecstatic trance states in order to connect with the spiritual dimension of reality. Ecstasy is defined as a mystic, prophetic, or poetic trance. It is a trance-like state of exaltation in which the mind is fixed on what it contemplates or conceives. The drum serves as a concentration device, enhancing one's capacity to focus attention inward. It stills the incessant chatter of the mind, enabling one to enter a subtle or light-trance state. Shamanic drumming carries awareness into the transcendent realm of the collective unconscious, the infinite creative matrix of all that we are and have ever been. It is an inward spiritual journey of rapture in which one interacts with the inner world, thereby influencing the outer world.

Practiced in diverse cultures around the planet, this drum method is strikingly similar the world over. Shamanic drumming uses a repetitive rhythm that begins slowly and then gradually builds in intensity to a tempo of three to seven beats per second. The ascending tempo will induce light to deep trance states, and facilitate the shamanic techniques of journeying, shapeshifting, and soul retrieval. Transported by the driving beat of the drum, the shaman or shamanic practitioner, will journey to the inner planes of consciousness. When ready to exit the trance state, the practitioner simply slows the tempo of drumming, drawing consciousness back to normal.

The drum, sometimes called the shaman's horse, provides a relatively easy means of controlled transcendence. Researchers have found that if a drum beat frequency of around three to four beats per second is sustained for at least fifteen minutes, it will induce significant trance states in most people, even on their first attempt. During shamanic flight, the sound of the drum serves as a guidance system, indicating where the shamanic traveler is at any moment or where they might need to go. The drumbeat also serves as an anchor, or lifeline, that the practitioner will follow to return to his or her body and/or exit the trance state when the trance work is complete.

     

The shaman's trance is an intentionally induced state of ecstasy. Shamanic trance is characterized by its flexibility, ranging from a light diagnostic state, to spirit flight, and to full embodiment by spirit. Shamanic practitioners use intention and discipline to control the nature, depth, and qualities of their trance states. Practitioners may progress through a range of trance states until they reach the level that is necessary for healing to occur.

The capacity to enter a range of trance states is a natural manifestation of human consciousness. The ability to enter trance states doesn't make you a shaman; it makes you human. What makes shamans unique is their mastery over an otherwise normal human trait. It requires training, practice, and devotion to master any expressive art. Shamans master the art of ecstasy to see the true nature of the universe. Shamanic drumming continues to offer today what it has offered for thousands of years: namely, a simple and effective technique of ecstasy. I invite you to try a shamanic journey and to look inside my book The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming (paid link).

Crafting a Djembe Drum

Copyright 2004 © by Chris Bittner 

My name is Chris Bittner, and I am a drum maker living in central Pennsylvania. As you already know, drumming is fun, it is powerful, and oftentimes spiritual for people. We know that we enjoy the rhythm. But many people are left curious about the drums themselves: what are they made of, and how are they made? I would like to describe my drum making experience, so that you can learn a little about what I do.

Although I have been making drums for just five years, my drum journey really began when I was a child. My brother went around playing rhythms on everything, and since I had to copy him, I did it too. This is something which has never left me. I played "drums" on my dinner table, car dashboard, etc. When I was a child, I also learned to enjoy working with wood. My father taught me to use tools and make small projects. In my early twenties, I began making wood sculptures. Then about ten years ago, I began playing in any drum circle I could find, as well as a local West African drum and dance troupe. In 1999, I combined my love of woodworking with drumming, and began making drums.

I attended a four day drum making workshop offered by Yendor Drums. We began with djembe shells that were rough-carved in Ghana. Through the course, we finish-carved the drum shells, prepared a fresh goatskin, assembled and tuned the drum. Yendor sells all the necessary materials, so I felt that it was time for me to start my own small business making and selling drums.

Most of the drums I have made (close to 100 now) have been made from African drum shells. These drum shells are carved by drum makers in Ghana. The wood they use is called tweneboa. Tweneboa is lighter, softer and less dense than many other African drum woods. It has the advantage of being much easier to carve. I have also made a number of drums from African drum shells made from iroko wood, imported from Ivory Coast. By contrast, iroko wood is very hard and heavy. It is appropriate to note that most African drums (and especially djembes) are made from the harder, heavier woods. Since it is more difficult to make drums from harder wood, I am sure that it is used for good reason. However, many fine drums are also made from the softer Tweneboa wood, so I believe each type has its merits.

A typical drum project will begin when someone contacts me who wants to buy a drum. Together we will decide on the type of drum (djembe is by far most popular, I also have solid shell ashikos) and desired size. I choose an appropriate drum shell and begin work.

Preparing The Shell

Usually, the exterior of the shell will be pretty close to a finished shape. The inside, however, always needs quite a bit of work. There tends to be a lot of extra wood on the inside of the bowl and also inside the pipe (lower part of the djembe). The most useful hand tool for carving this wood out is called a scorp. A scorp is a wood gouge that works on the pull stroke. It is necessary to cut the wood with the grain, which means from the middle of the djembe toward the ends. Cutting the opposite direction with a straight gouge can be done, but it generally is difficult or impossible. Woodcraft (http://www.woodcraft.com/) sells a good scorp. I remove excess wood from the interior until I have a uniform thickness of about 3/4 inch.

I smooth the exterior with a sureform. This is a tool that looks like a cheese grater on the bottom. After that, I use coarse sandpaper (perhaps 80 grit) to start smoothing the surface. Then I use my power sander with finer and finer grits until I am happy with the smoothness.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the woodwork is the shaping of the bearing edge (top edge that will support the skin). There are three aspects to this: making the rim round, rounding the outer edge, and making the rim flat.

I measure the diameter of the top rim, and usually discover that it is not quite exactly round. For example, it may measure 13" in one direction, and 13 1/4" in another. What I do is cut a cardboard circle that is 13" in diameter and as perfectly round as I can make it. I place this circle on top of the drum and center it. A circle is drawn around the edge of the cardboard. Then I can use a sureform to make the outside perfectly round. I do the same for the inside edge of the bearing edge. These steps are not absolutely essential, but I feel that a round drum is more likely to sound really good.

Next, I use a woodrasp to bevel the outside of the bearing edge. The outside should be nicely rounded so that your hand will not hit a sharp corner as you play the drum. It also will allow the skin to slide smoothly over the edge when the skin is attached or tuned. Do not round the inside edge at this point. Allow the inside edge to be a little pointy, and the highest point on the edge. At this point, I will lay a sheet of glass down on top of the drum. I look under the glass, and can see where I need to remove some wood using a rasp to make the top rim flat. When it gets pretty close, I use a sanding board to make the top perfectly flat. The sanding board is simply a nice, flat piece of plywood, about 18" square (you could also use glass or steel plate), with adhesive backed 60 grit sandpaper stuck on it. Lay the board down on top of the drum and slide it around in a circular motion. You will soon see that you have created a flat area along the inside top edge of the drum. Stop the sanding when the flat area appears on the entire circle.

At this point, I use the rasp, cutting in a motion from the outside of the rim toward the inside, taking care to keep the front of the rasp a little higher than the rear, with respect to the flat plane of the top edge. In other words, your final result must be that the inside of the rim should be the highest point of the rim, with the rest of your flat area having been worked down into the outside curve. The danger is that the drum may wind up with a "buzz" if there is any flat area left on the top rim.

I like to use the sanding board on the bottom rim of the drum, too. Shape it however you like.

The wood should be sealed with some type of finish. Many people will seal the drum inside and out, but I usually only finish the outside. If the wood has been properly seasoned, I would expect no further problems with cracking. Many types of wood finish are available, and I think any type you like is acceptable. I generally use boiled linseed oil, or danish oil finish, and sometimes polyurethane if I want a really durable finish.

Attaching The Skin

Now the drum shell is ready. Three steel rings are needed to secure the skin. Two of them will hold the skin at the top of the drum, one will act as a counter hoop at the drum's middle. For djembes, the lower ring must either be big enough to go over the bottom of the drum (which often makes it ride unacceptably high on the bowl), or it must be wrapped around the middle of the drum and welded there. The latter is what I usually do. I use 1/4 inch round steel rod bent into a circle. For the top rings, you might want to order the rings from a drummaker or supplier, or have you local sheet metal or welding shop make the rings for you. Make sure they are solidly welded, as insufficient welds can break under the drum's tension.

Each average size djembe needs about 85 to 100 feet of rope. Use good rope! I suggest rope that is 3/16" to 1/4" in thickness. You want rope that is as non-stretch as possible, usually called static line in climbing supply shops. Most drum maker suppliers will offer good rope.

The uppermost and lower ring will be wrapped with the cradle loops of the Mali weave. The longer vertical rope will connect the two rings. Goatskin is the best type of skin for djembes. It is the perfect thickness to produce the wide range of tones that make the djembe so popular. Ashikos may be headed with goat, deer, elk, or even cowskin. Thicker skin will give deeper, more mellow ranges of tones. My ashikos with cowskin sound very conga-like.

I like to dehair my skins before I apply them to the drum. I feel that it is easier, and makes a cleaner looking finished drum. It is more traditional, however, to put the skin on the drum with the hair still on, then scrape the hair off of the playing surface. I dehair hides by placing them into a barrel of water with perhaps two dry quarts of hydrated garden lime. Over several days to two weeks, the hair will come loose and be very easy to scrape off, leaving a nice smooth skin. Bear in mind that the lime is somewhat caustic, so it is best to wear gloves and eye goggles. Others have said that wood ashes will also work the same way. Skins can be used fresh, but most of us get our skins in dry form by mail order. I will put a dry goatskin in a barrel of clear water and let it soak overnight. In the morning, I am ready to skin the drum.

The bearing edge should be rubbed with parafin prior to applying the skin. This seals the wood somewhat from the moisture in the skin, and allows the skin to move smoothly over the edge.

I lay the skin on a table, hair side up, and lay the third ring (the one without ropes on it) on top of the skin, centering it on the spineline of the skin. The edges of the skin are folded up and into the center of the ring. The top ring, with its cradle rope attached, is laid on top of the skin. This assemblage is then set on top of the drum, centered as well as possible. The long rope is then laced up and down between the upper and lower rings, until it is laced all the way around. I slowly tighten the rope taking care to keep the top rings even with the top rim. When I can tighten no more by hand, I use a leverage bar to continue slowly tightening the rope. When it becomes very tight, I hold the tension with vise grips and set the drum aside to dry for a few days. After it is dry, it can be tuned some more until it sounds great. A drum is born!

Carving Shells

Another aspect to my drum making is the carving of drum shells from logs. I have been able to get log sections from numerous sources, usually when trees are taken down for some reason. The tree cutting guys are usually happy to give me the log sections, since they would otherwise have to haul it away. And so I have gotten pieces of elm, maple, walnut, cherry, ash, and perhaps a couple others. I have taught myself to use a chainsaw and other power tools to carve drum shells. Needless to say, this can be very dangerous work, so please be careful and work within your skills. I begin by using the chainsaw to cut the ends of the log off straight. Then I use an angle grinder with a chainsaw-tooth attachment to slowly carve out the inside of the bowl (for a djembe). I use the chainsaw to do a plunge cut straight up through the bottom to meet the bowl. Another plunge cut perpendicular to the first makes an "X" shaped hole. Then it is possible to use a large gouge and hammer to knock chunks out to form the inside of the pipe. I use the chainsaw and angle grinder to slowly carve away wood from to outside of the drum, doing my best to keep the drum symmetrical. Five hours and a sore back later, I have a rough carved drum shell!

Now comes the important part. Since the wood is green, it still has a lot of moisture in it. It is essential to season (dry) the wood slowly so that it doesn't crack in the process. This is not an easy task. Here's what I do. I melt some paraffin and paint it onto the top and bottom rims of the shell. I use a small propane torch to drive the paraffin into the rims, ensuring that the wood is sealed. The rims are where the endgrain of the wood is. Moisture will evaporate from the endgrain ten times faster than from the sides. When wood dries, it shrinks. If one area shrinks faster than another, cracks develop. Therefore it is important to seal the wood and slow the drying where it dries the fastest, the endgrain. Now the shell must be stored and allowed to dry for some time. Complete drying generally takes from six to twelve months. You can track the drying by weighing the drum shell monthly. It will lose weight as it dries. When it stops losing weight, it is duly seasoned.

Where you store the drum is very important. The idea is that the wood must dry slowly and naturally. Therefore, you do not want to store it in a heated indoor space, because the air is dry and would dry the wood too rapidly. Air conditioning is equally undesirable. The best place would be a garage or other unheated space, that does not get too hot if you are doing this in the summer. Cold weather does not seem to be detrimental in my experience. Make sure the shell is not in any wind. Make sure it is out of the sun. Choose the most ideal space you can find, even if you have to take it to uncle Fred's shed.

Some drum shells will crack in the drying process no matter how careful you are. Cracked shells can be filled with epoxy mixed with sawdust to repair the crack. It won't look pretty, but you can still use the shell. I hope you have enjoyed this essay on my experiences with drummaking. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I am happy to share. 

Chris Bittner developed an appreciation of wood at an early age, as well as a talent for working with it. Later in life he learned the joys of rhythm and community drumming. In 1999, Chris made his first djembe, when it became magically apparent to him that drum making could be his full time endeavor. And so, DrumWorks was born, in an effort to work at what he loves, and to provide people with the instruments so that they could enjoy rhythm as much as he does. You may learn more about Chris and DrumWorks at http://www.skillpages.com/drummer/akron-united-states/chris.bittner.

The Shamanic Drum by Michael Drake - Book Trailer

Shamanic drumming is a form of repetitive rhythmic drumming. Its purpose is to induce ecstatic trance states in order to access innate wisdom and guidance. The essence of shamanism is the experience of direct revelation from within. Shamanism is about remembering, exploring and developing the true self. Shamanic practice heightens the ability of perception and enables you to see into the deeper realms of the self. Once connected with your inner self, you can find help, healing and a continual source of guidance. To practice shamanism is to reconnect with your deepest core values and your highest vision of who you are and why you are here.

Drawing from 30 years of shamanic practice and teaching, Michael presents the first practical guide to applying this ancient healing art to our modern lives. Through a series of simple exercises and lessons, he teaches the basic shamanic methods of drumming. The focus is on creating sacred space, journeying, power practice, power animals, drum circles and the therapeutic effects of drumming. There are no prerequisites to learning shamanic drumming. Whether you are an accomplished percussionist or a total beginner, this user-friendly book will help you harness the power of drumming.

 

The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming Reviews:

"This book is a valuable, well-researched, and well-written treatment of all aspects of shamanic drumming. The author weaves together both ancient and modern lore, from oral shamanic chants to modern physics and biology, along with personal experiences to illuminate the practice of sacred drumming. Included are step-by-step exercises, analysis of different beats and tempos, and chapters on cosmology, journeying, power practice, and healing the earth. Recommended to anyone seeking to connect deeply with the drum as a tool for personal, interpersonal, or group spiritual and healing work."

--Nowick Gray, Alternative Culture Magazine

"A clear and practical work."

--Julia Cameron, author of The Vein of Gold and The Artist's Way

"Apprenticeship would be the ideal way to learn shamanic drumming, however most of us will never be fortunate enough to have this experience. This book is definitely the next best thing."
  --Lisa DiPlacido, review editor for Friend's Review

Drumming in Boynton Canyon

I love the sound of the drum echoing in the canyons. The Boynton Canyon cliff dwelling, near Sedona, Arizona, is one of the most memorable places I have ever drummed. After all, my journey into shamanic drumming began in Sedona in 1989. Known for its deep red color, Sedona has some of the most spectacular sandstone canyons and buttes found anywhere in the world. Boynton Canyon is one of the most scenic of the box canyons that make Arizona Red Rock Country so famous. The Boynton Canyon cliff dwelling is located 2 miles west of Sedona in the Secret Mountain Wilderness which is part of Coconino National Forest. You'll find the Boynton Canyon trailhead just outside the entrance to the Enchantment Resort. 

From its start, the Boynton Canyon Trail hugs towering red rock cliffs and offers a view of "Kachina Woman," a red-rock spire rising high in the desert sky. Here among the towering buttes, crimson cliffs, and natural desert gardens, the Verde Hohokam (aka Southern Sinagua) built cliff dwellings between A.D. 1125 and 1300. Look for ancient ruins tucked into shallow cliff-side caves. The largest ruin, Boynton Canyon cliff dwelling, is located about ½ mile north inside a cave-like alcove about half way up the right (East) face of the canyon. Keep looking to your right for a trail up to the ruins in the side of the cliff with a large overhang.

The Boynton Canyon cliff dwelling has a few rooms, constructed around a small spring that emanates inside the overhang that shelters the dwelling. It is not unusual to hear chanting, drumming, or the haunting sounds of a flute emanating from the ruins. If ceremonies are in progress, do not interrupt. Boynton Canyon is still sacred to the Yavapai Native Americans who consider Boynton as their place of origin.  

Drumming and chanting in this acoustic grotto and canyon produce an ethereal soundscape.  The combination of instrument and architecture can be used to create an elaborate sonic environment. This is a mystical place where the human voice is amplified and where musical sounds linger in the air as abiding echoes. Tones magnified and echoed by stone surfaces seemed to come from everywhere, yet nowhere. The harmonics create a great opening or gateway to the spirit world. Just as I use musical sound to create sacred space in my home each day, my musical improvisations in places like Boynton Canyon are rooted in an attempt to reach the divine -- to harmonize heaven and earth.

Drumming in the Great Kiva of Chaco Canyon

I have made pilgrimages to sacred sites throughout North America, but the Great Kiva Casa Rinconada in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico is the most powerful place I have ever drummed. A Great Kiva is a large, circular, usually subterranean structure that was designed and used by Anasazi peoples for ceremonial and communal gatherings. The two masonry box-like vaults found on the floor of most Great Kivas are believed to have been covered with planks and served as foot drums. I first drummed here in 1991 when the NPS still allowed entry into the kiva. The sonic phenomena within a kiva transcend the usual range of auditory experience. The walls of the stone structure reflect, amplify, and transform the sounds of the drum, resulting in some extraordinary harmonics. Drum sounds become distorted and seem to expand and move around the chamber due to an acoustic phenomenon known as standing waves. As sound waves reverberate between the walls, they either cancel or combine, causing certain resonant frequencies to either completely disappear or intensify, change in pitch, and develop vibrato. Within a kiva, it is possible to compose an entirely new auditory universe from the architecture of sound itself. Click here for a guide to Anasazi sites of the Southwest.