the official blog of the Percussive Arts Society
Slit drums are among the oldest types of percussion instruments, found in Asia, Africa and South America. The earliest slit drums, dating back 750,000 years, were made by cutting, burning or gouging a slit in the wall of a hollowed-out piece of wood. The instruments vary in size from gigantic ones, made from entire tree trunks and housed in their own roofed shelter, to portable ones, including the orchestral woodblock and temple block. On many of the drums the two sides of the slit are carved to different thicknesses in order to produce two tones. In some cultures, slit drums are found in sets with a range of sizes and pitches. Slit drums are sometimes used for signaling as well as for musical purposes. Some signaling codes are made up of sequences of long and short beats, while others attempt to replicate the pitch phonemes of human speech. In many cultures, slit drums are also played at ritual ceremonies and feasts or to accompany dance.
OCEANIA
Donated by Emil Richards
POLYNESIA
Donated by Florence “Flip“ Manne
NEW GUINEA
Donated by Vida Chenoweth
BALI
Donated by Emil Richards