Making a Shaman Drum I make shaman drums with the gifts of Bear, Buffalo, Elk, Horse, Moose, Mountain Lion, and Wolf. I obtain the best hides I can. I treat them with ceremony, respect, prayer, and gratitude. Making a shaman drum is an involved process. You have to consider the quality of the hide. How tightly can you lace it? Does it have any weak spots? Are you making the drum for a dry environment or a humid one?
drummaker@beardrum.com

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	STEP #1: Soaking the Drumskin and Lacing The drumskin and lacing are soaked in a tub until they pliable. Thinner hides, such as bear and horse, may be ready in 4 hours. Most other hides are ready in 8 hours, but the thickest buffalo and moose require up to 16 hours.
	STEP #2: Preparing to Lace the Drum The drumskin is placed rough side up on some old towels, and the drum hoop is centered on the drumskin. The lacing, a single 30-foot strand, is next to the drumskin and hoop.
	STEP #3: Lacing the Drum The drum is laced by following the diagram and instructions I provide. Care is taken to keep the hoop centered in the drumskin. Several rounds of tightening give the drum its tone and resonance.
	STEP #4: Making the Handle, Part 1 The center of the lacing is wrapped with one end of the lacing to form the first half of the handle. Care is taken to make sure the handle is in the center of the drum. The drum is slightly oval at this point due to additional tension from lacing the handle.
	STEP #5: Making the Handle, Part 2 The other end of the lacing is wrapped around the remaining strands of lacing to form the second half of the handle. The drum has its round shape again as the handle is completed. The additional tightening created by making the handle further ensures the drum's excellent tone and resonance.
	STEP #6: The Lacing is Done, Handle Side The ends of the lacing are cut off. The drum is ready to dry. If you look carefully, you will see that the sides of the hide bulge out from the hoop.
	STEP #7: The Lacing is Done, Drumskin Side This view shows the excellent color and spotting variations in this hide. The side bulges are very apparent in this image. A cloth strip will be wrapped around the hoop to pull in those bulges as the drum dries.

Drum Kits

Completed Drums

"What are the sources of your hides?" and other common questions

Completed Shaman Drum Twenty-four hours later, the drum is ready to use!
...In the left hand image, note the centered handle. That's visually appealing and makes it easy to hold the drum. ...In the central image, note the "scalloping" of the edge of the drumskin. That shows off the natural wood hoop. ...In the right hand image, note the texturing and images of this drumskin. There is a lot to see and experience!

PRODUCT		PRICE	SHIPPING	TOTAL COST
Instructions : How to Make Your Own Drum These are carefully crafted step-by-step drummaking instructions, including an easy-to-follow diagram.		$10	$2	$12

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	Click on wolf-in-hoop at the left to go to the Shamanic Art: Ceremonial Drums and Rattles home page.	Contact information: Steven Kauder P.O. Box 11, Elbing, KS 67041 (316) 799-2989 drummaker@beardrum.com	Drum Care
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