Lysander
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frame drum question
I have acquired a bendir in Turkey. It seems quite good quality though one of the clips is slightly biting into the skin by a mm or so. Is this ok or
normal? Pic attached. Didn't know where else to ask this question, sorry. Could not make image smaller on my phone.... I did try.
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m74/Lysander666/Mobile%20Uploads...
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alchemy
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Hey Lysander, I have a bendir (actually this one doesn't has strings, so I think it's called a Tar), but don't see any clip like that. What's that
clip there for? I can't even imagine where it fits in the whole picture.
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Lysander
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Ah, I may be wrong with the name. This one doesn't have strings either. Here is a pic of the whole thing. The clips are on the rim
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alchemy
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I see! Never saw that kind of system on a bendir, so I don't know about it, but in my mind I imagine all those metal clips to look the same as this
one. Do you think there is a problem with this particular one? Probably not well fitted into the metal ring?
With regards to names, I'm having the idea that they're interchangeably since I often hear bendir for ones without strings too.
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Lysander
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I know very little about frame drums so don't know if it should be like that. It is the only clip that is. I am guessing it is not too much of a
problem but hopefully some forum member may be able to clarify.
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mbira
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I do drum repair so I know there is not much you can do about that 'clip' as the rim should have had more clearance from the shell. You are right to
be concerned because if you tighten the skin too much the 'clip' can cut into the skin and eventually the skin could split.
The easiest thing you can do that would help protect the skin is to slip a little piece of goat or calf skin or mylar (plastic drum head material) in
between the 'clip' and the skin so that the ;clip; would have to cut through that first. You probably need to loosen that 'clip' first, slip in the
protecting material and then tighten it to the same amount again. hope this helps...
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jdowning
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So why not just simply file or grind the front edge of the clip so that it does not contact the skin?
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mbira
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Well you could try that. It would probably file off the chrome plating and sometimes those clips need all the length they have to hold on to the rim.
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Lysander
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Excellent advice, mbira, thank you. I'll see if I can pick up a drum tuner tomorrow to loosen it and slip something in. Or I may be able to do it with
a spanner.
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jdowning
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This clip arrangement reminds me of a system typically found on 20th C American banjos. The pressure on the skin head is uniformly applied to a metal
rim - the clips apply the required force to the rim. In this case one of the clips is too long - overhanging the metal rim - and, so, is destructively
contacting the skin of the head. The length of clip overhang from the point of contact with the rim has no influence whatsoever on the force applied
by the clip to the rim so may be cut back by filing or grinding to clear the skin surface of the head without concern. Who cares about the consequent
loss of a bit of chrome plating on a metal clip - skin drum heads are presumably quite costly to replace?
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Lysander
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Understood, thank you I could probably do both with a simple spanner and file. I definitely need to at least loosen that clip, the others should do a
decent job holding the rest of the skin. It's goat, so I don't want to ruin it. Sounds a lot better than an artificial skin.
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Jody Stecher
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Banjo hooks are plentiful and cheap. They go for pennies in the USA. The price is inflated in the UK but it's still not much. Drum hooks and lugs are
also available on the internet. Goat skins are more expensive than hooks but not very costly. They can be had for around £5 or even less.
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Lysander
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I have removed the clip for now. I noticed, on closer inspection, that the same was happening with another clip, so I have removed that too.
The drum now has four out of six clips in place. Would it be OK to use it like this until the clips are filed/replaced?
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Lysander
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OK, I have filed the clips are all is more or less good, though I have had to put a thin piece of newspaper between the offending clip and the skin
just in case as a temporary measure.
My only question now is what pitch to tune the drum to. It is a 16" tar [as was said earlier it is likely a tar, not a bendir].
Any help on the tuning would be greatly appreciated. I have scoured the internet and found so little information on 16" tar tunings. It is currently
tuned to D.
Short sample:
http://vocaroo.com/i/s076gKWn1uzh
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Oudmokum
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Hello Lysander
On that point I can tell you from experience that you can file all the clips as long as you keep them "over the curve" to avoid loosing the grip.
Smooth them with fine material.
For the tuning, it's your choice within the limits of tension. 16" /40cm is not that large and can produce a relatively high sound. But this seems
larger as almost 20"
I noticed that more "meditative" music tend to use a very low tuning with a almost indeterminable pitch.
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Lysander
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Thank you, Oudmokum. Filing these clips certainly takes some time and elbow grease.... or maybe that's just because of the file I'm using. This
weekend I will tune the drum down a bit [D is too high for the resonance needed, certainly for the meditative type of which is relevant as mentioned]
Wish I had a grinder, but will just have to file till desirable length is reached!
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mbira
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yes tuning can be what ever sounds good to you. But you should try to keep equal tension at each lug ( tune by tapping near edge of drum just above
lug to same pitch all around). Do not leave the drum under tension with lugs missing, as this will stretch the skin unevenly or even warp the frame if
under high tension.
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Lysander
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Yes, I went for the option of not removing any of the lugs. I've now got a drum which is near ready to go [maybe a tiny bit more filing on one clip].
Is it possible for these things to detune overnight a little? Sounds like there is a bit less tension than yesterday. I imagine like with many
instruments that's possible.
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Oudmokum
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Yes, Mbira is very right.
His method of tapping is not easy but you could also start from very low tuning.
And yes again, the tension will change with air moisture as accurate as a hygrometer. And that's why you can (de)tune it.
So if you tune it too high, be aware of low moisture. under 35% can be fatal.
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Lysander
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Thank you, I'm going to keep it quite low, no higher than D. Living in London it is impossible for the humidity to go that low, my hygrometer has
never read any lower than 50%. My room here is always averaging about 65%.
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