Davul
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A davul (Turkish: davul, Bulgarian: daul), tapan (Bulgarian: тъпан, Macedonian: тапан), or tabl (Arabic: tabl, literally meaning "drum") is a large double-headed drum. They are commonly used in the folk music of the Balkan countries like Macedonia and Bulgaria, as well as Turkey and Iran. These drums have both a deep bass sound and a thin treble sound due to their construction and playing style, where different heads and sticks are used to produce different sounds on the same drum.
Tapan is also a widely used given name among Hindu men.
The Daouli is the two headed drum. The daouli player usually hangs the drum from a belt or strap over his left shoulder. The right side of the drum has a lower pitched skin, while the left side has a higher pitched skin. Goatskins are Usually used for the drumheads. In my family's village of Kandyla, the tradition in the old days was to use wolf skin for the heads of the daouli. A friend from Epiros told me they used to use wolf skins for the defi (hand drum similar to a large tuned tambourine), and today they still favor dog skin.
The right or lower side is struck with the "daouloxylo" or daouli stick, and the left or higher pitched side is struck with the "daouloverga" or daouli switch. The main dance beats are played with the heavier stick on the right side, while the decorative and "in between" beats are played with the light stick. Other names for the daouli, depending on the area, include toumpano, tymbano, or toumbi. This is from the ancient Greek word tympano which exists in English in the word "tympani" for the drum section in the modern classical orchestra, and the tympanic membrane for the ear drum.
These drums vary in size from the small 12 to 14 inch diameter toumbi, to the 3 to 4 foot diameter daouli in the north of Greece. The most common size in Peloponnisos and Roumeli tends to be about 20 to 30 inches in diameter.
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[edit] Traditional uses
In the southern Balkans, the rhythm of the tapan is complex and utilizes many accents in numerous traditional time signatures. In Macedonia, tapans are most often used to accompany other instruments such as the zurla and gaida, while in Bulgaria they usually accompany gaida and gadulka. They are also played solo in some Bulgarian and Macedonian folk dances and songs. For centuries the tapan was irreplaceable at Macedonian and Bulgarian village festivities such as weddings and celebrations of patron saints of homes and villages.
In Arabic-speaking countries, the tabl is associated with the dabke, a folkloric line dance of the Levant, and the cane dance of Upper Egypt. It is accompanied by the mizmar, mijwiz, or minjayra, a smaller mountain version of the reed flute, or nay.
In Turkey, the davul is most commonly played with the zurna, although it can be played with other instruments and in ensembles as well. It has also traditionally been used for communication and for Turkish mehter, or janissary music.
[edit] Construction
The drum shell is made of hard wood, perhaps walnut or chestnut, though many woods may be in use depending on the region where the drum is made. To make the shell, the wood is boiled in water to make it bendable, and then it is bent into a cylindrical shape and fastened together. The heads are usually goat skin, and they are shaped into circles by wooden frames. However, one head may be goat skin to provide a higher tone, while the other head can be sheepskin, calfskin, or even donkey-skin to provide a lower tone. Rope threaded back and forth across the shell of the drum, from head to head in a zigzag pattern, holds the heads on the drum and provides tension for tuning the drum. Sometimes metal rings or leather straps join neighboring strands of the rope in order to allow for further tuning. Two rings are sometimes attached to the main rope where a belt-like rope is threaded through to hold the drum.
In Macedonia, the tapan is made in two dimensions, Macedonian: golem, at about 50 - 55 cm diameter, and Macedonian: mal or Macedonian: tapanche, at about 30 - 35 cm diameter.
In Turkey, davuls typically range in size from 60cm to 90cm in diameter. Cow hide is used for the bass pitch drum head side, while goat skin is used for the thin, high pitched side.
[edit] Playing style
Players often use a rope hooked to the drum to hold the drum sideways, so that one head is accessible with the left hand and one with the right. Each hand is usually dedicated to playing one side of the drum exclusively, though this can vary by local style and tradition.
The Turkish and Bulgarian styles of tapan playing use two kinds of sticks. The drummer plays the accented beats with the dominant hand on the side of the drum with the thicker skin, using a special stick known as the Macedonian: kukuda or ukanj or Turkish: tokmak. This stick is a thick pipe-like stick about 440 mm long, which is often made with walnut. Its thick shape as well as the thickness of the head give the accented beats a low, full sound. Sometimes the drumhead played with the thick stick is also muted with a cloth to enhance the fundamental low note of the drum. Unaccented beats are played by the nondominant hand on the side of the drum having the thin skin, using a thin stick or switch called Macedonian: pracka or Turkish: çubuk. This thin stick is often held cross-grip, and the drummer can quickly hit thin accent strokes by gently twisting the wrist. These thin sticks are often made from soft wood such as willow or cornel.
The Balkan school of tapan playing presumes the playing (not the accompaniment) of a melody, where the nondominant hand is used to express all that the player wishes to say, while the dominant hand is only used to accentuate certain moments in the melody.
[edit] History
The instrument originates from the Middle East. It was used in ceremonies in ancient Greece such as religious festivals or war marches.[citation needed]
[edit] External links
- Discover Turkey information page on davul with sound clips
- History of the Davul, from ancient times until the 18th century; in German: Janissary instruments and Europe
- Tapan for sale
- www.greekfolkmusicanddance.com/instruments.php
| Iranian Musical Instruments | |||
| String Instruments (Sāzhāy-e Zehī) | |||
| Bowed instruments: | Ghazhak | Kamāncheh | Robāb | ||
| Plucked instruments: | Barbat | Chang | Dotār | Qānūn | Robāb | Sallāneh | Sāz | Setār | Tanbūr | Tār | Ūd | ||
| Struck instruments: | Santur | ||
| Woodwind instruments (Sāzhāy-e Bādī): | |||
| Exposed: | Darāy | Sornā | Karnay | ||
| End-blown: | Haft Band | Nāy (Ney) | Sheypur | ||
| Percussion instrument (Sāzhāy-e Kūbeheyī/Zarbī) | |||
| Auxiliary Percussion: | Daf | Dohol | Dāvūl | Dāyereh Zangī | Naqāreh | Tonbak (Dombak) | Kūs | Sanj | ||
Turkish musical instruments |
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