will realize that unlike many other leather Native American drums used for tribal ceremonies, these rustic drums have natural raw hide, stretched over a wood frame on one side and are laced with raw hide string on the other side. They don’t have the loop hold like many other Indian drums do. A drum made in this way gives you a natural hand holding position so you can be in full contact with the drum and easily create the sound that is very important in bringing out the right tones necessary to lead you on your Shamanic journey.
You will also notice that many Shamanic drums have painted designs on the rawhide drum head. These unique western symbols often depict a map of the universe or symbols of spiritual powers you can use to help you in your meditating and journeying experience. If you are using the drum for Shamanic work, take time to look into the significance of the painting. Since the southwestern designs have spiritual power that guides the journey, you want to make sure it is in agreement with your own practices and guides you in that direction.
Also, I always make sure to check the quality of the drum before buying. It’s necessary to make sure there are no thin places at the points where the cords of the drumhead are connected. This is vital to the quality and life of your Shaman drum and will ultimately save you money by not having to have it repaired or buy a new one.
Most focus is placed on the drum alone but it’s also important to choose the right striking mallet so you can enjoy the rich sound of these native drums to its fullest. You will see that there are many different types of mallets that pull out different tones from the drum and although I personally like to use a mallet