Mid-East TUPX-2 Rope Tuned 26-Inch Tupan Drum w/Beater & Switch - Blemished*

Tupan Drum, 26", Rope Tuned (Item Code: TUPX) Two large natural skin heads stretched over a lightweight plywood body, give this 8-pound tupan a deep booming voice. On this version of the drum, there is no shoulder strap provided.

The edges of the heads are rolled and tucked around wooden hoops, and then attached to the frame by cording stitched back and forth from head to head. The drum can be tuned by adjusting the leather tabs over the cords. Similar large double-headed frame drums have been used in ceremonies, festivals, and wars throughout the Middle East for centuries; such tupans accompanied Alexander the Great's armies as they marched from Macedonia east to the Indus River.

Today they are common in Bulgarian folk music, where they are known as Tupan. In Turkey, they are called davul or tabl baladi. This instrument is most often an accompanying instrument used to mark the rhythm, but it can be played solo as well. The two heads of the drum are played with two beaters. The dominant hand plays the accented beats with the larger thicker beater, called a tokamak. The end of the tokamak may be wrapped in a cloth to create a muted sound. The other hand holds the thinner switch and plays rapid rhythms. An accomplished drummer will get various sounds from different parts of the two heads, as well as rapping the wooden body.

This Tupan has a 26-inch diameter and an 18-inch deep frame body.

Accessories Included:

• Beater
• Switch.

*What is BLEMISHED?

Our product codes ending in "-1(S)" or "-2(S)" are blemished. These products are new and unused with superficial blemishes that may include, blisters in the finish, scratches, dents, stains, discoloration, rust or pitting on metals, imperfect glazes, non-structural repairs such as putty in nail holes, or other surface marks. A "-1(S)" product has minor blemishes and a "-2(S)" product has moderate blemishes and/or minor repairs. The irregularity does not affect the playability or sound quality of the instrument.

NOTE: This is a -2(S) product. For safety during shipping, we don't tune our instruments before sending them to customers.