|
The Paper Drums
 originated as an idea while I was working with Dave Sawyer and Guy Evans in Devon in the early 80's. Dave came up with a technique of attaching strong paper as a skin to wood without wrinkles which would spoil the sound.
I took this basic idea and made a few sets of drums that stacked inside one another for ease of transport, and have a unique support system which allows them to be suspended in a huge number of different configuerations depending on the likes of the player and the needs of the music.
In essence they sound like large versions of frame drums, but as any world music percussionist will know, there is an almost infinite number of variations within that category alone. In use in the studio they are well matched to acoustic guitar and voice in loudness and have deep and sonorous tone reminiscent of tympani. The paper skins also when played with brushes have a bright and refreshingly 'organic ' sound when compared to plastic skins.
There is also a doulbe-headed drum which makes the sound of waves and thunder, but with more control of wave motion than the convetional Brazilian circular wave drum.
The pentagonal shape was chosen for its asymmetry and to allow the drums to be mounted together in a stable configueration. The shape changes the nature of the fundamental pitch and creats sets of harmonics also unobtainable with conventional round drums.
These drums are available for use to clients of Spring Studios.
|