Some Facts About Hand Drums And Hand Percussions

Music has accompanied humans from the beginning of the civilization they made in the world. Since the beginning of the discovery of music has become something that is loved, by all humans from various circles throughout the world. No matter where you come from, how old you are, how you are, what you feel and who you are, music can be something that no one can reject.

Musical instruments are the beginning of the birth of music, songs, and dances. If music has the world, then a musical instrument is a land that grows music, songs, and dances. Of the 100% of people who like music, only 20% - 30% of them can play a musical instrument or know the history of the basis of the music itself. Therefore, in my article this time. I will discuss the history of hand drum and hand percussion musical instruments.

Hand Percussion

This is the oldest musical instrument found by archaeologists today. In 1995 archaeologists found Geisenklösterle Flutes, a 43,000-year-old percussion hand made of mammoth bone. This is one proof if hand percussion is one of the first musical instruments made by humans. Geisenklösterle Flutes is the basis for the birth of other percussion hands. 

Maracas and Kalimba

It is one of the hand percussions found thousands of years ago and is still a hand percussion that is still used in every music. With a jingling and melodious sound, which are still used and become life in every presence in the strains of all music, 

• Maracas was found in Tupinamba since thousands of years ago. This is one type of percussion instrument that can be a single player in the past. At that time the Tupinamba civilization used Maracas, not only as a musical instrument but also as a healing tool. The physicians performed healing rituals, for all bodily ailments and injuries. Maracas is a sacred tool for the Tupinamba civilization, made from the fruit of the Higuera tree, the skin of pumpkins and small coconuts filled with beans or seeds. How to play maracas is quite easy like how to play hand drum musical instruments. The Maracas shape never changes, always has a round shape and a handle to shake.

• Kalimba or Mbira, small percussion hand, and sweet sound. Originally from Zimbabwe and found in the Rhodesia civilization, at that time Kalimba was a sacred musical instrument that was very sacred. Because Kalimba is used not only as a musical instrument but also as a liaison between the residents of Rhodesia and their ancestors or gods. To ask for directions and answers to everything they faced, in 1960 Hugh Tracey introduced Kalimba to Europe. Kalimba is the first tune board instrument before the piano until now Kalimba is still an interest for music lovers.

Hand Drum

Is one of the oldest musical instruments along with the history of African drums. Ancestors have been found, archaeologists have managed to find a 34,000-year-old Elephant Skin Drum on the Antarctic ice continent. With a round shape made of ancient animal bones and metal slabs, this is also the belief of archaeologists if there is an advanced civilization in the ancient continent.

Djembe and Cajon

Before the drums were modified to become drum sets at the moment, they were once a single hand drum like the Cajon, Djembe, and others. Although they have been found hundreds of thousands of years ago, the charm of these two hand drums is still able to lure everyone. Cajon and Djembe are hand drums that must be used in various musical performances, there are even hundreds of music schools that still have many students and schedules to teach them how to play this hand drums.

• Djembe comes from the discovering country of the best hand drums, Africa. It was discovered during the Mali civilization of 1200 BC, at that time Djembe was also used as a means of long-distance communication between tribes. Only certain people such as tribal chiefs, holy people and musicians who have followed the cleansing ritual that can touch Djembe. Because at that time the tribe of the Mali civilization believed that Djembe was a sacred instrument, which kept 3 holy spirits such as wood used for the body, animals whose skin was used for the surface and craftsmen who made the Djembe itself. Djembe has the shape of a cup with carvings and straps on its side, meaning Djembe is Gathering in Peace and with that unique shape, you need to know how to take care of Djembe.

• Cajon, it was discovered during the tribulation of the people of Peru who were enslaved by the Spanish in the 16th century, to create a spark of happiness in their hearts. Initially, the people of Peru at that time made Cajons from the remains of wood, with square shapes resembling chests to be easily played and hidden from Spanish soldiers. Cajon began developing in the continent of Europe since the 17th century and became a hand drum always used in every musical performance. How to play the Cajon is quite easy just like how to play African drums, just beaten with the tips of your fingers and hands with the position you are sitting on it.

Stringed Instruments

Stringed musical instruments believed by archaeologists have been found for 13,000 years ago, through several carvings and artifacts found in several countries around the world. But for now, the Lyres and harp are the oldest stringed instrument that can be confirmed by archaeologists. Found since 3,000 - 4,000 BC, in Sumerian and paintings of ancient Egyptian tombs.

Guitar and Ukulele

It is the most popular and widely used stringed instrument today, it has almost the same shape and only differs in size and strings. Guitars and Ukulele have a history and several developments since they were first discovered. Both of these musical instruments have been found for hundreds of years ago, and have become an important part of the world of music.

• Guitar, A traditional Persian musical instrument named Citar or Sethar, developed it into ancient musical instruments such as Tanbur. Until the mid- 300 BC the Persian tanbur began to be developed by the Greeks until the 6th century the Romans brought Tanbur to Spain and named it Guitarra Morisca. By connecting the guitar stringed instruments from the middle east, Vihuela was born and changed its predecessor since the 17th century with the passage of time into the Classics Guitar that we know today.

• Ukulele, or commonly referred to as a baby guitar. Originally from Hawaii and found around the 15th century, while traveling Portuguese immigrants from Madeira traveled through South Africa to Hawaii between 1878 and 1913. They saw several people holding musical instruments similar to a guitar with a small size since then they took the ukulele to Portugal and began to develop in continental Europe. In the Hawaiian, Ukulele means Skip-Flea, perhaps the basis of the sound created when picking strings like a pitch jump.