Dholak, Nut and Bolt

Wooden two-headed drum. Heads held in place and tuned by bolts. Held horizontally, both heads are playedwith the hands (no beaters). In India, these extremely popular percussion instruments are commonly used in folk music and during marriage ceremonies. The shells are manufactured in the northern Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. There locally grown neem and rosewood are used. After transporting to Mumbai the goat skin heads are fitted to the drum shells with nut and bolts for easy tuning. Each drum will vary, approximate measurements:Approximately 17.5 inches long (444.5 mm), base head has a load inside and is 8.5 inches (215.9 mm), tennor head 6.5 inches (165.1 mm)The Load in the bass head is a mixture of tar, clay and sand (dholak masala) which lowers the pitch and provides a well-defined tone.