Water drum
Encyclopedia
Water drums are a category of membranophone
Membranophone
A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....

 characterized by the filling of the drum chamber with some amount of water to create a unique sound. Water drums are common in Native American music
Native American music
American Indian music is the music that is used, created or performed by Native North Americans, specifically traditional tribal music. In addition to the traditional music of the Native American groups, there now exist pan-tribal and inter-tribal genres as well as distinct Indian subgenres of...

, and in some forms of African and Southeast Asian music.

It creates a unique sound because the amount of water filled in it is always different. It is usually made with tanned buckskin stretched over it and filled with a unique amount of water. Water drums are actually very common in the Native American music
Native American music
American Indian music is the music that is used, created or performed by Native North Americans, specifically traditional tribal music. In addition to the traditional music of the Native American groups, there now exist pan-tribal and inter-tribal genres as well as distinct Indian subgenres of...

 and also in some African and Southeast Asian music. The drums are usually played with a thick drumstick that has a loop on the end.

The original form of water drum most likely originated among the Anishinaabeg Ojibway. There it is considered the most sacred and rare of all drums. They are almost always the property of religious and ceremonial persons. They have status as a person, not as an object. Public information on the nature, history and sacred path of water drum has never been authorised by any tribal elders. They are made always of special wood from certain trees.

Native American Church
Native American Church
Native American Church, a religious denomination which practices Peyotism or the Peyote religion, originated in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and is the most widespread indigenous religion among Native Americans in the United States...

 ceremonies often use a water drum made from iron, brass or copper kettle. These styles of water drum are more common than the woodland form and can be purchased in numerous locations. They are very different in intent than the woodland drum and more information is generally available regarding them.

Lil' Dan and St1tch, of industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...

 band Mushroomhead
Mushroomhead
Mushroomhead is an American industrial metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1993 in Cleveland Warehouse District, the band's music can be described as a synthesis of alternative music, heavy metal, and electro-industrial...

can be seen using water drums on stage during live performances.
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