The drum – bass drum tupan
Tetovo, Makedonija, the 1st half of the 20th century

wood, leather, rope
cutting, tying

 

diameter = 60 cm
widht = 40 cm

 

Et 10912
The Collection of Musical Instruments

Description

The drum - tupan or tapan. It is a type of a cylindrical drum often found in Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consists of a wooden part: a hollow cylinder made of oak wood over which sheared goatskin is stretched taut. There is a strap on the drum so it can be hung over the shoulder. The beater is also crafted from oak wood.

Note

The drum (tupan or tapan) is played by a tapan drummer called tapandžija. The instrument is suspended over his left shoulder. He uses the beater in his right hand to produce strong beats in each measure on the thicker skin (bubnjevica), and he uses his left hand to generate a rhythm rich in upper partials. Tupan or tapan is an instrument inteded to provide rhythm and it is usually heard with at least one other instrument. It is most frequently combined with another tapan and two zurnas. (Gojković 1989: 190).