Slit Drum
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A Slit Drum is a percussion instrument made by cutting a slit in the wall of a hollowed-out log. The drum may be a whole tree trunk or small and portable like this example from a temple in Bali. Sometimes each side, or "lip," of the slit is carved to a different thickness to give a different pitch. To produce a sound, the drum is struck with a beater.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Wood. |
| Size |
| Variable: this example is 25 in (64 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| This particular example of a slit drum originated in Bali. However, slit drums are also played in many other places, including other Pacific islands. South-east Asia, some countries of Africa, and Mexico. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| The slit drum can be used for conveying messages by imitating the rhythmic and melodic outlines of speech. |
