Smokin' Those Skins Trivia Quiz

Answer: Snare

A standard drum kit consists of a bass drum, operated by the right foot which strikes a felt beater against an upright drum; a snare drum which is the main drum situated between the drummer's knees and struck with the left hand if right handed; and a series of Toms or Tom-toms (can be single but three are generally used, all of different sizes) mounted in front of the snare drum. There is usually at least one cymbal. Lastly, there's a high-hat - two cymbals positioned close together, operated by the left foot via pedal or struck with sticks.

The snare drum is the main drum in the kit, particularly in rock music, as the snare drum plays the back-beat.

This question was written by aging rocker 1nn1.

Answer: Deer

The Janggu is an ancient drum, whose name probably derived from the yogo (waist) drum. It is traditionally made from wood with animal skins stretched across the hollow centre to create the sounds. The size of the wooden frame affects the sound, as does the type of animal skin used. As far as I have been able to discover, alligator, bear and ostrich skins are not used for the Janguu, but cow and deer hide certainly are for the lower-toned side, as are dog and horse hide for the higher-toned side. Beating sticks are customarily made from birch and bamboo, and sometimes deer antler is employed.

This question was tattooed by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Goblet

The zarb is a Persian percussion instrument, generally considered to be that culture's principal percussion instrument - so much so that it is not unusual to have talented players conducting solos for as long as ten minutes. However, until the pioneering work of Hossein Tehrani during the 1950s, this was not deemed worthy of being a solo instrument.

The zarb stands at about a foot and a half (43 cms) and has a diameter of almost a foot (28 cms), is held across the torso and the drumhead is caressed by either fingers or palm. Players may choose to wear steel rings to add an extra dimension to the sound.

This question was banged out by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: Koto

All the listed are types of bass-drums, except the koto, which is a Japanese stringed instrument. The surdo is a large Brazilian bass drum, often employed in Samba-style music. The dununba is a cylindrical drum of West Africa. The 'ba' on the end of the word means 'big', denoting the size of the drum. The word 'dununba' can also refer to a dance/drum performance. The davul, from Turkey, is the most likely ancestor of the bass drum found in orchestras these days, but variations are found across Eurasia.

This question was percussed by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Japan

The origin of the Taiko is thought to be Korea or China but it has been known in Japan since at least the sixth century BC where it has evolved into a very specific instrument. Whilst outside of Japan it refers to a series of drums, in Japan it refers to a single drum.

The drum is lightly tapered at each end with a skin stretched over both ends which is beaten with drumsticks larger than "western" drumsticks. Traditionally, the drum was made from Japanese zelkova trees that were dried over years to prevent splitting and then hollowed out by hand with a chisel. The skins of taiko are made from cowhide, horse skin, and bull skin, with the thinner skins are preferred for small taiko, and thicker skins are used for larger ones. Sometimes, a patch of deer skin is placed in the centre to serve as a target for beating.

This question was drummed up by 1nn1.

Answer: Ireland

The bodhran is an Irish frame drum that evolved from the tambourine. Its size can vary from 25cms in diameter through to 65cms. The goat skin head can be struck barehanded or with the aid of a small beater called a tipper or cipin. The inside of the drum is left open. The beauty of this is that the player can strategically place their non-striking hand inside to control the timbre and pitch.

This question was struck by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: Malays

The kompang is shaped like an overturned shallow bowl. It ranges in size from 20 - 40 cm (about 8 - 16 in) in diameter. The membrane is traditionally made from the skin of a female goat. Sound is produced by tapping the drum with the palm or closed fingers. The kompang is of Arabic origin and is believed to have been brought to the Malay community in Southeast Asia by 13th-century traders. The kompang is played at official ceremonies and weddings to announce the arrival of important guests.

This question was tapped out by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Talking drums

In West Africa these drums go by various names such as Dagbani, Yoruba, songhai and bozo among others. They are the oldest known instruments used by West African storytellers (known as griots) and whilst there have been a number of variants of the drum they have all maintained the same hourglass figure. The unit has drumheads at either end that are connected by leather tension cords and it is these cords that are squeezed to allow the pitch to be modulated.

The tongue drum is basically a hollowed out length of timber bearing holes of various thickness that are struck to produce various sounds. Technically it is not a true drum. The tom-tom is a single-headed drum without a snare that was added to the modern drum kit in the early part of the twentieth century and the timbales are also single-headed drums, shallower than tom-toms, that have a metal casing.

Beating his own drum with this question is Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: China

The alligator drum came about courtesy of the alligators that lived along the rivers in the Dawenkou Shandong and southern Shanxi regions of China. The drums, made from a wooden frame over which the alligator skin was stretched, were mentioned in poetic literature of the time as being used for ceremonial purposes. They are still made the same way today.

This beat-up of a question was framed by Phoenix Rising member Vegemite Kid.

Answer: Bongo

Bongos are open at the base and come in a number of sizes. Generally, the smaller ones are males (macho) and the larger ones are the females (hembra) - geez, the last time I called a female large, there was all sorts of strife to pay. Bongos should be held behind the knees with the larger one on the right-hand side for a right-handed player. When compared to the conga drum, the bongo will produce a sound a higher pitched sound. The instrument is often used for salsa music and is a popular tool in Afro-Cuban jazz.

Footnotes: A bongo drummer is called a bongosero. The Dire Straits song mentioned in the question is "Money For Nothing" (1985).

This banging question was created by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.