Workshop Prices – Includes Sticks & Stands
 

 Prices - Australian Made Taiko Drums 

 Note: Our Taiko are single ended drums. With the process we use we have found the single ended drums to have greater warmth and volume in sound.

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 Taiko Drumming 

Drum Making Workshops

Make Your Own Taiko Drum

One of the hardest things about playing Taiko in Australia is accessing an appropriate instrument to practice on outside of classes. Taiko drums are beautiful, large, heavy and expensive instruments.   

We offer 3 Drum Making Workshops 

Wine Barrel Taiko – Full Process

We take an oak wine barrel, cowhide, stainless steel hoops, and metal fittings to make a fully professional Taiko drum.  

This process is serious and intensive, run over 4 full weekends that you must commit to in order to fully acquire your own Taiko drum. Making a drum of this nature is time consuming and will require your full attention.  

This is also a good opportunity to learn skills and make a quality instrument that you will have for life at less than half of what you will pay for a Japanese Taiko. 

Basic carpentry & metal work skills will help you in this workshop but are not essential.  

Workshops are run with a minimum of 4 participants working in pairs and 4 drums being made. We supply materials, tools and instruction. Note that you may bring a friend to help at any stage for no extra charge. We charge per drum being made. This means 2 people may make a drum together. 

Workshop Outline

This breakdown on the workshop gives you an idea of what we will cover each weekend. Order of building is subject to change as your drum takes shape. The duration may seem generous however we can assure you that it is no fun rushing this process. 

Note: You will have the skills to make drums alone after this workshop. 

Weekend 1.
Preparation (Days 1 & 2)

…     Briefing on the materials and process.

…     Cutting, Cleaning & Sanding Wine Barrel.

…     Measuring & Shaping the Reinforcing & Tensioning Hoops.

…     Measuring & Numbering Turnbuckle Bolt Positions.

…     Drilling holes in reinforcing hoops.

…     Hole punching & cutting skin. 

Weekend 2.
The Barrel & Put the skin on (Days 3 & 4)

…     Attaching R Hoops to inside & outside of Barrel.

…     Clean & Shape Rim of Barrel.

…     Weld arms to T hoop in Numbered Turnbuckle Bolt Positions.

…     Fitting the T Hoops as if skin is on (Making sure the sizes are right).

…     Threading the skin with string for easier fitting when wet.

…     Soaking skin – overnight.

…     Stretch wet skin over rim and leave to dry  (Now we have a drum). 

Weekend 3.
Final Parts (Days 5 & 6)

…     Cut, Sand & Stain Stand Parts.

…     Burn initials and designs into Barrel.

…     Clean & Stain finished Barrel – Several Coats.

…     Buff Metal with Electric Sanders.

…     Fill barrel with flexible strengthening liquid substance so it is totally solid with no moving parts – Leave Overnight.

…     Lacquer Barrel  - Leave overnight.

…     Light Sand & Re-Coat – May do several times later at home.

…     Cut and Shape Baci – Sticks – Burn personals into sticks.  

Weekend 4.
Stand and Playing the drum (7 & 8)

…     Screw, Glue, & assemble Stand parts – Complete.

…     Lesson on Tuning Drum & Maintenance.

…     Lesson on Grip.

…     Basic Taiko Strokes.

…     Full Day Taiko Workshop on Sunday.

…     Go home with your very own Wine Barrel Taiko.

 Wine Barrel Taiko

In this workshop will finish with the same drum as in the Wine Barrel Taiko Full Process workshop but is done over 2 weekends.

This workshop is still demanding but much simpler than the full process. We supply you with a shaped, sanded and reinforced barrel, a taiko drum stand, a skin cut & threaded with tensioning hoops ready made.

As much of the preparation is done, more of the focus is on cosmetics and fine-tuning of the instrument.

 
Putting on the Skin (Day 1)

…     Learn about the tightening system.

…     Fit the hoops precisely with hoax skin – involves rim preparation.

…     Thread & Soak skin.

…     Stretch Skin over rim and leave. 

Barrel (Day 2)

…     Re-sand barrel.

…     Buff Metal parts.

…     Burn initials and designs.

…     Stain.

…     Lacquer. 

Sticks and Tuning (Day 3)

…     Cut and shape Baci – Sticks.

…     Tune Drum.

…     Learn Grip, Stance and basic playing strokes.

 Taiko Workshop (day 4)

…     A full day of taiko strokes, stance, history and rhythms.

…     Go home with your very own Australian made Wine Barrel Taiko. 

Industrial Barrel Taiko

This is the fastest and cheapest answer to making your own taiko drum. These drums are large, loud and lightweight.  

They are made with large plastic barrels normally used in commercial industry & farming. The skins are the same as for a bass drum on a drum kit as are the hoops and tensioning lugs.  

We use a reinforcing material on the surface of the skin to stop indentations.  Skins are easily replaced, as pounding them relentlessly at full power for a few days will show. Having said that, they will take a strong beating and are absolutely fine for beginners and recreational playing. 

This is a 2-day workshop with the 2^nd half of day 2 dedicated to playing. As per the Wine Barrel Taiko workshop, charges are per drum, not per person. 

Putting on the Skin (Day 1)

…     Cut the Barrel.

…     Measure positioning of lugs.

…     Reinforce Barrel by attaching wooden hoops.

…     Create rim with wooden hoop.

…     Attach lugs to 1st level wooden hoop. Build out if necessary.

…     Secure skin with tensioning claws and Allan key.

…     Reinforce skin with Dacron or Kevlar. 

Design & Playing (Day 2)

…     Paint Barrel – You may do more elaborate designs with you drum at home.

…     Make Stand.

…     Cut, shape and encrypt sticks.

…     Half-Day Taiko Workshop.

…     Taiko Grip, Stance, Strokes & Rhythms.

…     Leave with your Industrial Barrel Taiko Drum (Sticks & Stand included).