How to Make a Medieval Tabor
The medieval tabor originated in Europe in approximately 1300 A.D. This was the first double-headed drum to have a snare strand. The snare strand stretches across the bottom drum head, causing a reverberation when the top drum head is played. The tabor drum heads are made from cow or goat hides that are stretched over the drum frame with hemp rope. The end of the hemp rope is used to make the snare strand.
Things You'll Need
- 14-by-28-inch piece of .75 to 1.5 mm cow or goat hide
- Water
- Plastic tub
- Large kitchen trash bag
- 4-inch tall by 10-inch wide wooden hoop, 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick
- Water soluble sewing pencil
- Scissors
- Sharp knife
- Awl
- 1/4-inch diameter hemp rope, 20 feet long
Instructions
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1
Submerge the cow or goat hide in a plastic tub full of lukewarm water. Push the hide to remove all air bubbles. The hide must be totally submerged to achieve a pliable tabor head. Allow the hide to soak for 60 minutes.
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2
Cover a flat work surface with the large kitchen trash bag. Remove the hide from the water. Place the wet hide on the trash bag so the back of the hide faces out. Smooth out any wrinkles or bumps with your hands.
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3
Position the wooden hoop on the hide so it is approximately two inches from the edge of the hide. Draw a circle approximately 1.5-inches from the hoop on the hide with a water-soluble pencil. Cut the circle from the hide. Place the cut circle on the hide and trace around the outside edge. Cut the second circle from the hide. The two circles are the drum heads.
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4
Place the two hide circles in water for 15 minutes. Place the 20-foot length of hemp rope in the water at this time.
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5
Remove the hide drum heads from the water and place them on the plastic trash bag so the front side of the hide is facing up. Mark the position of the holes for drum head attachment. Place a mark approximately 1-inch from the outer edge of the circle and every 1.5-inches around the circumference. Make sure there are an odd number of holes. If not, reposition the marks. Mark the second drum head in the same fashion. Punch a hole through each mark using an awl.
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6
Turn one drum head over so the back side of the hide is facing up. Center the wooden hoop over one circle. Center the second drum head over the top of the wooden hoop. Line up the punched holes on the edges.
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7
Remove the hemp rope from the water. Insert the hemp through a hole on the bottom drum. Locate the hole directly above the bottom hole. Insert the hemp in the next hole to the right to create a diagonal line. Pull the hemp through the drum heads until an approximately 12-inch tail is left. Repeat the process around the tabor heads, alternating from top to bottom and in every other hole. The finished lacing will look like resemble the letter "X," if done correctly.
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8
Pull the hemp tight in the same manner as it was laced. Pull hard to remove all slack. Repeat the process until all slack is removed.
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9
Tie the two ends of the hemp together securely, as close to the tabor frame surface as you can. Lace one end of the hemp back and forth through the "X" pattern to secure it. Cut the excess from the hemp if the end is longer than the circumference of the frame.
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10
Pull the second end of hemp across the diameter of the bottom of the tabor. Tie the end securely to the "X" on the opposite side. Lace one end of the hemp back and forth through the "X" pattern to secure it. Cut the excess from the hemp if the end is longer than the circumference of the frame.
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