DRUMMER CAFE - Community Forum

Hi all.  I'm not much of a percussionist per se, but I am a composer and I love percussion.  I've been thinking about a little project and I could really benefit from the wisdom of some actual percussionists.

I recently discovered how wonderful the deep bell-like acoustic properties of a certain set of stainless steel mixing bowls are, and I was thinking about how best to turn them into a set of playable percussion instruments.  Has anyone ever seen or heard about this sort of thing before?

I was thinking of maybe drilling a little hole in the bottom of each bowl and mounting them upside-down on cymbal stands.  But considering how large they are, this could take up quite a bit of space.  And when you live in Brooklyn, space can be at a premium.  Since each bowl is a different size, I was thinking of maybe setting them up like a bell tree - in vertical fashion.  But huddled that close to each other might crowd or dampen the ringing quality, or at worst might have them actually knocking into each other.

I know this will probably just have to be an experimental project, but I'd feel better going into it with some sense of guidance and experienced opinions first.  I could especially use some advice on which types of cymbal stands I could use, and even more importantly, where I can get some cheaply - used!

Thanks so much in advance.

 - John

John,

Take a cue from the traditional Temple Bowls one finds in Asian cultures.  A couple of possibilities:

1)  Drill them as you suggested, and hang them one atop the other on a single rope/cord, but leave enough space between each (by simply knotting the cord) so that they won't strike each other.  I'm guessing you're not going to be hitting these bowls all that hard (or, asking players to do so).

1a)  Drill the holes, but only hang one bowl on each cord.  You can make a relatively inexpensive rack from PVC tubing and shower curtain hooks, and hang the bowls from those hooks.

2)  Go to a import shop (like what Pier One Imports pretends to be) - some store that sells Tibetan prayer bowls.  You'll see that they often rest on a small sewn cloth ring, similar to what Indian tabla rest on.  Perhaps they'll have some extras, or perhaps you'll be able to fashion a resonable facsimile on  your own.  This way, you wouldn't have to do any drilling.

Also, see if you can find some photos of the glass percussion instruments used by Harry Partch - they were usually suspended similar to the ways described in 1 and 1a above.  Also, suspending the bowls will make it a little bit easier to bow them if you so choose - just steady the bowl at the point where the rope goes through the hole.

If you want a hand-held version of this sort of thing, go to a kitchen store and check out the bundt pans.  For even more fun (yes, folks, this is "fun" for me!), strike one of these bundt pans and then move it around - the Doppler effect does wonderful things to the pitch!

(Whenever my wife and I go to any sort of kitchen supply store, she never has any trouble finding me if we get separated...she just listens for a moment, and usually finds me in with the pots and pans, annoying the rest of the customers...)

Personally, I would be VERY careful about drilling. If you like the sound of the bowls ... drilling may or may not alter their sound. It could be slight or sever depending on the bowl.

I think the cushion is the best idea. You can get them in cloth or wooven reed. The cloth cushions used for Tabla are called chutta by the way. You could probably order them from some place like Ali Akbar School of Music. The wooven reed cushion, like what are used with the Udu drums that LP makes would work as well. You might try a craft store; they sell straw and reed rings that people use to make wreathes, etc.

If you can find a large beanbag, that would work well too. It would along the bowl to nestle just enough so it doesn't move around, and maywould provide the least amount of muffling ... assuming you get one that the bowl just sits on top of ... not coming up on the sides like the chutta or reed cushions.

The rings would be easiest, but would take up space, and possibly muffle them too much.  I would suggest tapping the bottom of the bowl until you find the nodal point(probably the DEAD center) and drill a small whol there, probably 1/8 inch.  I would use  a single rope and do the "bell tree" approach.  Just tie a sturdy not under each bowl, and also one at the bottom of the rope.  You'll have lots of fun with this project.

BTW, clay flower pots are also GREAT for this type of thing(in fact I think Cage wrote a piece for them)