DRUMMER CAFE

id love to get some udu tips as well.  theres a cat here in town (vishal nagar, also tabla player) whos just amazing.  ive only got a few basic tones I use.  simple open handed stuff on the holes.  its a start, but I know the thing is capable of more.

id also like to get some recording tips.  these buggers are a bit tricky since they are relatively quiet.

I use a lot of tabla technique and some of my own made-up techniques on the Udu drum.

If you would like to get a method book for Udu, I would suggest you contact my friend Brian "Uduboy" Melick at www.uduboy.com

Brian has a number of products for sale at his site. He has a method book/cassette and video available for Udu.

I've seen Brian play, and he basically uses tabla (as well as other hand drum) techniques ... which is what I do.

I play all over the Udu drum; each area has subtle to drastic timbre differences.

Each finger creates a different sound, plus various combinations of fingers; again ... like tabla.

Just an FYI about micking the Udu:
1. Use a lapel mic inside the drum. The clayton Udu drums are equipped for this by providing a small hole in the neck of the drum. I recommend something like the Countryman Cardioid lapel.
2. Use a large diaphragm condenser mic, such as the AKG 414, to mic the outside of the Udu.

Both of these mic techniques work well, and I've used combinations of the two in the studio. For live stuff, you really need to mic the Udu internally.