Frame drums known as daira consist of a thin membrane of animal skin stretched and glued over a wooden hoop. Metal jingles such as rings, coins, or pairs of cymbals are usually attached to the hoop. The daira is held in one hand and is struck with the fingers, thumb, palm, or heel of the other hand. The pitch is tuned by tightening the skin with heat or loosening it with water.
Singers of maqam, the challenging genre of classical music of the Islamic world, use frame drums like the daira to accompany themselves as they create songs based on religious poetic texts. The daira is also played solo or in small ensembles to accompany dances and ritual processions at important events.
Silk Road Ensemble Musician Shane Shanahan:
(Silk Road Encounters DVD)
"This instrument has a calfskin head, and inside the wooden shell are mounted metal rings that give it a nice rattle sound when you hit it or shake it. You can play many different techniques on this. Three of the basic ones are a low-pitched bass tone, a high-pitched rim tone, and a 'slap' sound (muffled tone). The daira is very old. The frame drums in general are considered the oldest percussion instruments in the world. They found paintings on ancient cave walls that are over 5,000 years old that depict people playing frame drums in various ritual ceremonies."





















