All about the Chinese drum, orchestra essential once seen as a way to talk to the gods
Both the barrel-shaped tanggu, which can be more than 3 metres wide, and the much smaller frame drum are found on the Chinese concert stage
The drum is one of the things early humans all had in common, whether they were in Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt or China 5,000 years ago.
A collection of clay drums at the National Museum of China dates back to the Majiayao culture (circa 3800BC-2000BC) that was based in what is now Gansu province in northwest China.
These instruments would have had membranes – also called drum skins or drumheads – made from animal hides; sounds were produced by striking their surfaces.
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The Sounds of China: A beginner’s guide to Chinese musical instruments
According to the Book of Rites, or Liji, which is more than 2,000 years old, drums were ceremonial music instruments that it was thought could speak to the gods when struck, presumably because their sound could be heard several kilometres away.
