Kettledrum

Kettledrums are large, bowl-shaped, tunable drums that are thought to originate from areas in the Middle East but were also found in Europe, centuries after the Crusades. The round design of Kettledrums defines their timbre, and they are often called, “vibrating drums.” Kettledrums are played with sticks or mallets, and occasionally with the hands and fingers. When played in groups, Kettledrums are tuned to different pitches in order to capture the deep, harmonic tones that resonate between drums, as heard with modern, orchestral tympani drums.