From Trash to Treasure: My Chime Drum
Introducing my "Chime Drum"
Technically it's called an "Ozark Chiming Cylinder."
As something a little different today, I wanted to share one of my most precious possessions, my Chime Drum. It was custom made for me a couple years ago by Ozark Chiming Cylinders, getting to choose the shape, the scales and even the colors. Even more amazingly this was created from a reclaimed propane tank! What a fantastic transition from trash to treasure!!
After falling in LOVE instantly after coming across This Video of a Space Drum being played...I just had to find a way to get one. The problem though...these cost thousands of dollars, which I didn't have or foresee having anytime in the near future. After months of looking I happened across the Ozark Chiming Cylinders webpage and was Amazed at his work, especially for the cost around $200-$400 USD...which was something achievable. While the sole employee (an all around fantastic person) of this company did already ship these across the country to buyers...he happened to be a short drive from where I lived at the time!
Long Story Short...I bought one and have LOVED it ever since!
The Creation of my Drum:
It was exciting getting to see the evolution of a discarded tank into a work of audio-visual art! He essentially had to cut the 'keys', cut off the top and bottom of the tank (removing the middle), weld the two pieces back together, tune and paint it. This man is a genius!!
The guy who made it loved to take a video (usually before shipping it) of the drums he finished to post and share with the recipients! This video was literally the first time I ever saw it completed!
Having played hand drums for so long:
For years before I got this, I had played my set of congas and bongos which made playing my chime drum just feel natural. (Yes, this is me playing.)
Anyway...I finally got around to recording some more:
Personally, playing on my chime drum is a form of meditation. Instantly falling into the flow...moving in and out from patterns. For me there is no better way to 'fade out.' Unfortunately I've found it difficult to get good recordings with all of the vibrating of the 'keys'...but I was happy enough with a couple of recent ones that I wanted to share with you. (These are me playing too.)
This on was on the Major Scale side (I forget the specific scale) using mallets:
...And this was on the Minor Scale side using mallets:
Aaaand the obligatory kitty pic!
It's his coat now!
It's his coat now!
Click HERE for a Library of All my Guides!
Image Sources:
Either my own images or given to me by the drum maker.
I can't believe how well it sounds so i want to make one. Regards
Thank you!
It's definitely possible to make one yourself (with the right skills of course)...the guys that made this one started that way. He had told me that he'd originally wanted a space/hang drum but they were too pricey. So he found some plans/tutorials on how to make these online...then just refined the process to get it to sound the way he wanted.
That drum chime has a really nice well tuned sound!
This is an extraordinary, and affordable, musical instrument. Thank you very much for sharing.
Some of the JPG and PNG images are not visible, at least via Busy.org. The images that are visible are iridescent and fabulous.
Ahh...thank you. Definitely strange that they weren't all showing up. But I swapped actual uploads versus the links in the picture to see if that helped. (They showed for me...making it hard to see if/when they got fixed for others.) :)
All visible!
Hi. A very particular sound. Have you always been a good musician?
Thank you!
Hehe...I've been a ok drummer for a while. But it's easy to show off on this thing, lol.
That is pure brilliance! The vision...wow! So many old empty propane tanks everywhere. Thanks @sykochica for the post. I upvote Chime Drums in Major Scale.
Thank you! But I have to give MAD PROPS to the maker...he constantly blew my mind, both his 'engineering skills' as well as musical ability. I think he played like a dozen or more instruments.
I really like the major scale side too. It's literally impossible to make it sound bad.
super wow!!! I have seen those but had no idea how they were made. I need one. Any chance you'll send me yours lol. I'll pay the shipping lol
Hahaha!! It probably weighs around 15ish pounds...but you'd have to pry this from my cold dead hands! Rofl!
But if enough steemians vote together we could fund one for you! :P
It's super cool!
Incredible!!! I Googled it as well. Love it! How much does it weigh? Does it have any attachments to it? Wonder what the kitty will think. Thanks. @sykochica
Thank you! It's prob weighs about 15ish pounds...light enough for me to carry around by one finger (even if a little heave that way.) No attachments though which makes it uber convenient. Though I do usually bring the two mallets (made by the drum makers wife) ...they make some different sounds compared to my fingers.
This is so soothing. Wow. I'd seen videos of two people playing these instruments before and the sound is incredible. Thanks for sharing. :)
I'm glad you like it! I've gotten a few other recording yet to post in the near future...let you get some more. :)
Thank You! :D
want..want...want... :)
Wow....Really nice photography and nice your video@sykochica