The Davul is the oldest known percussion instrument throughout human history, it is a musical instrument played by hand or with a stick. It is one of the most important percussion instruments for Turkish music and culture. It has been a symbol of dominance throughout history, and to this day it is used as an indicator of power.

Davul's story

It is widely used in Turkish regions as it is one of the oldest instruments used by Turks. It has held a privileged place since the Hun Empire, one of the greatest empires in Turkish history. Due to its long history, it has come a long way and taken on many different shapes, varieties of materials, names and sizes before taking on its final form. Still to this day, the material used and the production techniques vary depending on the region of production. It also goes hand in hand with another irreplaceable instrument of Turkish culture, the zurna ( put link zurna ). These two accompany and complement each other at weddings and other festive events.

Apart from the use of the davul as a musical instrument, it has been found to be used for communication and inter-tribal warning purposes. It can be said that the davul, which is also used to gather the scattered soldiers during the war, to locate the enemies while surrounding the castle, conquering or announcing fire, constitutes one of the foundations of the orchestra in the music of today.

The Davul is a two-headed cylinder-shaped percussion instrument. It is supported by strings around the body and is played with shoulder suspensions. The player uses a stick and a wooden mallet to play the instrument. The mallet (tokmak) produces a low sound, called "düm", and the stick produces a high sound called "tek".

The structure of the davul? What type should I consider buying?

The Davul has a fairly simple structure compared to other traditional instruments . It has two fundamental parts: the first being the cylindrical shell open at both ends and the second part being the skin stretched over the two ends of the shell.

The size of the cylindrical shell may vary by region. The diameter of a standard Davul is 55-60 cm. The drumhead is an elastic material and can be made of sheepskin or goatskin. The skin is wet when stretched over the hoop and is adjusted according to the desired tone. After the stretching process is complete, the wrap is supported by zigzag ropes. The timbre of the drum can be adjusted by loosening or tightening these strings.

The hoop can be made of wood or metal, but the modern davul can also be made of plastic or even glass. The best material for the body is walnut or cherry, and the mallet can be made of apricot, orange or oak.