Sherpa drum (pinyin: Xià ěr bā gǔ), a musical instrument used by the Sherpa people of the Tibetan branch to slap the membrane. Popular in Nyalam County, Shigatse, Tibet.
The drum frame is made of wood, the shape is similar to the waist drum, but it is more slender and slender, and the two ends are covered with cowhide or sheepskin. Tighten both ends of the drum skin. The shape and size are different. The larger drum has a body length of 100 cm and a waist diameter of 35 cm in the middle. The diameter of the drum face at both ends is slightly different. The larger drum has a diameter of 28 cm at one end, and the smaller drum has a diameter of 26 cm at one end. . Two Sherpa drums with the same size and slightly different pitch are tied firmly with leather strips at both ends of the drum frame and connected to form a whole, that is, double Sherpa drums.
When playing, the player sits in a sitting position, places the drum horizontally on his legs, the drum face with a slightly larger diameter is placed on the right, and the drum face with a slightly smaller diameter is placed on the left. Pitch, but the sound level is different, the timbre is crisp and loud, and the penetrating power is strong. When playing the Sherpa double drums, the player stands upright, stands the drum on the ground, and slaps one drum with both hands. Sherpa drums are played by men and are used to accompany folk songs and dances.
One side of the Sherpa drum is collected by the China Musical Instrument Museum, Institute of Music, China Academy of Art, Beijing. The drum frame is made of hardwood. The drum is 48.5 cm long and the middle waist diameter is 28 cm. The diameter and skin of the drum frame are different at both ends. The diameter of the slightly larger end is 19 cm. It is covered with sheepskin. It does not need to be fixed with drum nails. The outer ring of the drum skin is tightly covered with two layers of cowhide. There are several small holes around the skin. The leather ring is placed on the outer edge of the drum mouth, and the drum core with a diameter of 12 cm is exposed in the center; the diameter of the slightly smaller end is 16 cm, covered with cowhide, and the outer ring of the drum skin is tightly covered with a layer of cowhide. And weave it into a leather ring and wrap it around the outer edge of the drum mouth, with a drum core with a diameter of 8.5 cm exposed in the center. Tighten the two leather loops back and forth with the thicker cowhide strip. The production process is meticulous. The outer surface of the drum is engraved with circular patterns of different depths and widths, and the drum core at the slightly thinner end is painted black.