What Are Udu Drums?
- Udu drums are made only of naturally occurring clays. Rather than forming the drums on a potter's wheel, Giorgini rolls the clay into long ropes and coils them to create the pot shape. He uses traditional wooden paddles to shape the drum, and then fires it in a kiln. Giorgini makes drums in sets of four, and has adapted the Nigerian methods for creating side hole pot drums to create instruments with better durability and tone than the original. It can take up to one month to make a drum.
- Giorgini makes udu drums in sets of four, ranging in size and pitch from smallest and highest to largest and deepest. To play the udu, you must place one hand over the opening at the top of the drum, and the other over the hole on the side of the drum. Alternatively, you could place the udu drum between your thighs while sitting, using your hand to tap the top opening and your thigh to tap the bottom hole. You can create different rhythms by covering and uncovering the two holes.