The Goblet Drum

The goblet drum is a musical instrument that utilizes a vibrating stretched membrane to produce sounds with a goblet-shaped body. It can be referred to as a chalice drum or the tarabuka and falls into the category of a membranophone. Membranophones make audio sounds by striking the stretched membrane.

Goblet Drum
Original uploader and author was Room237 at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Goblet Drum
Photo by PxFuel, via Pxfuel

Goblet drums have originated from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Turkey. Ever since then, this musical instrument has been around for thousands of years. In addition, goblet drums have been utilized in Babylonia and Sulawesi in 1100 BCE. In these ancient cultures, the goblet drum usually are placed on the floor when played.

The goblet drum is composed of spun metal, cast, wood, and ceramic. The head of the goblet drum is made out of Mylar and many other animal skins in order to make the weight of the drum very light.
Goblet Drum
Opinoki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Poster of Les Troyens
Prudent Louis Leray, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Currently, the goblet drum is mostly used in Western Classical Music. One famous musical performance that was done with this particular instrument is the Les Troyens, which was composed by Hector Berlioz. The purpose of the Les Troyens was to portray the culture of the Dance of the Nubian Slaves.

How do I play the instrument?

Most of the times, goblet drums are played under the musician’s arm while being placed on top of the user’s leg. The instrument is then played with lighter strokes of a person’s hand in order to make sounds with a rhythmic pattern.

Are there any instrument similar to this one?

Darbuka is an Egyptian instrument that is similar to the goblet drum. It has a rounded edge along its head unlike other goblet drums.

How long does it take to learn?

It takes approximately 4 – 6 months.

Is there special equipment needed for the instrument?

There is no need for a special equipment, all you need is the goblet drum itself.

Goblet Drum
Djembe Art, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rock with a Star!

Let’s enjoy the sound of this instrument through this wonderful performance by Vivi Vassileva.

Vivi Vassileva is a goblet drum musician that is currently playing with the Artisan Edition Egypt Doumbek.