Introducing the HAPPY Drum (Hand Activated Percussion Instrument)
Can anyone play a HAPPY? Sure! Anyone who wants an easy to play intuitive instrument can play one. You don't need a musical background to enjoy it. The HAPPY Drum is ideal for jamming and playing percussive beats. The drum head layout makes it easy to jump right into grooving rhythms. Enjoy creating a soothing harmonic journey with your HAPPY. You will love being able to add a melodic component to your beats. An intuitive arrangement to the notes makes it easy to explore new musical horizons. The strong meditative tones are calming and great for relaxing anytime, or kick it up a notch and play hard and fast. And because of its compact design you can take it outside and enjoy it in nature. Your next camping trip will not be complete without a HAPPY time around the campfire. The HAPPY is just as comfortable outside in the park, as it is in the music studio.
How is the tone created?
The
unique tone of the HAPPY Drum is created by a tuned vibrating tongue of
steel. The concept is similar to a wooden tongue drum. When a tongue is
quickly and lightly struck with the finger or mallet, it vibrates
creating sound waves. By changing the shape and length of the tongue,
optimal vibration and perfect tone is achieved. By arranging the notes
in our unique way each note when struck excites surrounding notes that
are musically compatible with it. This adds to the harmonic spectrum of
the tone. Rather than just one tone we can now create a spectrum of
supporting sound for each note. The tone is similar to singing bowls or
musical bells which create multiple harmonic overtones. The body of the
drum acts as a resonating chamber adding depth to the note. We have
carefully chosen an opening port in the bottom of the drum that serves
three functions. The bottom hole allows the sound to escape and
increases the volume. It releases the tone from the body so that the
notes do not overlap each other too much. This is especially desirable
for faster playing. It allows the player to open or close the port with
their lap and chose different resonance levels for a different effect.
We have added additional dampening of the notes and drum body to keep
the drum from becoming discordant and “ringy”. Our breakthrough
proprietary technique built into each drum provides excellent resonance
while supplying the correct amount of dampening.
Why is it unique?
We
have created some unique design parameters that make the best possible
steel tongue percussion drum. Our Patent Pending note layout adds
harmonic tones to each note when played. This creates a more complex
and musical tone to each note. By placing low notes next to the
appropriate higher note we can achieve multiple harmonics. Their
vibrations create desirable overtones which compliment the timbre of
the tone. We use a compact drum body that easily fits in your lap. The
head is 12 inches across allowing for easy reach to all of the notes. A
true rectangular shape rather than the usual “Tongue” shape of a note
produces a clearer sound. By using an ideal height to width ratio for
different notes we have been able to improve the amplitude of the note
and create better balance. Tone accuracy is of the utmost importance.
Each note is carefully hand tuned using a strobe tuner for complete
control of the tuning process. The nature of the vibrating tongue
allows for note stability which makes retuning unnecessary. This means
each HAPPY is a stable and reliable instrument.
How is it played?
We
recommend playing the HAPPY with the pads of your fingers. A wide range
of sounds can be created with different techniques. Playing by hand
connects you with the drum in the way that traditional drums are
enjoyed. A minimal amount of force creates a big sound on our drums. We
also supply each drum with mallets designed to bring out the pure sound
of each note. Our mallets eliminate “head slap” creating a very clear
tone. The arrangement of the notes make going up and down the scale
very easy. Also one hand can reach two or three notes simultaneously
for chord playing.
What does each HAPPY drum include?Each Drum comes with a pair of mallets and a padded carry bag.
