Thank you for your reply amberyooper, it is very much appreciated.
The rawhide thong is about 26 feet long and about 3/4 inch wide. A slit is cut close to one end. There are 32 holes in the cover, 16 pairs of two. Each two are 3/4 inch apart. Then each pair are about 3 inches apart.
The lace is threaded through one hole, then through the slit making a noose, which is then tightened, locking it to the hole.
Now the lace is fed through the hole that is directly opposite, pulled taunt, then fed through the hole next to the first that was tied. Back to the hole again opposite beside the laced hole. The drum is rotated so the lace now goes to the next set of two holes. This is repeated until all the holes are laced. As the lace emerges from the last hole it is take to the far side of where all the laces cross in the centre then down and under, then up, pulling it tight causes all the lacing to centre. Then each group of four double laces are gathered, forming a cross.
This is all done while the drum face and thong are wet, so it can be stretched fairly tight. There are only the two places where the rawhide is ( tied), the loop at the start and a self locking half hitch at the finish. As the rawhide dries it creates a great tightness as it shrinks, sometimes tearing the lacing through the cover. It is this tightness that gives the drum it's voice, no two are exactly the same tone.
I hope this has answered your question.
There are tutorials on the yt on how to build a hand drum, if you are interested.
Thanks again...............billytwohearts
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Thank you, this answered my question quite well!
What kind of hide did you use for this drum?
I was told that elk hide is one of the best hides to use, I was wondering what else might be good.
I am not sure of the type, I was at a local flea market and came across it. It kept telling me to take it home.
Almost any hide can be used, as long as it has the strength to withstand the tightening as it dries. The thinner the hide the higher the tone, the thicker the tone deepens..............billytwohearts
Thanks! I'll keep that in mind about the thickness of the hide.