Talk:Friction drum

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Someone put in category Renaissance Music. There is nothing about Renaissance Music in this article. I have removed the category. If it gets put back, please explain here on Talk page. Thanks very much! Mona-Lynn 20:36, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

I was just about to do the same, and seriously suggest you put the category back. I would have found the article more quickly if it had been under Category Renaissance. As it was I was looking for "Rommelpot" and then "string drum". And it IS a Renaissance instrument. Hikitsurisan 21:05, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

Hmm. If the rommelpot is a Renaissance instrument and there is something that could be said about it, perhaps it would be worth writing a separate article on it, or putting something in the article that contextualises it as such. It just seemed random to me in my limited knowledge. Would love to see you add something. Thanks! Mona-Lynn 03:42, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

Will try! Incidentally, with the wide variants in terminology - not just in English - the German wiki has managed to come up with two articles covering more or less the same thing: "Brummtopf" and "Rummelpott". I've suggested on their talk page that they are merged. I'll leave it to them! Hikitsurisan 16:52, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

Renaissance and classical music

Hi again. Great edits - thanks for adding such good info and for taking an interest in this article. I noticed it was neglected and cleaned it up the other day, and now am keen to see where it goes.

I have a couple things to ask you. First, I'm still slightly confused by the notion of calling the friction drum a "Renaissance" instrument. For me "Renaissance" implies a philosophical/intellectual/ideological high-culture movement, and the friction drum would have to have played a part in that movement for me to be willing to view it as a "Renaissance" instrument. In fact it appears to have been a folk instrument during that time, not an elite one - and since the Renaissance was an elite movement rather than a folk one it doesn't make sense to me to call it a Renaissance instrument. In fact it doesn't appear to have been appropriated by elite/classical music until the 20th century, and then only used a few times as you have noted, plus the single 16th-century example you have noted. So just because it existed during the time of the Renaissance doesn't mean it was a "Renaissance" instrument, if you see what I mean. I would feel more comfortable simply saying that it arose in Europe in the 16th century which is what Grove says, avoiding the ideological implications of using the term "Renaissance". Do you mind if we change that?

Also, I feel a bit uncomfortable with the titles you have used - world music and classical music. I'd rather Western European classical music was treated with the same level of hierarchy as all other musics and not as something separate (objectified). Also the term "world music" is a record industry term which is a bit out of context here. And also I view Western European classical music as part of the music of the world and not separate from it. So I think I will fiddle a bit later today when I need a break from thesis writing, but would like your views. Mona-Lynn 21:12, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

Friction Drum in Cameroon

The following is original research, it looks like no ethnomusicologists has looked into it so far, so I don't include it in the main article.: In Cameroon in Kom there is a traditional dance called Samba. It is performed by society-like organisations with special costumes. A friction drum is used in this music. This music is not derived from Brazilian Samba. The rythm and dance is totally different from Brazilian Samba, it is actually a traditional dance of that region. If there is a historical connection to Brazilian Samba, it mitght be the other way arround, Kom-Samba being one of the historical roots of Brazilian Samba. Some ethnomusicologist should really go to Kom. (They have some other interseting Music as well) Nannus 22:45, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

It seems (but this must be verified) that "Samba" is also actually the term for the fricton drum in that language. Nannus 20:45, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

friction drum in Germany

The article says: "On New Year’s Eve there is a tradition in North Germany in which masked children with homemade instruments including Rummelpott go from house to house making a din and demanding sweets. If they are not given sweets they play a trick on the people. This is called Süsses oder Saures (sweet or sour) and is probably the origin of the American Trick-or-treating." I grew up in the area, and did the Rummelpott thing on New Years Eve myself. "Trick or Treat" is most definitely not part of this custom. The song that is sung only states "please give us something, don't let us wait too long, we will have to walk a while" (paraphrased). Also, none of the other songs I found online mentioned any "tricking", just good-natured pleas for a donation of sweets or fruits. I'll do some more research and write a correction of the paragraph. A.--89.49.22.73 17:06, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Having discussed this with various friends from all over North Germany, I decided to remove the statement in question. None of my interviewees had heard of and trick-or-treating in connection with Rummelpott. There might however be some boys out for mischief, doing the rounds that night and throwing fireworks into mailboxes --but these definitely don't sing Rummelpott songs! A. --89.49.14.117 (talk) 13:53, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

This sort of trick or treating took place at Christmas time and was popular in association with the Ukrainian friction drum known as a Buhai in the Carpathian mountains. This area was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire up till WWI and the custom may have borrowed from there. Bandurist (talk) 17:44, 30 January 2008 (UTC)