As a musician, in this case a drummer, procuring a new Tambora proves to be one of the most intimate and personal decisions a Percussionist (Tambora Player) can make. Here, a ritualistic exercise of inspection will be carried out by the Musician, one that will employ the use of most of his/her intricate senses.
I will take you through this drama myself, an arduous process of examination and selection techniques that will be indispensable to professionals and amateurs alike.
At first, the screening process starts quickly courtesy to one of our most reliable sense for measure "The Eye"
Unfortunately this premature visual analysis we administer so rigorously, is certainly not enough to validate the instrument's caliber.
However, the incumbent must still concentrate in detail and scan for superficial signs of weakness.
To the casual observer captivation and admiration for its beautiful craft and anatomy will be all there is to perceive.
But to the trained individual, beauty registers differently, to him/her every square inch of real estate must be scrutinize intently.
Let's keep in mind not all drums are made to perfection and if not diagnosed appropriately , hidden cracks (defects) tears on its body or skin could become cancerous, and with time, guarantee an impending helpless decline diminishing the drum's health, sound quality and durability.
The Tambora player will have to diagnose what all these imperfections mean the very same moment he/she takes interest in the drum, bifurcating and acknowledging what could be considered malignant or ignoring what he/she thinks is benign.
One thing is certain.
It takes more then an eye strain to unlock the drum's true potential.
Phase two however, is short and precise.
An effortless exercise that even the average person can achieve, all possible as long as you have a good nose. And If in the process you experience discomfort do not be discouraged, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of an exotic aroma. By default, each animal skin comes with its own natural scent.
Personally, I believe goat skin features more of a pungent sensation.
Not all skins smell like a box of new shoes. As a matter of fact none do.
Let's just say rawhides don't often produce an attractive connection with our nose, but we can consider this a is a small price to pay under the circumstances.
In layman's terms, "Make sure your drum does not have a horrible smell"
After a quick chemical conversation with our olfactory nerves.
We are ready to move on to the Last Phase of the of the quality control procedure. The registration of sound. A small private exhibition is in order, Here the Percussionist will place the Tambora in his lap and execute the drum with clinical precision for maximum performance, hoping to extricate an optimal Timbre. We usually try finding Frequency Waves that carry CONSISTENCY, precise resonance and attack. Somewhere in her skin she conceals her secret your job is to unlock its position and make use of it.
How is this realized? Automatically the drum's skin surface will guide the instrumentalist's hand and like a GPS draw a set of specific directions orienting the drummer as to where to strike/connect the hand with the hide. The Tambora player will need to explore and find the best segment of drum's skin where he feels there is most response. Remember that each and every drum has its unique set of DNA prints per say. So not all drums will test positive or respond identically to your performance.
Summary
1. Use your eye. Try to look for imperceptible imperfections on the drum you want to purchase.
2. Smelling and Scratching the drum will help you detect if the paint finish is frail
3. Play the drum to see how it sounds.
