There is provided a rhythm shaker for producing percussive sound. The shaker has a shell that envelops a hollow interior that contains a number of percussive particles. The rhythm shaker's shell has an internal surface on which the enclosed sound producing material can strike the shell and make a sound where the sidewalls of the shell have at least two different thicknesses which, when struck by the enclosed sound producing material, produces a different sound depending on the thickness of the shell where struck.

A percussion instrument including a box with at least one wall configured to define a resonant chamber. The at least one wall defines a support area about an opening into the resonant chamber with the support area extending in a support plane. A playing surface is configured to be mounted to the support area to close the opening such that an inner surface of the playing surface extends along the support plane. At least one arcuate string is mounted relative to the at least one wall at an angle such that a portion of the arcuate string is in biased engagement with a contact surface defined by an inner surface of the playing surface or an inner surface of a portion of the at least one wall.

A drum beater shaft with a flexible coupling means disposed between the base portion of the shaft and the head portion of the shaft is disclosed. The base portion of the shaft is fixed in the user's hand. The head portion of the shaft contains a striking device used to contact the drum. In one preferred group of embodiments, the flexible coupling means disposed between the base portion and head portion of the drum beater shaft takes the form of a spring surrounded by an elastic sheath, a universal joint surrounded by an elastic sheath and a ball and socket joint surrounded by and elastic sheath. In yet another preferred group of embodiments, the flexible coupling means disposed between the base portion and head portion of the drum beater shaft takes the form of an elastomeric flexible coupling, a thermoplastic polyurethane element, a thermoplastic elastomer element, a thermoplastic urethane element, a thermoset elastomer element and a thermoset urethane element.

A drum beater shaft with a flexible coupling means disposed between the base portion of the shaft and the head portion of the shaft is disclosed. The base portion of the shaft is fixed in the user's hand. The head portion of the shaft contains a striking device used to contact the drum. In one preferred group of embodiments, the flexible coupling means disposed between the base portion and head portion of the drum beater shaft takes the form of a spring surrounded by an elastic sheath, a universal joint surrounded by an elastic sheath and a ball and socket joint surrounded by and elastic sheath. In yet another preferred group of embodiments, the flexible coupling means disposed between the base portion and head portion of the drum beater shaft takes the form of an elastomeric flexible coupling, a thermoplastic polyurethane element, a thermoplastic elastomer element, a thermoplastic urethane element, a thermoset elastomer element and a thermoset urethane element.

A machine can form a work piece into a bowl subcomponent of a steel pan musical instrument. The machine includes a pressure lid and a die mold. The die mold may be formed of non-metal layers stacked between metal layers. In example operation, a blank or work piece is inserted between the lid and die mold. The lid is pressed down (e.g., by a hydraulic ram), forcing a portion of the blank into a face groove of the die mold for sealing. Pressurized water or other fluid introduced between the lid and the blank exerts pressure on the sealed portion of the blank and stretches the blank to conform to a bowl shape of the die mold. Note regions can be introduced by this machine-performed shaping and/or by subsequent manual operations to further prepare the work piece for incorporation into a steel pan musical instrument.

A percussive instrument is provided. The percussive instrument includes a drum body and a plurality of tonal elements extending over a bottom surface of the drum body. The tonal elements may be struck or plucked to produce sound. The drum body includes a base and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the base and has an open end opposite the base through which sound may be projected. The drum body may be filled with liquid to produce cymatic effects when the instrument is played and to provide an additional medium through which sound waves emitted from the tonal elements may pass over or through.

A drum shell with application to other musical instruments has a generally annular body defining a longitudinal axis, spaced opposed end surfaces, an interior generally cylindrical surface, and an exterior generally cylindrical surface. A plurality of longitudinally extensive kerfs extend generally parallel to the annular body longitudinal axis through the entire distance between the spaced opposed end surfaces. The kerfs are formed within the generally annular body. A drum head is stretched over a first one of the opposed end surfaces, and a fastener affixes the drum head to the drum shell. The annular body is formed from a flat substrate. To shape the flat substrate, a plurality of kerfs are cut in the substrate, and then the substrate is shaped into the annular configuration. In a most preferred embodiment, the kerfs are closed into a triangular tetrahedron during the shaping, and so form resonant bodies.

The present disclosure relates to outdoor musical instruments configured to replicate the appearance of a mushroom and to withstand prolonged exposure to the environment. The musical instrument is made up of at least a metal dish mounted to a weather-resistant support post. The metal dish is mounted to the top of the support post, and the bottom surface of the metal dish is separated from the top end of the support post by a non-metal isolator. The musical instrument is configured to produce a note that sustains when the top surface of the metal dish is struck by a mallet.

The present disclosure relates to outdoor musical instruments configured to replicate the appearance of a mushroom and to withstand prolonged exposure to the environment. The musical instrument is made up of at least a metal dish mounted to a weather-resistant support post. The metal dish is mounted to the top of the support post, and the bottom surface of the metal dish is separated from the top end of the support post by a non-metal isolator. The musical instrument is configured to produce a note that sustains when the top surface of the metal dish is struck by a mallet.

An epoxy coating can be applied to a round surface by keeping the round surface in constant motion, thus defeating the tendency of the epoxy to run off the outer surface of the round object. The process is aided by mechanical equipment that rotates the cylindrical object about its center, while also permitting adjustment of rotational speed.