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The
bendir is a round wooden frame drum covered with goat skin. One or two snares
made of string or gut may run lengthwise across the inside of the bendir
to add additional texture. The bendir is heard in many styles of Moroccan
music. Some Berber music, including Ahouach music from El Kelaat M'Gouna,
uses the bendir as the sole instrument besides vocals. The bendir is played by putting the thumb in a hole on its side, allowing the drum to rest on the space between the thumb and index finger. This allows the drum to be played with both hands. Depending on where the bendir is hit, a number of different tones can be created. Tuning the bendir is achieved by rotating the drum over a heat source until the desired skin tension is reached. |