Latin Percussion LPM1400 Music Collection Udu Drum
Slap, tap and rub the Udu drum to create deep, mellow percussion textures. This beautiful African instrument fits in your hands and looks great on display.
Overall User Ratings (based on 1 ratings)
Submitted October 11, 2012 by D H
"LP Udu and Soft Shakers"
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This is a cool little instrument. It's compact size makes it a go-anywhere and it is visually pleasing (looks great in the corner of your room or on a shelf).+ I love the sounds you can make with the sound holes- Shell sounds are more difficult to make, and the impact to make these sounds can be hard on your hands. The LP Twist Shakers (they were packaged with it at the time I purchased) produce a pleasant sound. I didn't realize they came apart into two shaker pieces until I got them - very cool!
Sound
This is a mellow instrument, not a loud one. You don't get a lot of volume out of it. It is not for playing in a band or something like that, it is pretty much for personal enjoyment. It's really good for picking up and using to bang out your frustrations without having to worry about bothering the neighbors. :) Sound quality is mixed. Great "bwong" watery sounds from smacking the sound holes, can vary the tonality by partially covering a hole as you do this. "Rubbing" sounds are also nice and easy to make. I think the combination of small chamber size and walls perhaps a bit thicker than they should be means there is less resonance provided by the chamber and as a result finger-tapping and slapping sounds take a bit of effort. (Ends up making my hands sore.)
Features
The smaller sound holes compared to larger udus are nice for us females who may not have large paws. The surface is texturized enough to make some decent soft sounds by rubbing. Thick walls make finger sounds more difficult than they could be.
Ease of Use
This is really easy to use. Just start slapping and tapping and rubbing everywhere to learn what sort of sounds you can make with it. It does tend to be hard on the hands, but my hands have adjusted to it somewhat since the first time I picked it up.
Quality
It appears to be of good quality. There are no moving parts to judge. No chips or cracks in the pottery, and it is heavier than you would expect from looking at it.
Value
This is hard to judge. It is one of the lowest-price udus to be found, I think there is just one other in its price class. Does it really seem like it should be selling for $50? I don't think so, but I tend toward being cheap. :) I think it's a good value compared to other items, in general.
Manufacturer Support
No contact.
The Wow Factor
I was so excited to get this product. It is so unique in sound and look compared to any other instrument ... I definitely think it is appealing. It has a "wow" just from how it looks on display (there's a reason it has "museum" in its name) and it makes another "wow" when you start playing it. This is a really fun instrument.
Musical Background:
Hobby musician and collector of unique and interesting instruments.
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