FREEZBEE DRUM - HISTORY OF THE PERFECT SOUND

The GUDA DRUM Freezbee is a percussion instrument that belongs to the class of steel tongue drums. We can say with certainty that the predecessor to the steel tongue drum, handpan or hang drum, the slit drum, is one of the oldest musical instruments known to mankind. Archaeologists in Central and South America discovered that these drums were used in everyday life by the Aztecs and other tribes in the region.

The Teponaztli, an Aztec Slit drum, was made of wood and had only two slits, or tongues producing a high and low tone and it was used primarily for dances and poetry. In Aztec lore, music is a gift bestowed on humankind by the gods. 

Today, we know of other versions of these wonderful instruments: the Mayan tunkul, Indonesian kulkul, and a range of related African slit drums. Generally, these instruments are made from hollow logs with slits, or tongues, cut or burned into the surface. They were tuned by ear, and the surfaces were adorned with carvings depicting military, domestic and mythological theme.

Over time, new technologies and materials were introduced. Around 2007, the Latin American percussionist Felle Vega set about experimenting with new materials to create ancient tongue drums. The resulting instrument was a metal pipe with four petals cut into the side. The metal, unlike wood, produced a loud, bright sound with rich overtones.

Thus was born the steel tongue drum. Ferre’s design was later improved by the renowned musician and inventor Dennis Havlena, who was  inspired by another percussion instrument, the hang drum, handpan.

Dennis modified the design by moving the petals from the side of the drum to the top rim to create the same tonal circle as the hang drum. This was a huge breakthrough since it made it possible to lay out a large number of notes on a limited surface area, making the instrument intuitively easier to play.

Thus, reborn and refashioned in 2007, the evolution of the tongue drum had just begun. Today, new versions of tongue drums are constantly surfacing around the world as master musicians seek out unique forms of sound structures. They continue to experiment with materials, adaptations and tuning, with the ultimate aim of finding the perfect sound. This is a fascinating, endless quest.

And so, what is the GUDA Freezbee? It is a compact model from the family of GUDA steel tongue drums. When the GUDA DRUM Freezbee was being designed, the following principles were fundamental: high-quality materials, a clean sound with no tinny accents, affordability and compact size. After lengthy calculations and numerous experiments with sound forms, materials and tuning, a drum was created that meets all of the above requirements.

The GUDA Freezbee is fashioned from two 1.5-mm-thick half-shells made of high-quality stainless steel and connected using a special technique. The shape, depth and dimensions of the half-shells and the placement of the petals is highly precise and is the result of the above-mentioned mathematical calculations and experimentation. The eight petals are on the upper half-shell. Each petal is tuned to a specific note. The lower half-shell is the resonator.

The customizable music scales are mostly pentatonic, so playing the GUDA DRUM Freezbee is easy and fun even for amateur musicians. The notes are laid out in such a way that no matter what the combination, they naturally lend themselves to melodies.

During the manufacturing process, a unique "dry" sound was achieved, without the kind of distortion and metallic tones produced by other steel drums, and with an average sustain. The drum has a really nice, warm, balanced sound, and this makes it a great fit even for loud, high-energy drum jams. As a rule, the drum is played with your fingers, using various percussion techniques to produce a range of sounds.

Beginners can also use special mallets instead of their fingers. Ultimately, you’ll find that you can produce a wide range of rich notes and accents by using different methods to strike the drum.

The GUDA DRUM Freezbee is also designed to please the eye and will impress the most stringent aesthete. The drums come in several colors with different types of coating in a range of models featuring ethno-cultural and meditative designs. And customers who want to emphasize their individuality can also order custom-designed GUDA Freezbees. The designs are engraved by hand on each drum, and this means that each FREEZBEE is a unique work of art. The GUDA line of drums combines high-quality sound with outstanding design features, which makes these drums the best steel tongue instruments in the world.