How much difference is there between a copper and a brass bayan? Would it be worthwhile for a beginner such as myself to start saving up for a copper bayan, or is it a subtle enough difference that at my level it won't matter?
David talks about this issue in his 3rd volume. Brass has some high-end overtones, which are undersirable to some people. Traditionally, copper is the preferred metal, but these days, people seem to like both. So, I'd say that as a beginner, it really doesn't matter. As long as the baya sounds good, then it doesn't matter what metal it's made from.
Shawn
http://www.percussionist.net
It won't matter too much I believe. At the moment I am using my first bayan which I had kept for over two years under my bed thinking that it wasn't that good. Because only now I am getting good on the bayan, so I realised that how good it really is. I have four bayans. Two which are silver like colour(copper?), one that is shine brown(brass?) and the best one is the clay one(trully amazing sound). One thing I found with bayans is that you can't judge a bayan just by its metal! The skin will influnce the sound a lot. You will have to be quite good, to have a very good control on it to get the feeling how far that bayn will take you. You will have to be bold and uncompromising with your bayan. .take no prisoners when playing it. Go for it ! Slide that wrist!!
rod (Mar 01, 2003 09:15 a.m.):
It won't matter too much I believe. At the moment I am using my first bayan which I had kept for over two years under my bed thinking that it wasn't that good. Because only now I am getting good on the bayan, so I realised that how good it really is. I have four bayans. Two which are silver like colour(copper?), one that is shine brown(brass?) and the best one is the clay one(trully amazing sound). One thing I found with bayans is that you can't judge a bayan just by its metal! The skin will influnce the sound a lot. You will have to be quite good, to have a very good control on it to get the feeling how far that bayn will take you. You will have to be bold and uncompromising with your bayan. .take no prisoners when playing it. Go for it ! Slide that wrist!!
Hey Rod,
A "silver" coloured bayan is some metal that has been nickel plated, or aluminum. Aluminum would be really light, so you would know, and it would sound awful :-) Usually, at the bottom of a plated drum, a small area has been scratched away so that you can see what kind of metal is underneath. A reddish/brownish metal is copper, a gold-coloured metal is brass. I've also heard that clay bayans sound amazing, but I have never tried one myself. Bob said that he even once had a wooden baya!
And I totally agree with you. . the skin will make the biggest difference of all. I'm also still using my first baya. It sounds suprisingly good!
Back in 1980 there were several wood bayas delivered to the Ali Akbar college store, I always wanted one but eventually they were all sold.
The last time Pranesh Khan came to Austin he had one of the original wood bayas from that shipment and it sounded just as I remembered "fantastic" The sound is lush! and I think it is due to the thickness . The thickness is probably what gives wood and clay the good sound . I have no idea why wood is so rare and they are so hard to find .
Shawn (Mar 01, 2003 04:05 p.m.):
rod (Mar 01, 2003 09:15 a.m.):
It won't matter too much I believe. At the moment I am using my first bayan which I had kept for over two years under my bed thinking that it wasn't that good. Because only now I am getting good on the bayan, so I realised that how good it really is. I have four bayans. Two which are silver like colour(copper?), one that is shine brown(brass?) and the best one is the clay one(trully amazing sound). One thing I found with bayans is that you can't judge a bayan just by its metal! The skin will influnce the sound a lot. You will have to be quite good, to have a very good control on it to get the feeling how far that bayn will take you. You will have to be bold and uncompromising with your bayan. .take no prisoners when playing it. Go for it ! Slide that wrist!!
Hey Rod,
A "silver" coloured bayan is some metal that has been nickel plated, or aluminum. Aluminum would be really light, so you would know, and it would sound awful :-) Usually, at the bottom of a plated drum, a small area has been scratched away so that you can see what kind of metal is underneath. A reddish/brownish metal is copper, a gold-coloured metal is brass. I've also heard that clay bayans sound amazing, but I have never tried one myself. Bob said that he even once had a wooden baya!
And I totally agree with you. . the skin will make the biggest difference of all. I'm also still using my first baya. It sounds suprisingly good!
