Two goat skin heads are tied to a wooden frame with hemp rope. A hemp snare is tied to one head. The playing surface is about 13", while the depth is about 4.5". Each drum is shipped with a pair of playing sticks.
This is an historic reproduction designed by The Early Music Shop of Bradford, England. The English word "tabor" is derived from the Latin word for drum. Today we use the term tabor to refer to the two headed squat drums associated with the Fife and Drum. The thin shell of the tabor looks like a frame drum shell with two heads. The shell is traditionally tin so the light weight instrument could be carried, and played, for long periods of time. The heads are usually rope tuned with a snare on one side. Players usually hang the drum from the forearm while using one stick to strike the snared head. The tabor is suspended by a strap from the forearm, somewhere between the elbow and wrist. They should never be played on a drum stand which would muffle the sound.
Today Tabors have a variety of names that reflect the cultures that play them as well as the different sizes of drum.
