Designed by The Early Music Shop of Bradford, England, our Renaissance and Medieval drums and harps represent the highest mark in period reproductions. These Renaissance musical instruments and Medieval musical instrument products are of the highest quality. The Medieval style drums are made with two, rope tuned, skin heads that are rolled and stitched with the snare on the top head while the Renaissance style drums have a tension rim holding the skin head and the snare is on the bottom head. This style of drum is a traditional military drum with a long history. They were used to mark time for marching or to signal during confrontations. In England during the Renaissance, side drums like this were known as a tabor. The shallow tabor, associated with the American War of Independence, is sometimes called a tom-tom. In France, during the 18th century, they were known as tambours or tabret and were well associated with the political resistance and rebellion against the French monarchy. As a military instrument this drum was often used in combination with a wooden or metal pipe. One individual, as in a one-man-band, played both instruments. The 3-hole pipe was held and played with one hand, while the other hand held the drumstick and played the tabor that hung from the wrist, shoulder or arm. Such snare drums were used in military bands until the 19th century, when it became an orchestral instrument. Today this style of snare drum is used in parades and processions. Originally such drums were fashioned from solid timber making them quite heavy. These modern replicas are fashioned from attractive half-inch laminates for strength and lightness of weight.

Our authentic gothic harps, also designed by The Early Music Shop, are beautifully executed from iconographic examples of the French Gothic Harps. These are non-standing lap harps with delicate lines and fluid curves.

Rounding out Sound World Instruments' (SWI) collection of Renaissance instruments and Medieval instrument items are the medieval bagpipes, the fanfare trumpet and the alto medieval pipe.