Tah, Doire, Daf, Mazhar, Bodhran, Timbrel, Riq 
They’re all from the ancient family of The Frame Drum, the sacred women’s instrument that has been played for healing, ceremony, and deep transformation, for thousands of years.
Read my article on The Ancient Path of the Frame Drum
This is our ancient instrument of ritual and power!
For many, deep within our cells lies the memory of the time when The Frame Drum was played by women to contact the divine realms, to heal, to balance brainwaves and patterns of breath, to bring the body and soul into coherent awareness of the rhythms of heaven and earth. When Rome adopted Christianity around 200AD, it was made an act of heresy for women to play this most powerful and sacred instrument.
Cyprus
8th – 5th century BC
Atalanti, Greece
4th century AD
Israel
6th century BC
As the energies of the Divine Feminine return, women are being called back to our ancient lineage. Are you called ? I was, a long time ago.
A short story of a Frame Drum calling..
After a profound awakening experience, I was called loudly and directly to the ancient lineage of women’s sacred instrument, The Frame Drum. The calling took me on a circuitous path, including an apprenticeship with Shamanic and African drum makers and healers.
Returning to Australia, I set up The Owl and Lizard Drum Co. in the Blue Mountains of NSW in the early 1990s, where I began to focus my playing and drum making techniques solely on the many styles of ancient Frame Drum.
CLICK HERE to watch Jane playing the Frame Drum in a 3,500 year old Olive tree in Crete. Such an amazing experience to connect with such an ancient one.
18 pieces of solid timber, ‘coopered’ and bevelled. Unbleached top quality Kangaroo rawhide. Vegetable dyed Kangaroo leather. Gold braid for celebration!
After more than 30 years as a master drum maker, I now only make one style of Frame Drum. This is the beautiful Tah.
I’m now selling a limited number of custom made hand crafted Tahs.
Buy your frame drum, made by Jane
Known as The Tof in ancient Hebrew, the Balag-di in Sumerian, this beautiful small open backed drum that I’m making is the original size that was played by women
for thousands of years, it’s predominantly played with the fingers of both hands. The Tah is played texturally as well as rhythmically – there are sounds for water, earth, air, fire, wind and rain.
With The Tah we synchronise our brain waves, come into rhythmic and spiritual coherence in our own being, connect with the realms of the Divine, and play fast and slow deep and ancient rhythms that honour the Divine Feminine and All Life.
Read my article Rhythm and Brain States
Greece, 5th centuryBC
Hathor is deeply associated with the frame drum and the power of rhythm and sound
Here’s a very small selection of the images I’ve collected over the years showing the Frame Drum in ancient times:
There are many references to this ancient women’s instrument in the Old Testament, the frame drum known as the Timbrel.
And Miriam, the Prophetess
took a Timbrel in her hand
and all the women went out after her
with Timbrels
and with dances
Exodus 15:20
I’m adding this video basically so you can see the size of The Tah (320mm/12.5″ diameter x 45mm/1.8″ high) and one of the many playing styles. It can be played fast or slow, and you can ‘tune’ the skin to deep or high. You can bend and stretch the notes. Here I am (back in 2011) playing a fast rhythm on The Tah. Don’t worry – I give lessons too, starting from the basics! And it’s already in your blood!