SHARING THE SPIRIT OF TAOS SINCE 1951
Who We Are?
A tradition since 1951
At the foot of The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in venerable, five-story adobe dwellings, is where the Taos Drum originated. And in the workshops of Taos Drums, native craftsmen from Taos Pueblo continue the age-old tradition of drum making. Every drum is crafted from natural materials and renewable resources over a year-long process. Drum frames are created from wood native to Northern New Mexico-cottonwood, aspen or pine.
All trees are harvested in a sustainable way under conscientious environmental standards.
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Drum heads are made from cow, deer, elk or goat hides that have been thoroughly cleaned and scraped to maintain the highest level sound, appearance and durability.
After soaking the rawhide to make it pliable, the hide is hand scalloped, stretched and secured with rawhide lacing to the frame. Each completed drum has its own distinct voice. The type of wood, the depth and diameter of the frame, the thickness and tightness of the hide, the thickness of the walls,
If you are in the Taos area, look for the giant teepees on the Taos Drums grounds located five miles south of Taos Plaza on highway 68. Stop by for a free tour of our drum-making workshop and visit our showroom. You will find the world’s largest selections of Indian drums, and a diverse display of rawhide furnishings, primitive folk art, ethnic crafts and jewelry, and the region’s best selection of Zapotec rugs.
temperature and humidity all effect the tone. The experts at Taos drums can work with you to match the best wood and hide for particular need and climate.
Come, share in the spirit of the Drum
All life is rhythmic. We see it in the coming and going of day and night. The ebb and flow of tides. The swaying of trees in the wind. We hear it in the pattern of rain. the repetition of footsteps.
