Membranophone musical instruments maker

Membranophone musical instruments makers create and assemble parts to make membranophone instruments to specified instructions or diagrams. They stretch and attach the membrane to the frame of the instrument, test the quality and inspect the finished instrument.

Includes people producing smaller musical instruments or accesories such as metronomes, tuning forks or musical boxes.

The following job titles also refer to membranophone musical instruments maker:

kazoo maker
membranophone musical instruments builder
membranophone musical instrument craftsman
membranophone musical instrument production worker
membranophone musical instrument constructor
tubular drum maker
drum maker
kettle drum maker
membranophone musical instrument craftswoman
friction drum maker
mirliton maker
swazzle maker
membranophone musical instrument assembler
frame drum maker

No formal educational credential is generally required to work as a membranophone musical instruments maker.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Membranophone musical instruments maker is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to membranophone musical instruments maker.

electronic musical instrument maker
musical instrument technician
harpsichord maker
piano maker
idiophone musical instruments maker

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of membranophone musical instruments maker. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of membranophone musical instruments maker with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

taxidermist
production engineering technician
pneumatic engineering technician
art handler
carpenter supervisor

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of membranophone musical instruments maker.

• Types of drums: Drums can be classified according to the manner of sound production and shape such as tubular drums, kettle drums, friction drums, mirlitons and frame drums. The division can also be based on the materials used for their production such as leather-headed drums, clay drums, wood drums and metal drums.
• Musical instruments: The different musical instruments, their ranges, timbre, and possible combinations.
• Woodturning: Process of shaping wood on a lathe and its types, namely spindle turning and faceplate turning.
• Organic building materials: The types and processing of organic materials to build products or parts of products.
• Metalworking: The process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large-scale structures.
• Types of membranes: The materials used for the drumhead of membranophone musical instruments include animal skin, plastic and synthetic fibers such as aramid fibers.
• Tuning techniques: Tuning pitches and techniques and musical temperaments for the various instruments.
• Musical instruments materials: The characteristics of composite materials, felts, glues, leathers and skins, metals and precious metals, woods and wood derivatives to create musical instruments.

These skills are necessary for the role of membranophone musical instruments maker.

• Repair musical instruments: Attach new strings, fix frames or replace broken parts of musical instruments.
• Create musical instrument parts: Design and create parts such as keys, reeds, bows, and others for musical instruments.
• Maintain musical instruments: Check and maintain musical instruments.
• Produce drum components: Choose the appropriate materials and tools, and build the different drum parts such as the shell, the top and bottom hoops, the top and bottom heads, and tension rods.
• Apply a protective layer: Apply a layer of protective solutions such as permethrine to protect the product from damage such as corrosion, fire or parasites, using a spray gun or paintbrush.
• Assemble musical instrument parts: Assemble parts together such as the body, strings, buttons, keys, and others to create the final musical instrument.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of membranophone musical instruments maker. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Acoustics: The study of sound, its reflection, amplification and absorption in a space.
• Conservation techniques: The procedures, instruments, techniques, materials and chemicals used in conservation and archiving.
• Technical drawings: Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.
• Sales promotion techniques: The techniques used to persuade customers to purchase a product or a service.
• History of musical instruments: The historical background and chronology of various musical instruments.
• Musical instrument accessories: The process of creating musical instrument accessories, such as metronomes, tuning forks or stands.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of membranophone musical instruments maker. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Pass on trade techniques: Pass on knowledge and skills, explain and demonstrate the application of equipment and materials and answer questions about trade techniques for the manufacturing of products.
• Restore musical instruments: Restore old musical instruments to their original condition and conserve them in that state.
• Apply restoration techniques: Select and apply appropriate restoration techniques in order to achieve the required restoration goals. This encompasses preventive measures, remedial measures, restoration processes and management processes.
• Join wood elements: Bind wooden materials together using a variety of techniques and materials. Determine the optimal technique to join the elements, like stapling, nail, gluing or screwing. Determine the correct work order and make the joint.
• Operate welding equipment: Use welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel; wear protective eyewear during the working process.
• Evaluate restoration procedures: Evaluate the outcome of conservation and restoration procedures. Evaluate the degree of risk, success of treatment or activity and communicate the results.
• Decorate musical instruments: Create designs on musical instruments by using methods such as embossing, piercing, painting, woodworking, weaving, and other methods.
• Estimate value of musical instruments: Identify new or second hand musical instruments and estimate the market value of them based on professional judgment and knowledge of musical instruments, or subject them to estimation by a third party.
• Create smooth wood surface: Shave, plane and sand wood manually or automatically to produce a smooth surface.
• Identify customer’s needs: Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
• Verify product specifications: Check heights, colour and other attributes of finished product against specifications.
• Design musical instruments: Develop and design a musical instrument according to customer specification.
• Estimate restoration costs: Estimate the cost implications of restoring and replacing products or parts.
• Select restoration activities: Determine restoration needs and requirements and plan the activities. Consider the desired results, the level of intervention required, evaluation of alternatives, constraints on actions, stakeholder demands, possible risks and future options.
• Trade in musical instruments: Buy and sell musical instruments, or serve as an intermediate between potential buyers and sellers.
• Operate wood sawing equipment: Operate various machinery and equipment to cut wood in different sizes and shapes.
• Operate soldering equipment: Use soldering equipment, such as a soldering gun, a soldering torch or a gas-powered iron, to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel.

7312 – Musical instrument makers and tuners

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References

1. Membranophone musical instruments maker – ESCO
2. Featured image: Photo by Łukasz Rawa on Unsplash