Persian Khorshidi Daf / HD-302

• Diameter: 54 cm 
• Weight: 0.80 kg (0.78 ~ 0.82 kg)
• Width: 5
• Head: Synthetic 
• Made by: M. Habibi
• Daf comes with Soft Case

All About Daf

The Dayereh and Riq, also known as Daf, is a Middle Eastern (mostly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument popular in Iran and used in classical music.

Daf traditionally has a round wooden frame or (now it can be made of metal), bell circles, and a thin, translucent head made of fish or goatskin (or more recently a synthetic material).

Ring circles, which are thin metal plates or rings, are hooked into three or four rectangular holes in a circular wooden frame. The drum head is made of fish or goatskin. The frame width of the daf musical instrument was between 45–50 cm (18–20 inches) and its depth was 5–7 cm (2–3 inches). To bend the frame, the wood can be softened in water before being bent around a hot metal cylinder. The frame is closed by gluing the ends together. Finally, the synthetic leather is fixed to another wooden frame or attached to the frame using nails. Another variation is to arrange ring-style bell circles all the way around the inner rim of the drum or have several layers halfway through the inner rim.

Daf Performance

The sound is produced by hitting the dice with both hands - the left hand holding Daf strikes the edges and the right-hand strikes the center. The right-hand fingers are attached to their neighbors and are suddenly released (like a finger snap), making loud, fast, sharp sounds. With each beat, 8 pairs of small brass bells on the hoop strike the circle and resonate.