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      Drum
      song

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      Introduction

      Simply put, without a drum, there is no pow wow. The drum, consisting of the instrument and its singers, is the center of the arena and the center of attention. The drum sings song for all occasions-- from a contest song to a birthday song, the drum can provide a song for the job. The songs of today can be categorized into several fields: flag songs, memorial songs, veteran's songs, intertribal songs, contest songs, etc., Drums travel many miles to attend pow wows, and will sing for sometimes eight hours, giving their all to make the dance successful. Good drums draw the best dancers, so every pow wow committee tries to get the best drum posssible for its own pow wow.

      The Drums

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      The physical drum is made from a wooden shell covered in rawhide. Today, cowhide is usually used although a buffalo hide head is not unheard of. The average size drum is about twenty six inches in diameter and can seat about eight men around it. In the Northern style of singing, drums are smaller and are often commerical bass drums, like those used in marching bands. The sticks used to strike the drum are usually thin fiberglass rods with a leather handle and leather padded head.
      There are about ten people on an average drum-- seven or eight men and two or three ladies. In the Southern tradition, ladies are not seated at the drum or allowed to strike it, but instead sit on the second row behind the men and sing. The people on a drum are required to know many songs because a good drum is expected to be able to sing for an entire pow wow without repeating a song (belive me, it's hard). A song is started by the lead singer, who does not announce what song they are about to sing but instead begins with the lead.

      Today, there are many fine drums that travel the pow wow Circuit, spreading their songs throughout the continent. Most drums make their own songs, a task that requires talent and blessings from above. These are the names of many fine Southern drums who travel around today and have recorded albums :
      The Cozads - Yellow Spotted Horse - Rose Hill - Southern Thunder- Grayhorse

      Yellowhammer (Ft. Oakland Ramblers)

      The Songs

      To newcomers, songs can be the most puzzling aspect of a pow wow. It is not uncommon to hear a visitor say " I didn't know you were singing different songs." This is far from the truth--there are literally thousands of songs that have been composed, with more being composed every year. Every song has its unique characteristics and subtle effects. It takes some time for a newcomer to adjust to hearing the differences in songs beyond the obvious.

      One of the differences between Southern style pow wows and the Northern style are the way songs are sung. Northern songs are sung in a much higher falsetto voice and follow a different format in the way they are arranged.

      We would like to add new audio clips to our page from drums across the nation. If you belong to a drum or know of a drum that would like to be featured, please contact us so that we may make arrangements. This is an excellent opportunity for publicity!

      There are songs written for all occasions as well as for families and individuals. The following is a listing of some of the most common songs.

      Flag Songs

      Just as the United States has its own National Anthem, almost every tribe has its own Flag Song, which is a song dedicated to the flags that are brought in during Grand Entry. The Flag Song is sung every time the flags are brought in, and every person in the arena must stand and be silent to give the flag its proper respect.
      Ponca Flag Song
      RealAudio14.4 [57K] -- RealAudio28.8 [105K]
      Sac n Fox Flag Song
      RealAudio14.4 [36K] -- RealAudio28.8 [75K]

      Contest Songs

      Contest songs are written to test dancer's skill. They often speed up very fast or stop in unexpected places in order for judges to determine who among the dancers is the best. Contest songs are usually written to suit a particular dance style, such as Grass or Jingle Dress.
      Southern Straight Dance Trick Song
      RealAudio14.4[33K]
      RealAudio28.8[70K]

      Intertibals

      Intertribals are the most common form of a song. Intertribals are sung for everyone to dance, or are used as all-occasion songs. There are sets of three or four Intertribal songs all throughout pow wows to break up monotony and get everyone back on their feet and dancing.
      A Southern Intertribal
      RealAudio14.4[44K]
      Real Audio28.8 [86K]

      Veteran Songs

      There are very few people in Native American culture who are as highly regarded as veterans. Going back hundreds of years, songs have been sung of their actions, and this tradition continues today. This century, Veteran's Songs have been written for WW I and WW II, Korea, Viet Nam, and Desert Storm. Several tribes have their own Veteran's Songs. When a Veteran's song is sung, all those who can stand must, and remove their hats in respect for those who served their country.
      Kiowa Desert Storm Veteran's Song (L. Cozad Sr.)
      RealAudio14.4 [65K]--- RealAudio 28.8 [118K]

      Quitting Songs

      It is custom at the end of a pow wow to close the dance with a quitting song. This is a slower song and it is given respect. All should rise when a quitting song is sung, and not talk or try to leave. This is a custom from long ago that should be respected.

      Southern Quitting Song
      RealAudio14.4[38K] -- RealAudio28.8[73K]

      Song Format

      Every song is unique and has its own feel, but most songs do follow the same format, much like a church hymn. Here is a study of a typical Southern intertribal song, separated into its characteristic parts -- lead, second, chorus, honor beats, chorus, an ending.
      Lead
      The lead is the first part of a song. It is sung by the lead singer to introduce the song.
      Second
      The second is a repeat of the lead that is sung right after the lead by the rest of the drum.
      Chorus
      The chorus is the part of the song that carries the main theme. It is sung by all members of the drum.
      Honor Beats
      The honor beats are three accented beats that occur in between the choruses. It is said by some that these beats represent gunshots, and many dancers crouch lower and keep their eyes upward in respect for them.

      This format of lead, second, chorus, honor beats, and repeated chorus makes one verse, or "push". The average song is sung with about four or five pushes, and occasionly, during a Grand Entry or when a drum gets an itch, a song can last ten or tweleve pushes. The first push is always sung at a medium dynamic level and gets louder with succeding pushes. At the end of a softer push, the Head Singer will pick up the tempo and volume to begin his lead. The rest of the drum will continue to sing at this louder section until the honor beats, when the song is brought down. When the Head Singer desires to end the song, he will motion with his hand to the rest of the drum that the song is ending, and at the end of the last chorus he accents the beat leading into the final three, five, or seven beats.

      There are other ways to end a song, but this is the most common. Other options include trick stops, where the drum may stop at a very unnatural place in order to try to trick the dancers into overstepping after the song has ended, or the drum may simply fade away.

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      Southern Native American Pow Wows- ver. 1.3
      Chris Glazner, Roxanne Solis, and Geoff Weinman
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