Building a Tahitian Drum: Fa'atete from PVC Pipe

The fa'atete is a skin drum played with sticks in the group of Tahitian drums. Its quick rolls and accented hits give the distinct sound and add depth among the other drums.
Here's one way to build a fa'atete from PVC pipe, goat skin, and a few other materials. There are numerous other modern ways that this drum can be made with different sizes, materials, and types of heads to produce various sounds.
Again, this is A way, not THE way to build the drum.
Materials Used:
14 1/4" length of 8" PVC pipe
2- 9" rolled steel rings (rhythmtraders....)
Parachute cord
1/4" Nylon rope
6- 3/16-in x 5-1/2-in Aluminum/Steel Hook and Eye Turnbuckle (www.lowes.com/...)
12" thick goat skin (www.amazon.com...)

[@Kumutuna]

I have no clue how to make one but i going try.

[@matabelinda7849]

Nice video bro , keep up the good work! Maruru

[@jmtanetoa]

Bro, Awesome, thanks for sharing your knowledge 🌺👏

[@grindandshine5148]

Absolutely!!! Thats how we keep it alive. With all the information that’s been shared with me, its only right to pass it on more.

[@jmtanetoa]

@@grindandshine5148 I like that thought, in the same way, I share this

[@nicosannicolas7161]

💪💪💪 sharing this with the group here in Colorado. Good stuff bro

[@keletodyer1487]

Bro your man! Can you build me 2 and send them to New Zealand?

[@grindandshine5148]

I never thought about shipping that far. I’d have to get a hold of more pipe

[@Kumutuna]

Mahalo palala i made one today

[@grindandshine5148]

@@Kumutuna shoooooots!!! Glad I could help out. I’m finishing up a bass drum right now. Always work to be done, yeah!

[@jmtanetoa]

Bro, thanks to your video I have decided to encourage myself to do Faakete, it is a new step for me and my training, which is why I had some doubts. Do you have a way to contact you to be able to pay for your advice?

[@vaiona5156]

Is there anything underneath inside pvc to close it with a board or is it just left open?

[@grindandshine5148]

On my initial build, I didn’t put anything inside. Now I cut a piece of 1/4” plywood to fit in there and use epoxy to hold it in place about 5 inches from the bottom.

[@agustinrodriguez9559]

Buenas noches desde 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷 una consulta se puede tocar sin palillos????

[@Punisherx40]

What ring are you using and where did you find? I can’t find anywhere

[@grindandshine5148]

@@Punisherx40 I feel so bad… I been all over Google since you last night and I can’t find the website anymore. The last few that I made, I made my own rings. Harbor Freight has the steel roller and I get the rods from Lowes. Roll them into the diameter you want, and find a guy to tack weld them shut. If all else fails, I ran across a website that sells them in the UK.

[@Punisherx40]

@@grindandshine5148 what thickness for the rod?

[@grindandshine5148]

@@Punisherx40 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch depending on the drum

[@Punisherx40]

@@grindandshine5148 for sure thanks. I’ll check that out then

[@grindandshine5148]

@@Punisherx40 absolutely!!! Also, make sure its cold rolled steel rods that you get.

[@StrudelNoodle]

Heyyyy Florida! Where are you located? ;)

[@grindandshine5148]

We’re in the Space Coast/Cocoa Beach area

[@tinihaumalinowski7764]

how do the skin resist to the stick hits ? a friend played Djembe with sticks and the skin popped torn when he hit too hard. So I was wondering the difference between Djembe and Faakete that makes it so the latter is playable with sticks. thanks alot for the video I'm trying to build one this week-end.

[@grindandshine5148]

Ive been playing on them at least 2 times a week since they were made and no problems. Surprisingly too since the skins were ordered from Amazon!!

[@tinihaumalinowski7764]

@@grindandshine5148 have you ever seen a faakete skin break under stick hits ?

[@grindandshine5148]

@@tinihaumalinowski7764 I have. But it takes a long time to wear through it. Especially if they are using thicker goat or cow skin. I did tear 1 skin but it was from careless transport. If a good skin were to break spontaneously, I think it would be due to moisture making it soft or some sharp splinter on the stick. If you look at my video from the North Carolina competition, you’ll see a guy Simi shredding on them…he broke a stick but not the skins!!!!!!!!

[@tinihaumalinowski7764]

@@grindandshine5148 thanks alot for the sharing bro. 🤙

[@grindandshine5148]

@@tinihaumalinowski7764 absolutely!!!! Anytime.

[@rhythm-t3023]

That's awesome what you did my friend💜👍👍 You think you can hook me up with 1??

[@grindandshine5148]

Shoot me an email at [e-mail]

[@grindandshine5148]

Thank you!!!