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1. Ordering Gourds 2. Removing Gourd Heads 3. Getting the Insides Clean
4. Buying Materials 5. Working with Beading Twine/String
6. Beading and Knotting 7.Sekere Jargon
When choosing gourds, first determine what you will do with the finished Sekere (play, display?). Sekeres for display purposes can be any shape, size or thickness. For playing, we strongly discourage the extreme swan necked variety as they play to the floor not the listener(s), consequently the "tone" is lost.
The musician will probably be playing for long periods of time, therefore, choose a gourd which is not only attractive, but of a size and weight that is comfortable to handle. Keep in mind that it will become heavier when the beads (skirt) are in place.
Remember: Gourds are breakable so take proper care in their playing and transport. The musician's favorite or "money making" Sekere should NOT be passed around indiscriminately. We suggest you sweetly decline to share it.
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2. Removing Gourd HeadsAlways remember that the gourd is breakable, so remove the "head" with care. The back and forth motion of your hand held saw will put stress on the shell, so be patient and as gentle as possible. You might try an electric circular saw.
Funky side tilted cuts are fun, but if the Sekere is for playing, the "tone" might get thrown in strange directions. For best results, make a clean straight cut off the top. Leave the opening wide enough to allow the gourd's tone to escape. As you read this page, always remember that these are ONLY suggestions. You may create your sekere, (shekere or chekere) as spirit moves you.
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3. Getting Gourd Insides Clean
The stuff inside the gourd is not dangerous, but if the dust and/or fumes lodge in your throat, it can be VERY uncomfortable for a while. Your throat might produce phlegm and you may feel as though you've suddenly developed cold symptoms. If possible, clean your gourd outdoors (not on a windy day). Get it as clean as possible, not just for yourself, but for anyone who might someday be playing their sekere near yours. If you have a disease like asthma, you're on your own. I can give NO advice or suggestions regarding the danger to you. However, since opening and cleaning the gourd is uncomfortable for those with no respiratory problems, it must be dangerous for those with them. We strongly advise using a mask or order from farms that clean their gourds (for an extra charge).
If excess dried gourd stuff is left stuck to the walls of the gourd, it will flatten its "tone". The cleaner the inside, the more resonant the gourd's "voice" will be.
NOTE: My doctor and two of my friends think I may have triggered asthma as a result of years of working with gourds. My symptoms might also point to Sarcoidosis which has NOT been linked to gourds. Whatever it is, I'm being extra careful now.
Email from a VISITOR:Go back to the top of this page
Buy any shape, color or size beads you want. The most commonly used beads these days are 9mm plastic pony beads. They produce the most popular sound. They are sometimes called crow beads. Suggestion: For gourd "bowls" 7 inches or less, you will probably be happier with smaller beads like 6mm or 7mm.
Glass beads break, making them undesirable to "dress" an entire gourd. However, I recently repaired a 20 year old "skirt" and its glass beads seemed to have withstood the test of time quite well. So, I guess on some level, I stand corrected. Though I don't know how much or how vigorously the sekere was played over the years.
A professional percussionist informed me that a glass "skirt" may also create a loud and obnoxious "voice" when played along with other sekeres NOT dressed in glass. She suggests playing such sekeres in a Rock band or in bands with very big and loud drums like djembes AND djundjuns for best results. USE YOUR DISCRETION. See testimonial email from NRH
Also, glass beads, metal beads or cowry shells might destroy a thin-shelled gourd. They may, however, be used as embellishment.
Wooden beads make an interesting sound and should be explored. Seeds are a very traditional material, but buy these with care. I was asked to replace a "skirt" made entirely of seeds. The musician (and everyone else in earshot) felt that the sekere sounded too awful to be played. You either love the sound or you hate it.
There are many kinds of unusual seeds found in some large bead supermarkets. There are stores of this kind in New York (big surprise) and one popular and costly one in Philadelphia. (Sorry, can't tell you the names, they might get mad.) I've found two very good ones online. Again, I can't give their names, but I will try to secure a reciprocal link with them. In the meantime, you can do a search on "pony beads".
There are plenty of bead stores around, upscale to dirt cheap. Cheap or reasonably priced pony beads may or may not be good quality. Low quality plastic pony beads (which tend to make the best sound, unfortunately) are prone to breaking and you'll end up with a raggedy looking "skirt" in no time. Top-of-the-line plastic pony beads are more reliable, but also much more expensive. Once you find a good supplier of well-priced, good quality plastic pony beads, stick with them.
NOTE: An online visitor wants to know the difference in the sound of plastic pony beads and wooden beads. My answer was that wooden beads can be loud and clacking. Does anyone have another experience? Contact us at: sekerecontact@yahoo.com with any help you can give.
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5. Working with Beading Twine/StringTwine and string are used interchangeably here.
Sekere.com
usually uses nylon twine, but we have been known to stray when the design dictates. We have found that cotton is difficult (though not impossible) to work with. It has a few drawbacks like dry rotting and breaking, and, if you're lucky enough to avoid that, then the weight of the beads might cause the "skirt" to stretch and become droopy after awhile. However, it is more in the African tradition to use a strong stiff cotton and some makers do use this type. You may also look into using hemp. Personally, I don't find hemp uniform enough. Sometimes the string is fat, sometimes its very thin. Linen is a possibility, although the knots might have to be glued because it will not melt. Kite string tends to stretch in time with the weight of the beads.Some bead and craft stores sell very thin nylon string (personal preference), but it is expensive - $6 a spool a few years ago and one spool might not be enough to complete a "skirt". I recently found some of the same kind of string at a local art supply store. You might try surfing the internet, though you'll have to know the metric system to know what size you're getting. I like the 1mm and less sizes. The knots don't look like bullets and the beads dance more freely.
Regular nylon twine can be purchased at hardware stores reasonably priced. White and colored twine in very bright (neon hot pink, lemon yellow and orange-orange) shades can be found at home improvement stores. There is a medium/thin twine which can also be purchased at hardware stores, but to my knowledge, only comes in white. The colored twines are very festive, while the brown and black twines produce a "skirt" with a very rich and warm character.
If you decide to use nylon twine, be warned that it must not be cut to make beading lengths/strings. It must be burned/melted to prevent its unraveling. Have a small candle to serve as a third hand if you'll be making your "skirt" alone. If you're working with a helper, you may use a cigarette lighter..
I found an online store with the perfect string/cord/twine. The colors are great, the prices are great, the quality is great and it comes in lots of sizes from fat to micro. Unlike other materials I have used, this stuff can be cut without fraying, unwinding or unraveling. NO NEED TO MELT THE ENDS FIRST. It's called Marion Jewels in Fiber at www.store.jewelsinfiber.com. Tell them Sekere.com sent you.
CAUTION!! Please exercise great care when burning/melting regular nylon twine into beading lengths/strings. When the nylon melts, it is very thick and VERY hot. If it gets on you, it may leave a painful blister. I've seen it happen many times and felt it myself a few times. When you attempt to quickly wipe it off, you will smear it, creating an even larger burn. As it cools, it hardens making it difficult to wipe off once it's stuck to your skin. JUST DON'T GET IT ON YOU!!! If you are fortunate enough to have "rawhide" skin or a high pain threshold, you can go ahead and pinch the melted tips to a point for easier threading.
SUPER GLUE is best, if glue is needed. It has a very thin consistency and immediately soaks into the twine making it possible to use less. Glue should never be necessary, though.
When measuring twine, consider your manual capabilities and the basic design you're going for. The more knots your design requires, the shorter the strings will get. The project that starts with short strings, a design that demands a lot of knots and a creator who is motor challenged, can spell trouble. If this is you, you might need beading strings slightly longer than another crafter. If you work well with tedious jobs, it won't be a problem. The concern is the end of the "skirt" - what we call the "hem". If you end with short beading strings, it might prove frustrating to bind the "skirt" off when the beading is finished. Again, for some, it won't be a problem. This should also be a consideration when purchasing twine.
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6. Beading and KnottingSekere.com
seldom (if ever) uses more than three beads per knot. It might be possible to use more than three when dressing a smaller gourd with smaller beads.Always use Mr. Loop Knot. I've tried cheating by using the Granny or Reef knot (the way you tie your shoes), but it wouldn't work. I finally had to settle down and practice, practice, practice the loop knot. Do it! You'll be glad you did, it gets easy after awhile.
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Miscellaneous Points to Consider
NOTE: Some sekere players prefer to play an instrument without polyurethane. They say it makes the instrument too slippery. Personally, I find the bare gourd more slippery. Before you make that decision, you should find a music store that sells sekeres and test them for yourself. Olive oil and bees wax mixture will do away with the slipperiness and will add a warm glow to the gourd. Glossy polyurethaned gourds do sometimes look like they've been laminated.
I recently heard of one creator who likes to put shellac on the inside of the gourd. He says it improves the gourd's resonance. Well, I've finally tried it and, as far as I'm concerned, the controversy is over. I had a gourd that had no tone at all and a can of brush-on polyurethane. I figured it was the perfect opportunity to test the technique. IT WORKS! The gourd sounds so good now that I have two friends of mine competing for it. Another creator's opinion, though, is that shellac will soak into the gourd's absorbent material and make the sekere heavy and not improve its tone significantly. It does make the gourd heavier, but it's worth it. Without a doubt it's messy. You need to put more polyurethane in the gourd than you're going to end up with. Then you need to turn the gourd upside down to drain out the excess polyurethane. What a pain, but again, worth it.
Sekere.com uses an oil and wax potion, then we buff the gourd to a rich glow. Some gourds respond by turning a deep maple shade. Although we do use polyurethane, the oil and wax treatment is becoming more popular with customers. It leaves the gourd looking more natural and it's not as slippery. Re-oiling with a light oil should be done periodically.
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Update on inside shellac point: |
I was at rehearsal in New York and one of the ladies had a sekere that had shellac on the inside. It didn't feel terribly heavy to me and it sounded very good. I think I'll give it a try.
NOTE: You might want to make small holes in the neck of the gourd an inch apart and insert a leather strap to slip over your wrist. Many people do this to keep the sekere from escaping while they're playing it (a VERY embarrassing accident, one I've managed to avoid, so far).This strap is also used on some sekeres made with, what one drummer calls, the "Speeder Gourd". This type of gourd has no "head" and its "bowl" is long instead of round and fat. The musician slips a hand in the strap and spins the sekere (chekere) until the strap is twisted tightly around the wrist. As the chekere is played, the strap gradually untwists. I am told that this is a Cuban technique. I don't know why it's done this way, but I can't hear that it sounds any different from the technique "we" use.
I've seen Cubans play with their hand inside the gourd instead of wrapping the hand around the neck. In this case, twisting the strap wouldn't be necessary.
NOTE: NRH, a customer, has a bone to pick regarding statements made about the "glass sekere":
Glass beads break, making them undesirable to "dress" an entire gourd.
AND
A professional percussionist informed me that a glass "skirt" may also create a loud and obnoxious "voice" when played along with other sekeres NOT dressed in glass. She suggests playing such sekeres in a Rock band or in bands with very big and loud drums like djembes AND djundjuns for best results.
I made a "glass sekere" for him and he is very pleased with it. He strongly disagrees with these statements. I guess I should stress that the professional percussionist was almost certainly referring to a sekere made with 9mm glass pony beads. NRH's was made with 6mm beads. The following is his email message to me.
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The way I see it, plastic will rot before glass. As far as fragility, when those plastic pony beads get old, I believe that they increase in fragility, but the glass remains more constant. As far as load bearing goes, I bet the glass can take a heavier weight upon it before it cracks, as opposed to plastic. But they may be easier to chip. I am sure that a physicist (or someone who sells a lot of beads) could answer this question. I, however, am unprepared to blindly accept the apparently intuitive concept that glass beads are fragile and will break easier than plastic. Both are harder than the gourd, so I plan on replacing that before I replace the net. And as long as you are in the business, I have no worries! Nothing would make me happier than to have to tell you, "Guess what Sara? I wore out the shekere you made for me. Yep, wore a big 'ole hole in to the side of the gourd and over 1/3 of the beads on the net have been knocked off by countless hours of amazing groove. May I please have another one?" I hope I live that long. Once folks see more of these 6mm glass bead shekeres of yours, the plastic beaded ones will become obsolete... In the mean time, NOBODY'S shekere sounds anywhere close to as good as mine. HA!
The glass skirt you made for me is very quiet when I play it: anything but obnoxious. Glass beaded instruments are best played quickly, without a great deal of power behind the pushes. The drummers I play with all agree it is the nicest one they have ever heard. [It makes] a much more precise and finer sound than the plastic beads. I still need to use my Cuban plastic bead shekere for loud events like drum circles. But for solos or quieter pieces, I use the glass skirt. Also, we have done shekere duets with plastic beads on one and glass on the other... they sound awesome! I wonder what this artist would have said had she been able to play the fantastic shekere that you made for me?
NOTE: You know, he's absolutely right. I just made another one with 6mm tile beads (see picture left) for Pablo. I can't make it play loud to save my life. Made another with 10mm wooden pony and 6mm glass tile beads (see picture right). The idea is to play loud and soft.
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Voice = The sound an opened gourd makes when struck at the bottom of its "bowl". Can also be used to describe the sound the beads make when the sekere is played. (See Sing) |
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Tone = Same as "voice". |
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Opened Gourd = A gourd which has had the top of its "head" removed. This is the area where the stem was connected to the gourd vine. |
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Head = The smaller round part at the top of the gourd. Some gourds might not have a "head". It would depend on the gourd variety (Kettle, Dipper, Canteen, Bushel) or how far down the craftsperson opens a Bottle or Indonesian gourd. |
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Neck = The skinny part that connects the head to the belly/bowl. |
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Bowl = The largest part where the beads will be placed. |
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Belly = Same as "bowl". |
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Navel = Small indented button-like depression located at the very bottom of the gourd "shell" in the center (the most vulnerable spot that should NEVER be struck when playing sekere). |
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Shell = The gourd's hard - but still breakable surface. |
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Skirt = The network of colored beads strung on the gourd. |
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To Dress a Gourd = To put the beaded "skirt" on. |
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To String = Same as "to dress a gourd". |
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Hem = Where one binds off at the bottom of the "skirt" and marks the end of the project. |
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Sing = As it applies to sekeres, describes the shaker sound the beads make. I am told the word "sekere" means "singing beads" in Yoruba. |
Share any sekere making techniques and/or tricks that you would like the rest of the world to know about. Email us at: sekerecontact@yahoo.com
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