Kudum (small double drum) consists of a pair of small, hemispherical drums. When used for religious purposes they were known as "kudüm", and as "nakkare" when used in a secular context or in mehter music. It was one of the four main instruments used in dervish mystical music (the others being the ney, rebap and halile) before its enrichment with instruments such as the tambur, kemençe and kanun.
The drums are some 28-30 cm. in diameter, made of beaten copper, and resemble two bowls, one larger than the other. Some 16 cm. high, these grow narrow towards the bottom. Skin 2 mm. thick is stretched over the mouth of the larger, and 1 mm thick over the smaller. The high-pitched drum (tek) is placed on the left, the other (düm) on the right. The tek, with its thinner skin, is slightly smaller than the düm. The drums are placed on two leather links filled with cotton to prevent them slipping and moving about, and are played with two wooden sticks known as "zahme". The metal body of the kudüm is generally covered with leather to prevent it giving off a tinny sound.
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