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 Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar / Hawaiian Music
 How could I create my own ipu heke and pahu puniu?
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SJWMusic
Aloha

Canada
35 Posts

Posted - 05/05/2015 :  05:03:56 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Aloha!
I don't have gourds but I'm sure you can create your own drums with basic things around the house. I think I might have a way of creating my own pahu and puniu with two different buckets and a marker, though I'm not completely happy with the way it sounds. I also want something that I could hit that sounds like an ipu heke. Any suggestions?
Mahalo.

Kaleolani

Edited by - SJWMusic on 05/08/2015 10:31:59 AM

Kapila Kane
Ha`aha`a

USA
1051 Posts

Posted - 05/08/2015 :  05:57:53 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
this may be of limited use...but
I have an old Aloha Airlines article (are there any new ones?!) from January/February 2005, and on page 32 there is an article on "How to Grow a Calabash" by Annie Coats, at the time teaching at Hawai'i Community College...and artice does mention the ipu heke.
It says it isn't easy to grow one, and that's not even considering I live in Colorado!

But also, and I think this was in Aloha Airlines mag too, there was an in-depth article on how to make the instrument our of a Calabash! But Can't find that one! But if I do find this info, and you have a Calabash, good luck. If I find that article, I'll try to copy. But don't hold your breath...perhaps online?
Haven't checked to see if the Aloha Airlines Magazines ever got archived...but they were pretty great.
Got Calabash?
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SJWMusic
Aloha

Canada
35 Posts

Posted - 05/08/2015 :  10:23:31 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
If we do have the calabash, not where I live.
Could the reason ipu heke is so expensive be that they aren't easy to grow?

Kaleolani
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ukrazy
Akahai

USA
69 Posts

Posted - 05/08/2015 :  1:12:01 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Best bet is to look into obtaining California grown goards. There is a couple of companies that sell them, online. Search Ipu goards. A disease wiped out a lot of the Hawaiian grown ones, but they are making a comeback. I saw them growing on Molokai a few years ago. You can get them for reasonable prices, with cosmetic flaws. Goards are hard to grow because they will cross pollinate with anything in the melon family, for a mile or so. I once ordered seeds for both parts of an IPU heke. All the goards grew into the upper, rounded shape, and too small.

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SJWMusic
Aloha

Canada
35 Posts

Posted - 05/27/2015 :  3:04:53 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Okay, Mahalo.

Kaleolani
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k0k0peli
Aloha

USA
16 Posts

Posted - 07/21/2015 :  7:02:57 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I just did a quick online search and found that coconut shells were also used for such drums. Suitable shells might be easier to find than gourds.

The worst day strumming is better than the best day working.
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a

USA
1023 Posts

Posted - 07/26/2015 :  09:34:17 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
slkho (TP login name) (Rik Nieves) is a master ipu maker here in So Cal. He lives in San Marcos and makes wonderful ipus. I own 4 of them, all decorative, but he has made hundreds, decorative and functional, and knows a bunch. Contact him for info. Email me and I will send you his email address.
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