Inspired by Chris Tacklind's fun with lasers, I decided I want to attach laser pointers to my dumbek so I get a mini-lightshow shining on the drum head every beat. Total cost (with the exception of the dumbek): $5. The movie doesn't really do the effect justice but it's better than the static pictures. (Oh, and please excuse my complete lack of ability to actually play the thing — I've been playing with lasers rather than practicing).
Putting it together:
| 1. Get some cheap keychain laser pointers. I found these at the local Dollar Store (in the San Antonio shopping center, for you locals). |  |
| 2. Attach some sort of collar that will hold down the button on the laser pointer. I just used a small piece of some clear PVC tubing I had lying around. |  |
| 3. Pick a couple rubber bands to be anchors and four others to be spanners. Put the anchors inside the loops of the spanners such that the spanners crisscross around them (two going North-South, two going East-West). Then wrap the anchors around the base of the dumbek such that the spanners span the hole in a cross shape. |  |
| 4. Slide the collars such that the laser pointers are held on and slide them between the spanners such that they're held in place. I found it worked best with 5 laser pointers (one in the middle), with a smaller rubber band holding them in place so they'd shine straight into the drum and not bounce off the inside wall. (Though bouncing off the inside of the reflective-metal wall is also a nice effect.) |  |
| 5. Turn out the lights and start jamming! Depending on your drum head you might not only get lightshows on the head but also shining onto nearby walls, which is even prettier. |  |