Description
The Echo Persian daf is an Iranian-made frame drum built around the instrument’s two great strengths: a deep, washing bass at the centre and a bright metallic shimmer at the edge. Made in Iran, the home of the daf, with a wide wooden frame and a synthetic head, it offers the full voice of this single-headed drum in a stable, easy-to-keep form.
An Iranian-made daf
Echo builds its dafs in Iran, where the instrument sits at the centre of classical, devotional, and Sufi music. This drum follows that tradition: a wide 54 cm head over a shallow 5.5 cm wooden frame, light in the hand at just 0.72 kg, so it can be held upright and shaken through long passages without tiring the player.
From deep bass to bright edge
The daf’s character lives in its range. Struck near the centre, the wide head gives a deep, resonant bass with long sustain; played toward the rim, it answers with a brighter, sharper tone. Add the soft sweep of the rings and a single player can move across a whole spectrum of sound — from a slow ceremonial pulse to fast, rolling figures — on one drum.
A synthetic head that stays put
This daf uses a synthetic head rather than natural skin. The synthetic membrane holds its tuning through changes in humidity and temperature, needs no warming by a heat source before playing, and shrugs off the wear of travel and outdoor performance. For students, devotional players, and gigging percussionists alike, it keeps the daf consistent and ready whenever it is picked up.
The rings
Rows of small metal rings line the inner rim of the frame. Each finger-stroke is met with a soft, sweeping jingle, and the daf’s characteristic shaking motion turns that shimmer into the hypnotic, trance-like wash the instrument is loved for.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Instrument | Persian Daf (frame drum) |
| Brand / Maker | Echo |
| Origin | Iran |
| Head diameter | 54 cm |
| Frame depth | 5.5 cm |
| Weight | 0.72 kg (720 g) |
| Head material | Synthetic |
| Frame | Wood |
| Inner rings | Rows of metal jingles |
| Tradition | Persian & Kurdish frame drum |
Where it belongs
The Echo daf suits Sufi and devotional players, Persian and Kurdish percussionists, sound-healing practitioners, and students who want an authentic, all-weather drum to grow with. It carries the daf’s voice through zikir ceremony, Persian classical ensemble and solo playing, Kurdish folk and devotional repertoire, and contemporary meditative practice.
Care
Looking after a synthetic-head daf is simple: wipe the head clean, store the drum away from direct heat, and check the rings stay seated. The head needs no humidity management and holds its tone all year.
As a member of the Frame Drums family, the Echo daf sits alongside the Arabic Riq tambourine and the Darbuka goblet drum, while its meditative voice connects it to our wider Persian Daf range. Every daf is curated by our percussion specialist Gurkan Ozkan and inspected at our Brisighella, Italy showroom before shipping. Browse the full Percussions collection, or learn more about the daf tradition. Free Shipping & 15-day return apply across the EU.
