- "Fortunately, Wookiees have other means to conjure up a pleasant tune. Their handcrafted ceremonial drums may echo as loud as thunder if played hard enough, but they are still far better than many of Kashyyyk's other musical alternatives."
- ―C-3PO, The Secrets of the Wookiees
Tree-drums were a type of handcrafted, ceremonial drum created by the Wookiee species of the planet Kashyyyk. They consisted of a brown wooden shell with a tan batter head amd gray patterns on the sides. Two wooden handles extended from the drum and had a support harness attatched that could be worn over a Wookiee's shoulders. The instrument was played using a pair of wooden drum sticks with material covered-heads. Tree-drums could be used to create music but also echoed loudly if played hard enough.[1]
At some point after 35 ABY, the protocol droid C-3PO included an entry on tree-drumsin his book The Secrets of the Wookiees, claiming that the drums could make pleasant music and were a better musical option then Kashyyyk clarions or Wookiee singing.[1]
Behind the scenes
In the current Star Wars canon, tree-drums were mentioned in the 2023 reference book Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees, which was written by Marc Sumerak and illustrated by Alberto Buscicchio.[1] The drums originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where they were first mentioned in Michael P. Kube-McDowell's 1996 novel, Before the Storm.[2]
Sources
- Star Wars: The Secrets of the Wookiees (First mentioned)