The new Gakko is a unique combination of two Japanese taiko styles: Nagado taiko, the regular, wooden Japanese drum style, and Okedo taiko, well-known to be lighter and tied with rope. The Gakko is, in fact, a new variation on the Shime Taiko. The body is made of keyaki wood, and the pitch is easily adjusted by tightening or loosening the rope. The body is finished through a special process called fuki urushi, a method of wiping with lacquer. This brings out the natural beauty of the wooden grain. Like the regular shime taiko, the heads are made from cow-hide.