A musical instrument and method of making the surface of a musical instrument for use as a pan drum includes providing a sheet of metal, securing an outer peripheral region of the sheet of metal such that it is mechanically clamped or held and bringing an the inner region of the sheet of metal and a forming member together in such a manner as to provide a force therebetween while relatively rotating the sheet and the forming member so as to form a bowl which is used as an upper or lower surface of a drum. A thickness of the hemisphere of the bowl varies radially from the outside edge to the central axis such that a region therebetween has a thickness that is at least 30% less than a thickness of the outside edge or a thickness about the central axis.