It varies in size, and may use a woven rattan rope with badeng pegs to tension the drumhead, which is made of goat skin.

To the extent which the New Guinea instruments are close to the kundu, they also fall within Melanesian musical tradition.

One Papua tifa that uses rattan on the drumhead is the hourglass drum made by the Asmat people.

[6] Traditionally, the lizard skin was held in place with a layer of human blood (as glue).

In rural communities, older values dictate the role of the male musician is to be a leader.

The male-exclusive role of drummers has been relaxed in some places, such as Raja Ampat Islands, where photos show women playing the Maluku-style tifas in suling tambur (flute drum) ensembles.

Furthermore similar to the Moluccas, regions in West Papua such as the Kokoda people of South Sorong also have Sawat musical tradition in the form of tifa syawat which was a type of tetabuhan, introduced from Kokas in Fakfak, consisting of tifa, gong, adrat, suling, to accompany Kasuari dance, weddings, Mauludan and other events.