The History Of Drums - A Journey Of Sound

Music and musical instruments are an highly prominent part of human history. The use of rhythm and song has long been used to express meaning, and feeling and accompany rituals.

Music has been part of human life for as long as anyone can trace. Early civilizations of humans used music as a way to enumerate and express feelings. Out of all of the musical instruments that we see in our community today and use on a regular basis, there is one instrument that stands out in musical history, the drum.

Drum

The history of drums is engaging and unique. When you discover this instrument historically, you will find that drums have had a place in approximately all cultures around the globe. Variations of drums and drum sets occurred in many distinct cultures, the proper variety of a drum consisted simply of a hollowed out log or gourd with a piece of skin stretched taunt. distinct sizes of gourds and logs created distinct sounds and beats.

The History Of Drums - A Journey Of Sound

The African Influence

In most African cultures, drums were very prominent in the use of rituals and religious ceremonies. The habitancy of distinct African tribes relied on the use of drums to express themselves and when the slave trade began, the drums made the journey over the ocean as well.

African drums and drummers in case,granted a unique sound that heavily influenced Western Rock and Roll music. Those same rhythms and beats still provide a strong sway in today's sounds.

The Early Drum Set

When it was discovered that one player could play two or more drums at the same time, habitancy started placing groups of drums together for one musician to play. These groups were comprised of an assimilation of drums of distinct cultures and from all around the globe. Cymbals and tom tom drums were brought in from China and the size was adjusted to allow for ease of play when played with drumsticks.

In the early 1930's, musicians gently discovered with the proper drum placement and a lot of practice, one musician could cope a set of drums, and an whole band of drum players was not required anymore. Thus, a basic kit evolved and took place.

In An Early Kit

The early drum kits were simple in their design, they typically consisted only of:

1) A bass and foot pedal

2) A snare drum

3) Tom Toms

4) A hi hat cymbal

5) One or two sets of hanging cymbals

The Evolution Of The Drum Set

In the 1930's the drum set was heavily influenced by the sounds of the time, and the early forms of Rock and Roll music. The sounds had a strong basic beat backing them.

In the 1950's as Rock and Roll music began to develop, the sounds became more involved and likewise, the drum sets became more evolved, with new additions added to them. Rockers began expanding the drum kits adding more cymbals and tom toms drums to them. In addition, as time went on, electronic drums were added to the drum kits as well. All of these additions allowed the musicians to enlarge their sounds and diversify their music.

Types Of Drum Kits

In the past, as drums evolved and drum kits developed, new fellowships were formed and products were fine-tuned and made better. The Ludwig Drum firm is known as one of the most influential and historical drum fellowships of our time.

The Ludwig drum firm was started by a young man who enjoyed playing the drums. He could not find a bass pedal that would hold up to his intense drumming style. He shopped around anywhere and could not find an proper pedal, so he fashioned one out of wood. The pedal was superior to anyone else on the market. His brother, felt that an even stronger pedal could be created out of a metal product, so they teamed up to create an even best bass pedal. Thus, the Ludwig Drum firm was born.

Ringo Starr, the famous drummer for The Beatles used a Ludwig drum set and was known for preferring the Ludwig drums. He is said to still own the customary Ludwig drum set that he played with the Beatles.

There have been many other types of drum kits and firm names that have played an prominent and influential role in the history of drums. Yamaha, Pearl, Tama and Gretsch are all famous brand names whose drums and drum kits have helped form the drum set, as we know it today.

The time to come For Drums

What does the time to come hold for drum sets? No one can be sure. However, with the creation of more and more technology, we can be sure that the sounds will evolve even more. A combination of new sounds and customary will all the time be found. And the limit for drum set creation will simply be the imagination of the musicians.

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The History Of Drums - A Journey Of Sound

The Drum Set - An American Icon

The drum set. The quintessential backdrop for any rock and roll band. The axis around which the other members revolve during any onstage performance. In the movie That Thing You Do, Tom Hank's character explains his marketing approach to his newly formed band: "We are gonna get you some new clothes. Matching suits, nice suits. Nice, because you are nice boys...except maybe for you." And who is the "you" he's talking to? You guessed it-the drummer. The bad boy who, by the end of the movie, gets the cool shades and the hot girl.

Yes, the drummer is an iconic form in Americana, as recognizable in his own way as the cheerleader or the superhero. Considering the drummer's graphic collective standing, it's not surprising that the amount of available drum sets (or drum kits, or trap sets) verges on mind-boggling.

Snare Drum Accessories

The most basic definition of a drum set is a variety of drums and cymbals arranged in a favorable setup for a particular drummer. Sets can also contain other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines. A full drum set without any extras includes a bass drum, floor tom, snare drum, tom-toms, hi-hat cymbals, a ride cymbal, and a crash cymbal. The drummer uses a variety of implements to charge these items, together with sticks, brushes, mallets, and of course, foot-operated pedals. Many drummers also use a variety of electronics with their kits, such as sound modules; laptop computers that get underway loops, sequences, and samples; metronomes and tempo meters; recording devices; and personal sound reinforcement equipment.

The Drum Set - An American Icon

There are many distinct drum producers, the most well-known probably being Dw, Ludwig, Yamaha and Pearl. All of these companies make distinct models designed for discrete genres: rock, jazz, fusion, etc. The type of music being played regularly dictates the components of the drum kit and the manner in which they are used. In most rock, for example, the drum beat is created using primarily the bass drum, hi-hat and snare drum. In jazz, however, the ride and hi-hat cymbals are the principle beat components.

The cost of a drum set covers an whole spectrum of prices. The least costly is regularly in the range of 0-0 and is intended as a sort of beginner's set for those who want to gawk drumming without production a huge financial commitment. For children (who, much to their parents' dismay, regularly love the noise and vigor linked with drumming), junior drum sets can be purchased for as itsybitsy as 0. Then there are the mid-range sets, which are often 0-0 and accepted for the dedicated amateur enthusiast. Finally, a top-end perfect drum set can easily run several thousand dollars, and that is without any further accessories the drummer may chose to purchase. And then there is the most costly drum kit of all time, the 1968 set used by Keith "Moon the Loon" Loon of the rock group The Who. In 2004, this convention kit was auctioned off by Christie's of London for a whopping 2,487.

The Drum Set - An American Icon