DRUMMINGBy David

Drum The drum is a musical instrument in the

percussion family. They are generally made by stretching a drumhead or drum skin over a shell. The shell is the outer piece of the drum, and the drumhead is the part that you hit with your drumstick or mallet. Drumhead

A snare drum. Shell

History of Drums

Drums have been around for a very long time. Humans learned that if you hit an object with a stick or your hands, it would create a sound. They learned that you could construct an instrument that would do the same thing. Some animals have also noticed this, and drum on their chests, clap their hands, or hit objects. In Africa, drums were used to communicate by signal, and over a long distance.

History of Drums Continued Drums were more recently used in warfare.

In China, they used taigu drums to help motivate their troops, and set a marching pace. They were also used to give orders in the English Civil War. Swiss infantry used a drum like the modern snare drum. In the 17th century, the five line music notation had begun to be used. It is what we use today. Drum kits began to become popular in the 20th century, and now electronic drums are becoming more used.

Different Types of Drums There are many different types of drums,

from some used in heavy metal music such as the snare drum to others used by Japanese drummers such as the taiko. In the drum kit, there tends to be a snare drum, a hi-hat cymbal, a bass drum, two to three tom-toms, and a ride cymbal. There can be other drums or more drums in the kit, but that is the basic set-up. The Japanese taiko is a big drum made out of one hollowed-out piece of wood.

Different Types of Drums Continued The djembe is a drum from Africa that is

played with your hands. It looks like a big goblet, with a piece of leather pulled over the top. The bass drum is a massive, hollow drum. It is played with a soft mallet, or with a kick pedal, like the ones on a drum kit. The hi-hat is a pair of cymbals that fit on top of each other. They can be opened or closed by a foot pedal. The snare drum is a typical drum, but there are strands of wire called snares that give the drum a “buzzing” sound when struck.

Different Types of Drums Part 3

The tom-tom is a drum shaped in a cylinder. It is deeper than a snare drum, and doesn’t have the snares. It produces a deep bass tone when struck. There are different versions with different sounds, and a variation of the tom-tom is the floor tom. It is bigger and lower in tone than the other toms, and it is mounted on three legs on the floor.

Drum PicturesBass Drum. Drum kit. African Talking Drum. Snare Drum

Tom-Tom. Daiko.

Music Drums are Used In

Drums are used in many different kinds of music. They are used in classical music, and are also used in rock bands. Drums are used in classical music, jazz, rock, pop, tribal music, marching bands, metal, country, and folk songs. The role of the drummer is usually to provide a tempo and keep time. They are also used for to sound good.

Construction of Drums

Drums tend to have a cylindrical shell, and two heads, one of which you usually hit. They can also have one side open, such as the timbales. The drum can have a metal shell, or a wood shell. Around the drumhead there is a rim or ‘counterhoop’. To tune the drum, there are sets of tension rods which you can turn to make the drum sound tighter or looser.

Construction of Drums Continued On the snare drum, instead of having to use

the tension rods to make it sound differently, there is a device that will let you make the snares tighter or looser. It is called a snare strainer. Turning the tension up will make the drum sound crisp and higher pitched. Turning it down will make the drum sound deeper and less ‘buzzy’. There is also a switch that can turn off the snares, and make the drum sound like a tom-tom.

Conclusion

Drums are very interesting musical instruments. They have been around for thousands of years, and have been important in music to keep a steady pace. There are many different kinds of drums, and all of them are unique in their own way.