The History Of Drums - A Journey Of Sound

Music and musical instruments are an extremely5) One or two sets of hanging cymbals
important part of human history. The use ofThe Evolution Of The Drum Set
rhythm and song has long been used to expressIn the 1930's the drum set was heavily influenced
meaning, and feeling and accompany rituals.by the sounds of the time, and the early forms
Music has been part of human life for as long asof Rock and Roll music. The sounds had a strong
anyone can trace. Early civilizations of humansbasic beat backing them.
used music as a way to communicate andIn the 1950's as Rock and Roll music began to
express feelings. Out of all of the musicaldevelop, the sounds became more complex and
instruments that we see in our society today andlikewise, the drum sets became more evolved,
use on a regular basis, there is one instrumentwith new additions added to them. Rockers began
that stands out in musical history, the drum.expanding the drum kits adding more cymbals and
The history of drums is interesting and unique.tom toms drums to them. In addition, as time
When you examine this instrument historically,went on, electronic drums were added to the
you will find that drums have had a place indrum kits as well. All of these additions allowed
almost all cultures around the globe. Variations ofthe musicians to expand their sounds and
drums and drum sets occurred in many differentdiversify their music.
cultures, the standard variety of a drum consistedTypes Of Drum Kits
simply of a hollowed out log or gourd with a pieceIn the past, as drums evolved and drum kits
of skin stretched taunt. Different sizes of gourdsdeveloped, new companies were formed and
and logs created different sounds and beats.products were fine-tuned and made better. The
The African InfluenceLudwig Drum Company is known as one of the
In most African cultures, drums were verymost influential and historical drum companies of
important in the use of rituals and religiousour time.
ceremonies. The people of different African tribesThe Ludwig drum company was started by a
relied on the use of drums to expressyoung man who enjoyed playing the drums. He
themselves and when the slave trade began, thecould not find a bass pedal that would hold up to
drums made the journey across the ocean ashis intense drumming style. He shopped around
well.everywhere and could not find an appropriate
African drums and drummers provided a uniquepedal, so he fashioned one out of wood. The
sound that heavily influenced Western Rock andpedal was superior to anything else on the
Roll music. Those same rhythms and beats stillmarket. His brother, felt that an even stronger
provide a strong influence in today's sounds.pedal could be created out of a metal product, so
The Early Drum Setthey teamed up to create an even better bass
When it was discovered that one player couldpedal. Thus, the Ludwig Drum Company was born.
play two or more drums at the same time,Ringo Starr, the famous drummer for The
people started placing groups of drums togetherBeatles used a Ludwig drum set and was known
for one musician to play. These groups werefor preferring the Ludwig drums. He is said to still
comprised of an assimilation of drums of differentown the original Ludwig drum set that he played
cultures and from all around the globe. Cymbalswith the Beatles.
and tom tom drums were brought in from ChinaThere have been many other types of drum kits
and the size was adjusted to allow for ease ofand company names that have played an
play when played with drumsticks.important and influential role in the history of
In the early 1930's, musicians slowly discovereddrums. Yamaha, Pearl, Tama and Gretsch are all
with the proper drum placement and a lot offamous brand names whose drums and drum kits
practice, one musician could handle a set ofhave helped form the drum set, as we know it
drums, and an entire band of drum players wastoday.
not required anymore. Thus, a basic kit evolvedThe Future For Drums
and took place.What does the future hold for drum sets? No one
In An Early Kitcan be sure. However, with the creation of more
The early drum kits were simple in their design,and more technology, we can be sure that the
they typically consisted only of:sounds will evolve even more. A combination of
1) A bass and foot pedalnew sounds and traditional will always be found.
2) A snare drumAnd the limit for drum set creation will simply be
3) Tom Tomsthe imagination of the musicians.
4) A hi hat cymbal