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History
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Types
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The Drum’s Voice
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How to Make a Bodhran
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How to Tune a Drum
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The Drum Kit
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Accessories
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Electronic/Digital Drum
Sets
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What to Practice
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Where to Play
History
The original use of the drum dates back in
history to inhabitants all over the world as
forms of communication, in one way or another.
In western Africa, talking drums date back as
far as the ancient Ghana Empire. The way the
drummers made their drums “talk” was determined
by the drum’s construction and the tonal
qualities of the local language. The pitch
variations and inflections were very effective
at communicating over long distances. In Sri
Lanka, talking drums were the mode of
communication used between state and local
governments. The next natural application of
drumming was its combined communication for
military purposes. Drumming not only kept the
beat for marching exercises, but it was a
natural way to boost spirits as troops entered
battle (and also a good way to intimidate the
opposing armies). Fife-and-drum corps came into
use by Swiss mercenary foot soldiers; thus
introducing the first actual snare drum. In the
English Civil War, rope-suspended drums were
used to communicate orders from senior officers
over the noise of the battle. Different
regiments and companies were distinguished by
their particular drumbeat patterns, which only
they could recognize. More recently, the
Scottish introduced pipe bands into their
Highland regiments.
Types
Types of drums throughout history have been as
unique as the areas from which they come. The
shell almost invariably has a circular opening
over which the drumhead is stretched, but the
shape of the remainder of the shell varies
widely. In the western musical tradition, the
most usual shape is a cylinder, although
timpani, for example, use bowl-shaped shells.
Other shapes include a frame design (tar,
Bodhrán), truncated cones (bongo drums, Ashiko),
goblet shaped (djembe), and joined truncated
cones (talking drum).
Drums with cylindrical shells can be open at one
end (as is the case with timbales), or can have
two drum heads. Single-headed drums normally
consist of a skin which is stretched over an
enclosed space, or over one of the ends of a
hollow vessel. Drums with two heads covering
both ends of a cylindrical shell often have a
small hole somewhat halfway between the two
heads; the shell forms a resonating chamber for
the resulting sound. Exceptions include the
African slit drum, also known as a log drum as
it is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk, and
the Caribbean steel drum, made from a metal
barrel. Drums with two heads can also have a set
of wires, called snares, held across the bottom
head, top head, or both heads, hence the name
snare drum.
On modern band and orchestral drums, the
drumhead is placed over the opening of the drum,
which in turn is held onto the shell by a
"counterhoop" (or "rim), which is then held by
means of a number of tuning screws called
"tension rods" which screw into lugs placed
evenly around the circumference. The head's
tension can be adjusted by loosening or
tightening the rods. Many such drums have six to
ten tension rods. The sound of a drum depends on
several variables, including shape, size and
thickness of its shell, materials from which the
shell was made, counterhoop material, type of
drumhead used and tension applied to it,
position of the drum, location, and the velocity
and angle in which it is struck.
Prior to the invention of tension rods drum
skins were attached and tuned by rope systems
such as that used on the Djembe or pegs and
ropes such as that used on Ewe Drums, a system
rarely used today, although sometimes seen on
regimental marching band snare drums.
The Drum’s Voice
Several factors determine the sound a drum
produces, including the type, shape and
construction of the drum shell, the type of drum
heads it has, and the tension of these
drumheads. Different drum sounds have different
uses in music. Take, for example, the modern
Tom-tom drum. A jazz drummer may want drums that
sound crisp, clean, and a little on the soft
side, whereas a rock and roll drummer may prefer
drums that sound loud and deep. Since these
drummers want different sounds, their drums will
be constructed a little differently.
The drum head has the most effect on how a drum
sounds. Each type of drum head serves its own
musical purpose and has its own unique sound.
Thicker drum heads are lower-pitched and can be
very loud. Drum heads with a white plastic
coating on them muffle the overtones of the drum
head slightly, producing a less diverse pitch.
Drum heads with central silver or black dots
tend to muffle the overtones even more. And drum
heads with perimeter sound rings mostly
eliminate overtones. Some jazz drummers avoid
using thick drum heads, preferring single ply
drum heads or drum heads with no muffling. Rock
drummers often prefer the thicker or coated drum
heads.
The second biggest factor affecting the sound
produced by a drum is the tension at which the
drum head is held against the shell of the drum.
When the hoop is placed around the drum head and
shell and tightened down with tension rods, the
tension of the head can be adjusted. When the
tension is increased, the amplitude of the sound
is reduced and the frequency is increased,
making the pitch higher and the volume lower.
The type of shell also affects the sound of a
drum. Because the vibrations resonate in the
shell of the drum, the shell can be used to
increase the volume and to manipulate the type
of sound produced. The larger the diameter of
the shell, the lower the pitch, though some
mahogany raises the frequency of low pitches and
keeps higher frequencies at about the same
speed. When choosing a set of shells, a jazz
drummer may want smaller maple shells, while a
rock drummer may want larger birch shells.
What you use to strike your drum head will also
cause a wide range of resulting sounds. The
most common implement (besides the hands) for
striking drums are standard drum sticks. Rock
musicians, orchestras, marching bands, etc., use
them, and depending what type of drum they hit
(snare, tom, or cymbal) and where on the head
they hit (as in rim shots), differing sounds
will result. The sticks used on base drums and
gongs are called mallets. Steel drums (also
known as pans) require the use of sticks with
rubber tips, and sometimes their drummers use
two sticks in each hand. The implement used to
strike a Bodhrán (an Irish drum) is called a
tipper, and both ends are shaped to strike its
goatskin head. For softer effects, drummers
choose soft or straw brushes.
How to Make a Bodhrán
• Use a rotary saw to cut each end
of an ash plank at a 45 degree angle. The cuts
should be parallel to each other, so that when
bent into a circle they will come together to
form a continuous scarf joint.
• Fill two stew pots with water--the
larger the better, because you're going to need
a lot of water. Heat it to boiling.
• Pour boiling water over your ash
plank with a ladle to soften it. You'll need a
helper to keep water boiling and help you keep
pouring it over the wood as you work.
• Bend the ash plank into a loose
circle whose ends overlap. You may use your
hands and feet to do this, or you might enlist
another helper for this job.
• Tighten three band clamps around
the overlapping ends of the plank and cinch them
down until the ends of the scarf joint are about
to meet.
• Apply wood glue to both sides of
the scarf joint. Cinch the band clamps the rest
of the way down. Make sure the joint comes
together cleanly, then leave it secured by the
clamps for at least 2 days while the glue dries.
• Remove the clamps once the wood
glue has dried.
• To mount the skin, use the marker
to draw a line all the way around the outside of
the drum frame, 1 inch back from the side the
skin will be on.
• Soak your rawhide goatskin in
water until it's soft and flexible.
• Set the Bodhrán frame on a clean,
level working surface, with the side that will
have the skin mounted on it facing up.
• Place the soaked goatskin over the
Bodhrán frame, making sure that the side of the
skin with pores--tiny holes--on it faces up.
• Use the staple gun to fasten the
goatskin in place, stapling along the line you
drew with the marker. Alternate your stapling
locations: In other words, staple first at 3
o'clock, then at 9 o'clock, around the rim. Then
place a staple at 12 o'clock, another at 6
o'clock, and so on.
• Place the leather strip over the
line of staples and use the mallet to pound
upholstery tacks through the leather into the
drum frame, so that the leather and the tacks
cover the line of staples holding the skin in
place.
• Let the goatskin drum head
dry--this may take anywhere from 1 to several
days or longer. Be patient and don't touch it
until it dries. Once it's dry, your Bodhrán is
ready.
How to Tune a Drum
Not all drums are tunable. You will know if you
have a tunable drum by checking its rim or
underside. If there are tension rods on the
side or rectangular metal knobs on the inside,
you will be able to tune it. Trap set drums are
tunable through the use of tension rods, which
are manipulated by lugs and keys). Timpani
drums are tuned the same way, but their kettle
resonance pitch is perfected by a mechanical
pedal or roller chain system. Bodhráns are
tuned from underneath, with a small Allen
wrench-type bar. The skins of doumbeks or
djembes (typical of Middle Eastern or African
hand drums) are tuned by tightening or loosening
the ropes that hold on the head of the drum.
In an orchestra or marching band, it is going to
make a big difference which pitch or timbre
comes from your drum. Or, depending on how
particular you are about how your hand drum
meshes with other instruments (including other
drums), you may want to adjust your pitch so
that your playing complements the others. But
most people don’t bother tuning their hand drums
unless they feel the skin on the head is getting
too tight (dry) or loose (damp). For this
reason many people choose synthetic heads that
don’t crack or wear as easily. For what you may
lose in the day-to-day sound of the drum, you
will make up in savings on head replacements.
Tuning the lugs on a drum is like tightening
the bolts on a tire--you want don't want to go
around the drum in a circle, you want to move
back and forth across the drum. First, make sure
your snare is de-activated. Pick a lug to start
at, any one will do. Say you turn it one and a
half times, be sure to turn every lug (using the
tuning pattern below) the same amount to keep
the skin uniform. Keep tuning opposite lugs
until they are all snug. Once you get the drum
head snug, it’s time to actually “tune” the
drum. Grab a drumstick, and tap 1-2 inches from
any lug on the drum skin. How does it sound? If
it’s the sound you want, use that lug as your
“guide lug”. Again you want to tune your drums
by tapping opposites, making sure you are
tapping the same distance from the lug as the
first tap. Make sure you tune every lug has the
same sound in front of it or the whole drum will
sound out of pitch. All that is left now is to
find the right sound for you and the music you
are playing.
The Drum Kit
A full size drum set without any additional
percussion instruments has a bass drum, floor
tom, snare drum, tom-toms, and a variety of
cymbals including hi-hat cymbals, ride cymbal
and a crash cymbal. Various music genres
dictate the stylistically appropriate use of the
drum kit's set-up. For example, in most forms of
rock music, the bass drum, hi-hat and snare drum
are the primary instruments used to create a
drum beat, whereas in jazz, ride and snare
patterns tend to be more prevalent. In the
2000s, an increasing number of drummers have
begun to use electronic drum pads which trig The
exact collection of drum kit components depends
on factors like musical style, personal
preference, financial resources, and
transportation options of the drummer. Cymbal,
hi-hat, and tom-tom stands (if it comes with),
as well as bass drum pedals and drum thrones are
usually standard in most drum kits. Most mass
produced drum kits are sold in one of two
five-piece configurations (referring to the
number of drums only) which typically include a
bass drum, a snare drum, two toms, and one floor
tom. The standard sizes (sometimes called ‘rock’
sizes) are 22” (head size diameter) bass drum,
14” snare drum, 12” and 13” mounted toms, and a
16” floor tom. The other popular configuration
is called "Fusion", a reference to jazz fusion
music, which usually includes a 20” (or
sometimes 22") bass drum, a 14” snare drum, and
10”, 12” mounted toms, and a 14” floor tom.
Drum pedals have a felt beater which the drummer
operates by pressing down on the pedal. When the
pedal is depressed, it pulls a chain or sturdy
cloth strap which is attached to the end of the
fulcrum-mounted beater rod. Some bass pedals are
designed to be attached to the bass drum using
metal screws. In some metal bands like Anthrax,
Kreator, or Slayer, double bass pedals were
developed to play on one bass drum, eliminating
the need for a second bass drum. Drummers that
use two bass drums or pedals usually have their
hi-hat unscrewed or have a different cymbal in
place of the hi-hat, because of the extra kick
pedal. Some drummers make use of a drop clutch,
which is used to open or close the hi hat by
tapping a device with the stick as an
alternative to using the foot pedal. When the
drop clutch is closed, this keeps the hi-hats
closed without the drummer having to hold down
the pedal. This frees up the foot that is
normally used with the hi-hat to perform on the
second bass drum pedal.
Accessories
Drummers who perform in concert venues often
have a variety of equipment cases to transport
the drums, cymbals and hardware. Performers who
play local gigs may only have relatively
inexpensive padded cloth bags or thin plastic
cases. Professional touring drummers who have to
ship their drums will typically have heavy-duty
road cases that will securely hold and protect
the equipment during transport. Professional
drummers may also carry their own drum
microphones (usually referred to as "mics") with
them to shows, to avoid having situations where
a venue has substandard equipment. In
particular, the bass drum needs a specialized
mic, because it produces a high sound pressure;
a regular mic designed for vocals will not be
able to do justice to the sound of a powerful
bass drum. Some drummers who have their own mics
have a set of drum-mounted mics, an approach
which eliminates the need for mic stands and
reduces set-up time. In some styles of music,
drummers may also use electronic effects on
drums. In some situations, drummers use noise
gates that shut off any microphones which are
not being used. This allows the sound engineer
to use a higher overall volume for the drum kit,
because it reduces the number of "active" mics
which could feed back.
In some styles or settings, such as country
music clubs or churches, the drummer may use a
plexiglass screen to dampen the onstage volume
of the drums. Many drummers who play in
different venues carry carpeting or mats to
prevent the bass drum from slipping on a wooden
floor. Some drummers use an insulation-style
filling or foam in the bass drum to lessen the
"ringing" sound. Drummers often use a variety of
accessories when they are practicing. Metronomes
and beat counters are used to develop a steady
rhythm. Drum mufflers are used to lessen the
volume of drums during practicing.
Electronic/Digital Drums
In the 2000s, an increasing number of drummers
have begun to use electronic drum pads which
trigger synthesized or sampled drum sounds.
This has not only eliminated to need to tune
(for most applications) but has also increased
the drummer’s options exponentially. When an
electronic drum pad is struck, a voltage change
is triggered in the embedded piezoelectric
transducer (piezo) or force sensitive resistor (FSR).
The resultant signals are transmitted to an
electronic "drum brain" via TS or TRS cables,
and are translated into digital waveforms, which
produce the desired percussion sound assigned to
that particular trigger pad. Most newer drum
modules have trigger inputs for 2 or more
cymbals, a kick, 3-4 toms, a dual-zone snare,
(head and rim) and a hi-hat. The hi-hat has a
foot controller which produces open and closed
sounds with some models offering variations
in-between. By having the ability to assign
different sounds to any given pad, the
electronic drummer has nearly unlimited
potential for configuring many different
sounding drum kits from one set of electronic
drums. Additionally, electronic drummers can
sample non-percussive sounds and use them as
drum sounds, as is the case with most industrial
music. Many see this as a great advantage over
acoustic drums, as one can have a jazz, rock or
ballad drum set by merely changing the kit
selector switch on the module. Drummers famous
for using electronic drum sets are performers
such as Rick Allen of Def Leppard, Phil Collins
(of Genesis), Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Roger
Taylor (Queen), and Alan White of Yes.
What to Practice
This is where the fun comes into play. Rather
than starting out with an entire trap set, many
rock and folk musicians will start with a tom or
two, or they might start with a practice pad.
You can get formal practice through lessons, or
you can learn from instructional CDs. Or you
can practice informally with your own music or
the radio, taking note of what rhythms are being
used and trying to mimic what you hear. Get a
general feel for the various basic rhythms
(solos and improv will come much later). If you
find need to fine tune the way you hold your
drumstick or tipper, don’t be afraid to go back
to the instructional CD, etc., or friend who is
already successful with the technique.
Where to Play
Get involved in the music scene! You don’t need
to have a formal “band” to get together with
others to improve yourself. Probably the
simplest groups to join are called drum circles,
where hand drums are used. One person will
start a rhythm, and then polyrhythms are layered
on top by the various players. The ideal result
will be a very mature, very dimensional sound.
After several minutes of this, the various
layers will thin out, at which point another
person is free to start another rhythm.
If you want to take your hobby to something more
organized, try getting together with friends who
like the same music you do. Be brave—it doesn’t
need to be on a formal basis at first. Some
people ask their friends to bring instruments to
parties, and after a good round of appetizers
and drink, they find it’s not nearly as
intimidating to bring out an instrument or
sing. This is a good way to find out whose
sound meshes best with yours. If you have no
friends who sing or play, try group lessons at a
local music school to meet new people and
improve your method. Or simply go to the
schools and check out their bulletin boards—most
schools allow their students and teachers to
post business cards and opportunities on these
boards. The Craigslist music section
consistently has listings of people looking for
others to build blues, jazz, rock, country,
grunge and metal bands with them.
If classical is more to your liking, you will
need more formal training. Check the internet
yellow pages or your local symphony to find a
teacher. Most symphonic members supplement
their incomes with instrument lessons.
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