Leedy Ludwig

What Affects Have Drums And Percussion Had On The Development Of Music

Introduction
This document will investigate the affects drums and percussion have had on the development of music and will focus on the following areas: genres where drums feature, a brief history of drums, a timeline of the development of drums, stylistic qualities of drums in genres. I will also reflect upon how drums have impacted on the development of music. My report will also include a brief look at the old styles of drumming, and how they have aided the development of modern drumming techniques and how old styles of playing are still popular today. The research of this topic will be aided through various media such the Internet, books, magazine articles.
I have decided to research this because as a drummer myself. I am interested in this because I want to investigate where drums began and how they have developed into what is available to modern drummers today. I am also interested in researching old styles of drumming in order to improve my own techniques and drumming styles to make me more versatile.
The drum is a member of the percussion family and is technically classed as a membranophone. A drum has one membrane which is the drumhead or drum skin, this will be stretched over the shell of the drum. A sound is created by striking the drum, this is usually done with hands or drumsticks. Drums are the world's oldest instrument and have a basic design that has remained virtually the same throughout history. The drums primary job is to be the timekeeper and provide rhythm, energy and support for the other musicians.
Brief History of Drums Timeline Drums have a long history and can be dated back to at least 6000 BC. Drums have significance all over the world in various different cultures. In Africa this is especially true, drums are widely believed to have originated in Africa. The drums in Africa are often viewed as sacred. They are used to symbolize aspects in the tribal culture and are of used to protect tribal royalty, because of the drums importance within this culture they are often kept in sacred dwellings. In African tribal culture the drums were used as a form of communication, they were able to communicate with tribes miles away. Essentially drums were early telephones. As drums evolved they began to be associated with other things than communication. In 17th century Europe the timpani was associated with royalty. The snare drum
This lead to the development of the drum kit. The first drum kits were assembled in the late 1800s after the invention of the bass drum pedal. This enabled all the basic percussion instruments used in the military to be assembled into a drum kit. This allowed one person to play all individual aspects of the drum kit simultaneously. The early drums were usually made from wood and snares were also made from metal.
In the early 1900
In the 1920or side drum, used in European infantry regiments, coded instruction calls to Soldiers during wars. Porter Blanchard was one of the first drum makers on the American continent to make military drums. 's there was some development within the drum world. This included William and Theobald Ludwig (Ludwig drums) begin marketing a new bass drum pedal of their design. The typical drum of this period was usually made of wood. Companies such as Gretsch and Leedy out grew their current manufacturing location and relocate. Gretsch's facility is ten storey's high and is still standing today. Also rather sadly in 1918 Theobald Ludwig passed away.'s the drum set evolved with the addition such as African tom-toms, a variety of Turkish and Chinese style cymbals (the Chinese and Turkish cymbals are shaped differently to produce different sounds.), the hi hat cymbals and stand, arguably the most important part of the drum kit and one of the most important innovations. All of these inventions led to techniques which are still pioneered today's. Also in the 1920s drummer began incorporate themselves into music, they did this by jamming with jazz musicians and became a creative companion within the music. (Words: Andy Buckley)   To Be Continued....

About the Author

Drummer, Teacher, Author and Columnist for over 15 years / founder of http://www.dansdrumlessons.com - The Online Drum School

Leedy Ludwig

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