A Brief History of Drums: From Ancient Percussion to Electronic Drums(Letto 243 volte)

A brief history of the drum kit 

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to imagine a musical performance without the support of percussion instruments. In popular music, various types of drums are often used, depending on ethnic, geographical and historical characteristics. Drumming, together with singing, is undoubtedly the earliest form of musical expression in human history, dating back thousands of years. Nowadays, playing a percussion instrument such as the drum kit means creating a solid rhythmic structure that acts as a support for other musical performances, giving them incisiveness and dynamism. In pop, as in rock and other modern genres, it is mainly the drummer who sets the rhythm, which the other musicians must follow.Multicultural roots.

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Percussion instruments in ancient times

In the early days of humanity, the first musical instrument was undoubtedly the voice.

Percussion instruments soon joined them, providing powerful rhythmic support and a remarkable tonal counterbalance.

Many historians assert that the primary purpose of percussion instruments was practical. 

In ancient times, mystical and social rituals stimulated the emergence of various musical expressions, sometimes improvised, created to support them.

In the early days, these expressions were essentially orchestrated through the abundant use of voices and percussion instruments. 

It is remarkable to note that percussion instruments developed independently in every part of the world.

The earliest finds of plates and drums date back to around the 7th century BC.

Specifically, the plates were found in the tombs of the ancient Greeks, who believed that they had the power to ward off evil spirits.

However, some sculptures and paintings of plates and drums have been found in ancient tombs dating back to earlier periods, such as the Egyptian and Roman eras.

However, there are numerous less ancient paintings depicting metal plates used as musical instruments during banquets and celebrations.

As with everything else, as civilisations progressed, percussion instruments also evolved. 

The ancestors of modern drum parts began to appear in medieval and Renaissance Europe, and soon spread and became increasingly refined; cymbals, on the other hand, have essentially retained the same shape for thousands of years.

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Use of percussion instruments for military purposes

Later, drums and cymbals, along with horns, trumpets and bagpipes, were used by armies for military training, parades and even during battles. 

The objective was to communicate effectively:

• by sending orders to soldiers even at great distances by means of “codes” expressed musically with specific melodies or rhythms, 
• to rhythmically accompany an unstoppable march by means of a hypnotic “mantra”, 
• to instil courage, team spirit and a sense of belonging, to frighten the enemy.

It was the Ottoman battalions who introduced the use of cymbals to discourage enemy troops.

These methods reached their peak during the Napoleonic period and were only subsequently scaled back; however, military bands around the world have endured for centuries.

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The Nineteenth Century

Even in the 19th century, albeit to a lesser extent, percussion instruments were often used for military purposes. 

At that time, military bands were composed of numerous percussionists with different roles: bass drums and cymbals, for example, were played by different musicians, as in marching bands.

The percussion sections of classical orchestras also consisted of various percussion instruments (each generally played by a different musician) that are an integral part of modern drum kits. 

The advent of the New Orleans style 

At the beginning of the 19th century, black slaves in North America began to assemble a kind of drum kit, putting together various percussion instruments, often picked up here and there.

Little by little, the  brass bands and the  New Orleans style created by black people,  largely based on improvisation, began to establish themselves and gain popularity, winning over a large portion of the white population, first and foremost musicians.

To play a double drum with one or two cymbals attached to the bass drum simultaneously, the work of a single musician was required.

The ancestral African influences soon merged with the European musical trends exported to America. Thus, jazz was born.

The modern battery

The invention of the bass drum pedal

In 1909, William Ludwig invented the bass drum pedal, which was the decisive factor in enabling a single performer to play a percussion set. 

At that time, it was a real “turning point”; thanks to the bass drum  pedal, both hands were free to play multiple percussion instruments simultaneously, defining what would soon be called a “percussion drum kit” and, later, simply “drum kit”.

It was an instant success that spread like wildfire.

From that moment on, new drummers began playing in a seated position in order to have greater control over the pedal.

The introduction of the bass drum pedal was therefore the decisive factor in defining the advent of the drum kit and drumming technique.

Bicycle spare parts find a new use

At the beginning of history, two types of door knockers were developed: 

• the one mounted on the top of the bass drum hoop
• the one attached to the bottom of the hoop, as in modern drum kits 

The pedals were made of wood and were not spring-assisted, so the hammer had to be returned to its starting position using the foot. 

The spring-loaded return mechanism found in today's pedals was introduced in 1910. 

In 1934, ball bearings were added to make the pedal action smoother.

In 1950, the spring was incorporated into the frame, allowing for more precise pedal adjustment.

The next improvement came with the chain pedal, created by a New York shopkeeper, who removed the previous pedal mechanism and replaced it with a gear and chain derived from a bicycle. 

Prior to this, some pedals used metal parts to connect to the transmission mechanism, while others used a belt made of nylon, leather or other materials. 

The former was said to have a “quick reaction”, while the latter was said to have a bit of ‘play“. 

The chain drive combined the strengths of both systems, resulting in a robust component that quickly won the favour of all drummers. 

The Advent of the Hi-Hat

The first drum kit and the role of the drummer were thus defined, as the player of three assembled percussion instruments: bass drum, cymbal and snare drum.

The evolution of the new instrument and the most appropriate playing techniques thus began. 

Among the many experiments aimed at further enriching the drum kit, the ancestor of the hi-hat soon became established.

The first hi-hat looked like a snowshoe.

The hi-hat as we know it today is surprisingly recent and was conceived around 1930. 

The first hi-hats were mainly used to mark a variable number of subdivisions of the “beats” (from 2 to 8, also called “movements”) of the “musical bar” in order to define a complete and regular musical cadence, emphasised by the accents of the snare drum and bass drum.

The hi-hat in its original form consisted of two small cymbals attached to two axes, one above the other, joined by a hinge and held apart by a spring. 

The upper board was attached to the foot with a strap similar to a sandal, which made it look like a snowshoe; hence the name by which it was called. 

The famous jazz drummer Baby Dodds, while playing on a riverboat in Mississippi, would tap his left foot on the floor in time with the music. Noticing this, an enthusiastic fan modelled a pedal device with two small cymbals for him. It is said that this marked the beginning of the development of the hi-hat.

The original design, however, was somewhat different from what we see today. 

The basic principle was the same: two plates facing in opposite directions so that they collide when the pedal is pressed. 

The sound, muffled and dry, was very similar to that of today's hi-hats.

From its position on the ground, the hi-hat (also known as the Charleston) was raised to a higher position by means of a rod and a mechanism, which allowed it to be played with either the foot or the drumsticks, quickly influencing and completely changing drumming styles and techniques.

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The modern drum kit and jazz 

In the legendary 1920s, the era of Prohibition, wealthy gangsters began to take an interest in the big jazz bands, so fashionable at the time, for their night clubs.

This led to the development of jazz clubs, where people could (illegally) consume alcohol and dance to jazz music, most of which was improvised.

The drummer played a very significant role, as he had to keep the rhythm for music that was often frenetic and unconventional.

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The modern set

The first pedal Charleston (Hi-Hat) had been invented, and soon after, it became possible to tune the drums on the rim... and suddenly, “the music changed”.

Without a doubt, Gene Krupa is one of the most emblematic figures of the period: famous for his energetic and fast playing, he played an important role in establishing the drum kit as a “solo” instrument. 

He recorded a lot of music using a drum kit that was the basis for the standards.  current, with bass drum, snare drum, two tom-toms (one mounted on the bass drum and another, equipped with feet, on the floor), a hi-hat and three cymbals: ride, splash and crash.

This approach allowed for the execution of very brilliant polyrhythmic sequences, which led to the emergence of some legendary drummers who made history.

One of these was Max Roach, creator of many rhythmic patterns that are still considered benchmarks in jazz today.

White people began to imitate black Americans, devoting themselves to jazz (which developed into “swing”) and playing in prestigious concert halls across the United States.

At the same time, in Paris, the so-called gypsy jazz also began to develop.

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The 1940s and bebop

Some important changes took place in the 1940s.

Jazz began to be produced increasingly as music to listen to, no longer just as accompaniment for dancing, thanks to the arrival of bebop, characterised by very fast rhythms and complex harmonies. 

The drummer began to take on increasingly complex and important roles, as such.  Music allowed certain rhythmic sequences to be performed even in a solo role, through which the drummer could better express his creativity, also enriching the stylistic panorama of jazz and the drumming anthology. 

With the increase in tempo, the rhythmic accents gradually became lighter and the role of the drums diminished in importance, giving more space to the ride and hi-hat.

During that period, drumming techniques underwent significant development, as did the drum manufacturing industry, leading manufacturers to create new and increasingly sophisticated models, not dissimilar to today's drum kits.

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The Rock Era

Before 1957, all drum kit drums were made from deer or fallow deer skin.

They were frequently forgotten and damaged due to their high sensitivity to climatic factors. 

If the weather was cold and damp, the drum tones were much lower; if it was  In hot and dry conditions, however, drummers had to moisten the drum skins to obtain the correct sound.

Despite their disadvantages, drum skins made from animal hides produced a special sound and tended to last much longer than those made from synthetic materials, which became increasingly popular in the late 1950s, making tuning easier, more precise and even customisable. 

The 1950s and 1960s saw the advent of rock ’n’ roll, which established the drum kit in a new guise, very popular among the younger generations, contributing to the nascent cult of rock bands.

The playing technique of rock drummers became somewhat less agile but much more powerful, prompting drum manufacturers to produce increasingly solid and resonant drums.

Even the plates became larger and heavier, in line with the new requirements.

Initially, the performance techniques borrowed from jazz overlapped with the emerging techniques of rock, until the latter took a divergent path, which continues to this day.

To play in front of large audiences and keep up with powerful guitar amplifiers, drums capable of generating a lot of sound volume were needed.

This led to the creation of drums made from different materials, including acrylic. 

Natural leather materials were permanently replaced with Mylar, which responds better to changes in temperature and humidity and ultimately offers significantly improved durability.

To add more colour to their performances, drummers added other auxiliary percussion instruments to their sets, including modern, traditional and exotic ones.

The double pedal and customisations

At a certain point, hard rock appeared on the music scene, followed by heavy metal and various related genres.

The  The double pedal appeared in the 1980s and has been used almost exclusively by metal bands ever since.

Nowadays, every drum kit can be customised according to the drummer's needs and specific style of music.

From a basic kit, with hi-hat, bass drum and snare drum, you can now assemble a very complex, varied and customised kit.

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Electronics

Meanwhile, the electronic drum kit began to emerge in the 1960s, with the first rhythm machines becoming increasingly sophisticated.

The original electronic generation of sounds from these devices was subsequently complemented by the sampling of acoustic sounds from the drum kit, either in their raw form or processed using processors (equalizers, compressors and ambient effects).

In order to simulate the variations induced by touch, digital multi-sampling techniques and new algorithms for filtering samples were introduced.

The schematic sequences of the first releases became increasingly refined and varied, until rhythms and grooves could be completely “written” and programmed using modern DAW software. 

Electronic drum kits for manual use (with pads), on the other hand, made their debut with very limited success, but then became more popular in the 1980s.  

Nowadays, there is a huge range of electronic drums available, including both studio kits and concert sets.

This corresponds to the new sound requirements determined by modern discography, which increasingly uses traditional drum sounds accompanied by various types of new electronic sounds.

These requirements are met by hybrid drum kits, equipped with traditional cymbals and drums alongside pads that can be programmed with synthetic and sampled sounds of all kinds.

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