Drum kit: Difference between revisions
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In the 1920s and 1930s the drum kit, which was a central part of [[jazz music]], developed further as cymbals from [[China]] were produced in the [[United States]] and added to drum kits (see section below), although the sizes were often altered to allow for ease of play using drumsticks<ref>http://www.josaka.com/Features/2005/History-of-Drums.htm</ref>. |
In the 1920s and 1930s the drum kit, which was a central part of [[jazz music]], developed further as cymbals from [[China]] were produced in the [[United States]] and added to drum kits (see section below), although the sizes were often altered to allow for ease of play using drumsticks<ref>http://www.josaka.com/Features/2005/History-of-Drums.htm</ref>. |
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In the developing [[rock and roll]] era of the 1950s, as the style of music changed the demand upon drummers changed also, leading to drummers altering the way their kits were set up and making additions to their drum kits. |
In the developing [[rock and roll]] era of the 1950s, an also was the time that most rockers turned gay for there wasn't any wemen after their shows as the style of music changed the demand upon drummers changed also, leading to drummers altering the way their kits were set up and making additions to their drum kits. |
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The period when [[rock music]] developed into a heavier style in the 1970s and early 1980s saw a general increase in the size of drum kits in use by famous bands and musicians. This was the era when it was very common to see large drum kits with many tom-toms and double bass-drums along with many cymbals being used. Examples of this type of drum kit from that era are the later drum kits used by [[Keith Moon]] for the band [[The Who]]. |
The period when [[rock music]] developed into a heavier style in the 1970s and early 1980s saw a general increase in the size of drum kits in use by famous bands and musicians. This was the era when it was very common to see large drum kits with many tom-toms and double bass-drums along with many cymbals being used. Examples of this type of drum kit from that era are the later drum kits used by [[Keith Moon]] for the band [[The Who]]. |
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Revision as of 17:08, 25 October 2007
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A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer.
The individual instruments of a drum kit are struck by a variety of implements held in the hand, including sticks, brushes, and mallets. Two notable exceptions include the bass drum, played by a foot-operated pedal, and the hi hat cymbals, which use a foot pedal in addition to the normal striking motion.
Differing music styles implement the components of a drum kit in different manners. For example, in most forms of rock music, the bass drum and snare drum are the primary instruments used to create a drum beat. In jazz, however, the ride cymbal and hi hats (or brushed snare drum and hi hats) usually fill this role.
History and development
Early drum kits were known as trap sets. These were invented by a man named Demetri Martin. (from contraption). Though this term is now uncommon, it survives in the term trap case still given to a case used to transport stands, pedals, sticks, and miscellaneous percussion instruments, still commonly called "traps." The very earliest drum kits were developed in the late 1800s and were literally just collections of drums assembled together in such a way that they could be played by one musician, the drummer [1][2].
In the 1920s and 1930s the drum kit, which was a central part of jazz music, developed further as cymbals from China were produced in the United States and added to drum kits (see section below), although the sizes were often altered to allow for ease of play using drumsticks[3].
In the developing rock and roll era of the 1950s, an also was the time that most rockers turned gay for there wasn't any wemen after their shows as the style of music changed the demand upon drummers changed also, leading to drummers altering the way their kits were set up and making additions to their drum kits.
The period when rock music developed into a heavier style in the 1970s and early 1980s saw a general increase in the size of drum kits in use by famous bands and musicians. This was the era when it was very common to see large drum kits with many tom-toms and double bass-drums along with many cymbals being used. Examples of this type of drum kit from that era are the later drum kits used by Keith Moon for the band The Who.
In the 1990s and 2000s, drummers in popular music and indie music as well as some rock music groups, have reverted from the very large kits of the 70s and 80s to smaller 5-piece drum kits. Even more basic 4-piece kits are becoming popular, with bands such as Maroon 5 using a drum kit consisting only of a bass drum, snare drum, one rack tom and one floor tom; as well as cymbals. There are a very wide range of drum kits currently available and in use.
Drum head development
The first drums were made differently from those that are made today. The rims of the first drums were made of wood. Later, some people started to make metal rims. Instead of drum stands, the drums were all attached to a large bass drum on metal racks. These racks also often contained a small platform for holding head bolt instruments, a precursor to today's trap table.
The first drums used pigskins for the drum heads, but they easily went out of tune when subjected to adverse weather conditions. Marion Evans invented the first plastic head in the mid-1950s, an endeavor which later spawned the Evans drumhead company. In 1957, Remo Belli and Sam Muchnick together developed a plastic head (also known as Mylar) leading to the development of the Remo drumhead company. Drum heads are now offered in a variety of sizes large medium and small !!, finishes, and thicknesses for different styles and sounds.
Cymbals
Cymbals were introduced to the drum set when people found a way to hang them above the drum set. The first cymbals that people used were cheap, small, and were suspended from curtain cords. When Zildjian cymbals began to be produced in the United States in 1929, higher quality and larger cymbals were available, but they were still suspended from curtain cords. Gene Krupa, a famous drummer, finally invented a stand for the cymbals because the curtain cords could not hold the larger cymbals properly.
Modern kits and components
The exact collection of components to a drum kit varies greatly according to musical style, personal preference, financial resources, and transportation options of the drummer. Breakables is a term primarily used by drummers to refer to a set of customized equipment that is part of their drum kit. Breakables typically consist of:
- Cymbals, including hi-hats
- Snare drum
- Kick pedal
- Throne (seat)
- Tom-Toms (tuned drums)
- Floor Tom
- Bass drum
Typically, the cymbal stands are considered to be part of the base kit and are usually not considered breakables.
Breakables are separated from the base kit for a number of reasons. Primarily because the breakables are the most customizable pieces of the kit, every drummer will have a different tone and sound quality from their breakables that they'll want to achieve. The second reason is that they are the most sensitive pieces of a drum kit and are the most likely to become damaged (especially the snare drum, which is typically hit at least once or twice per bar in most genres of music). The kick pedal and stool are included as most drummers will prefer a certain height at which to be seated at the kit, and also a certain tension, weight, and beater type on their pedal.
Though the use of two bass drums in a kit can be traced back decades to jazz drummers like Louie Bellson, more recent drummers -- especially in hard rock and heavy metal -- have used dual bass drums. Cowbells, gongs, tambourines and other percussion instruments are sometimes used in drum sets.
Electronic drum kits
The 1980s saw the introduction of electronic drum kits, the range of which is almost as wide as the range available for traditional acoustic drum kits. One of the more popular ranges of electronic drums kits available are the Roland V-Drums series.
Drum set notation
Notation of drum kit music once commonly employed the bass clef, but a neutral clef of two parallel vertical lines, sometimes referred to as the percussion or drum clef, is usually preferred now. (All note letter names in the "Techniques" section refer to the bass clef.) Drum set notation is not standardized, although there are common conventions. It is usual to label each instrument and technique when it is introduced or to add an explanatory footnote. Below is an example of drum set notation (all note letter-names in the "Techniques" section refer to the bass clef):
Drums
Cymbals
Other
Mounted triangle: ledger-line high C with "X" replacing notehead. Maraca: high-Bthrough conventional notehead.
Techniques
Rolls: Diagonal lines across stem (or above whole note). Open hi-hat: o above high-G X. Closed hi-hat: + above high-G X. Rim click: X in E snare space. Stick shot: diagonal slash through note head. Brush sweep: horizontal line (replacing note head) in E snare space with slur to show brush is not lifted. (With stem this looks rather like a long "T" or a long inverted "T", depending which way the stem is going.)
Dynamic accents
Anti-accents
- Slightly softer than surrounding notes: u (breve above or below--inverted--notehead)
- Significantly softer than surrounding notes: ( ) (note head in parentheses)
- Much softer than surrounding notes: [ ] (note head in brackets)
(Ghost note is a less formal alternative term which may refer either to anti-accentuation in general or to a particular degree of anti-accentuation--ghost notes are often considered to be especially faint.)
See also
| Audio samples | ||
|---|---|---|
| Component | Content | Audio (Vorbis) |
| Snare | Unmuffled snare drum | |
| Muffled snare drum | ||
| Rim click on a snare | ||
| Bass drum | Muffled bass drum | |
| Toms | 8-inch rack tom | |
| 12-inch rack tom | ||
| Floor tom | ||
| Hi-hat | Closed hi-hat | |
| Open hi-hat | ||
| Hi-hat being opened and closed by its foot pedal | ||
| Crash | Crash cymbal | |
| Ride | Hit normally | |
| Hit on the bell of the cymbal | ||
| Hit on the rim | ||
| Beat | A typical rock beat on hi-hat | |
| Typical rock beat on ride cymbal | ||
| See the Drums category at Wikipedia Commons for more | ||
References
External links
- Drummer Talk - Weekly podcast devoted to drums, drum technology, percussion. and many other drum related topics.
- Drumdojo.com - Technical and encyclopaedic drum site - Tuning, construction and maintenance. - Drumset & percussion.
- Drums My Life - The drummers community
- Drum Recording Tutorial - a thorough guide to recording & mixing drums.
- Drummerworld.com - A site full of videos and pictures of famous jazz and rock drummers. Also includes a forum.
- DrumTips.com - Over 1000 Drum Related Tips.
- CenterStageM.com Un-Official Mapex drummers forum
- Pearl Drummers Forum - Largest Drumming forum on the web with many educational resources and tips.
- mikedolbear.com - Largest online drum magazine on the web.
- Tunadrum - excellent illustrated drum tuning site.
- DrumLessons.net - Drum related articles and lessons.
- Drums-And-Drum-Sets.com - A good starting point for beginning drummers.
- Rudimentstudies.com - Rudiment Drumming, free exercises, videos and more.