ORIGINS
Drums are the oldest instrument, derived from banging a stick onto a larger piece of wood. Drums are primal and some other animals seem to be able to create rhythm patterns with various items.
MILITARY DRUMMING
Because drums are loud, they have been used by militaries for centuries, as both for signaling orders to the troops and for ceremonial purposes, as well as demoralizing the enemy on the battlefield. World War One ended the use of drums on the battlefield.
ORCHESTRAL PERCUSSION
From early Medieval Music to Baroque Music to Contemporary Classical Music, percussion has factored into these scores. This is the history of percussion during that timeline.
EARLY DRUMMING
1880 -1909
Drums were starting to accompany American Modern Music, supplying a rhythm to such songs. These included the early marches and then eventually moved onto ragtime.
EARLY DRUM SET
1909 – 1936
With the invention of the modern bass drum pedal, the early drum set was born.
MODERN DRUM SET
1936 – PRESENT DAY
With the introduction of the tunable tom tom, thanks to Gene Krupa and Slingerland, the modern drum set was born.
WORLD DRUMMING
The history of the major world drumming instruments, such as those from Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean Islands.