Instrumental History Of The Drums Essay, Research Paper

The first instrumental drum was called a timpani or kettledrums.

This drums origin is of Eastern origin. Small kettledrums were introduced

into Europe as early as the 13th century.

The European kettledrum , which is used in American orchestras also, derives

its special sound from the size and shape and diameter of its bowl. This

bowl is usually made of copper or fiberglass.

Another primary drum is the snare drum. It was developed drom double-skinned

drum of medieval times known as the tabor. This drum, also called a side drum

, has its distinctive feature several gut or wire strings that stretch across

the instruments lower skin. The upperskin is struck with a drum stick, while

being struck the strings vibrate, giving this instrument its characteristic

crisp staccato.

This small medieval instrumnet gradually increased size, about the 15th century.

It was so often combined in a performance with a fife that these two instrumnets

became closely associated with one another. A fife is a small flute having

from six to eight finger holes and it also has no key, used mainly with

drums in playing marches.

The tenor drum is closely related to the snare drum. It is somewhat larger

in size and it has no snares across its lower skin. This drum is played with

sofft felt covered sticks and it produces a huskier sound. While it is occasionally

used in the orchestra this type of drum is found more frequently in military

marching bands.

The largest drum in the percussion family is the bass drum. The bass drum

of the classical era, though not equiped with snares, was infact a very deep

snare drum that was set up in a horizontal position to be played. This

instrument was eventually replaced by the bass drum that is now familiar–

a large and shallow instrument with skins on either of its two sides. It is

played in rock bands with a foot petal,that when pressed down, makes a

drum stick strike the drum.

I feel that all of the drums have evolved. They are also played in a variety

of places weather it is in a school marching band or a punk rock band.

I think that in this class I will learn a lot more about the instrumental

history of the drum, than I have while writing this paper.

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