By Adriana Noton
Like no other instrument, the drum is simply associated with early mankind. It is assumed, not incorrectly, that the earliest civilizations had drums. It is as natural to people as the heart beat, and that connection is often made. But the purpose and evolution of drums have come a long way, and it's interesting to take a look back at the development.
As early as 6000 BC the ancient Mesopotamians were thought to have used drums. Thousands of years old cave drawings were found in Peru. But perhaps no place is more closely associated with drumming than Africa. Here, the drum wasn't only a musical instrument, but held strict religious and spiritual ceremonies. The drum was a necessary part of life and not just a means of musical expression, however noble a goal that is.
Over the years, the drum has had still more purposes. The beat of the drum signaled the advance of armies all over the world, as its booming tones and repetitious thuds marshaled the fighting spirit of men of all tempers and nations. People responded to the drum. Whatever purpose it was serving, it always managed to excite.
In the early twentieth century, people realised that more than one drum could be played at a time, and so kits were invented. At first, drums of similar sounds were paired, and an assortment of other percussive instruments was assembled within arms reach. Soon this gave way to foreign sounding drums all being sounded together on one kit, with various foot pedals and other methods of striking the drum. The syncopation required to play one drum was increased and drummers had new roles, and with this, new possibilities. The snares and bass drums were essentially made the way drums had been for centuries-a covering wrapped around a hollow base-and it incorporated cymbals and tom toms, something invented in China thousands of years ago. Different genres used the various drums to different degrees, and in different ways, but overall, the drums sounded different in every music. It's funny to think about such an ancient instrument having such a recent history, but the new assembly changed so much about its playing that individuals were demonstrating new techniques, possibilities, and grooves in various styles of music.
The development of the drum has paralleled developments in human society: in a crude linear fashion, it has gone from being part of spiritual ceremonies, to warfare, and to at a time of intense technological change it has itself becoming increasingly more complex, and even global in the way its incorporated elements from all over the planet. In keeping with the accelerated pace of modern developments is today's electronic drums. In a nutshell, the stick hits a synthesizer pad which sends a corresponding sound signal to play out of an amplifier, allowing for practically unlimited amounts of sounds to be programmed and for unprecedented control of volume. It obviously hasn't replaced acoustic drums, but it continues the tradition of drums echoing the people who play them!
About the Author:
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