History
- History of the Drum
A drum is a musical instrument in the percussion group,
technically classified as a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one
membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell
and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some
sort of implement such as a drumstick, to produce sound. Drums are the
world's oldest and most ubiquitous musical instruments, and the basic
design has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. Most
drums are called "untuned instruments" because they have no definite
pitch, with the exception of a few such as timpani.
Construction
The shell almost invariably has a circular opening over which the
drumhead is stretched, but the shape of the remainder of the shell
varies widely. In the western musical tradition, the most usual shape is
a cylinder, although timpani, for example, use bowl-shaped shells. Other
shapes include a frame design (tar Bodhrán), truncated cones (bongo
drums, Ashiko), goblet shaped and joined truncated cones (talking drum).
Drums with cylindrical shells can be open at one end (as is the case
with timbales), or can have two drum heads. Single-headed drums normally
consist of a skin or other membrane, called a head, which is stretched
over an enclosed space, or over one of the ends of a hollow vessel.
Drums with two heads covering both ends of a cylindrical shell often
have a small hole somewhat halfway between the two heads; the shell
forms a resonating chamber for the resulting sound. Exceptions include
the African slit drum, made from a hollowed-out tree trunk, and the
Caribbean steel drum, made from a metal barrel. Drums with two heads can
also have a set of wires, called snares, held across the bottom head,
top head, or both heads, hence the name snare drum.
On modern band and orchestral drums, the drumhead is affixed to a hoop
(also called a "rim"), which in turn is held onto the shell by a "counterhoop",
which is then held by means of a number of tuning screws called "tension
rods" (also known as lugs) placed regularly around the circumference.
The head's tension can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the rods.
Many such drums have six to ten tension rods. The sound of a drum
depends on several variables, including shape, size and thickness of its
shell, materials from which the shell was made, type of drumhead used
and tension applied to it, position of the drum, location, and a manner
in which it is struck.
Prior to the invention of tension rods drum skins were attached and
tuned by rope systems such as that used on the Djembe or pegs and ropes
such as that used on Ewe Drums.
Uses
Drums are usually played by the hands, or by one or two sticks. In many
traditional cultures drums have a symbolic function and are often used
in religious ceremonies.
Within the realm of popular music and jazz, "drums" usually refers to a
drum kit or a set of drums, and "drummer" to the actual band member or
person who plays them. Drums are played by percussionists whose skills
can be called for in all areas of music, from Classical to Heavy Rock,
and all points in between. Many drummers are also adept at playing both
the drum set and a set of hand drums for added musical variety.
History
In the past drums have been used not only for their musical qualities,
but also as a means of communication, especially through signals. The
talking drums of Africa can imitate the inflections and pitch variations
of a spoken language and are used for communicating over great
distances. Throughout Sri Lankan history drums have been used for
communication between the state and the community, and Sri Lankan drums
have a history stretching back over 2500 years. Japanese troops used
Taiko drums to motivate troops, to help set a marching pace, and to call
out orders or announcements. Fife-and-drum corps of Swiss mercenary foot
soldiers also used drums. They used an early version of the snare drum
-a large instrument carried over the player's right shoulder, suspended
by a strap. It is to this instrument that English word "drum" was first
used. The oldest known drums are from 3000 BC.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum
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