DRUMS

INTRODUCTION
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by
being struck, scraped or shaken by any beater or the human hand
itself.
The surface of any percussion type can be made of animal hide,
wood, metal, or really anything that produces sound.
The mallet or beater which is used to produce the sound can be
pretty much anything including a human hand.
Percussion instruments are most commonly divided into two
classes:
- Pitched percussion instruments, which produce notes with
an identifiable pitch, and unpitched percussions.
The percussion family is believed to include the oldest musical
instruments, including the human voice itself.
 All of the percussion instruments go
back thousands of years to around 6000 B.C., and
it is believed that percussion instruments were
the first musical instruments ever invented.
When drums were first invented, they were made
out of natural materials such as animal hides.
Since drum sticks were not around then, people
would simply use their hands.
From there onward percussions have evolved by
the people and cultures that made them and the
styles of music they were designed to play.
 Today, the percussion advancements are still
being made in what was once a very simple
instrument.
There is a wide variety of percussions, which
vary depending on their purpose.
Nowadays people always confused by the term of
drums and percussions. PERCUSSION is a name
that was given for any musical instruments that
can be struck, scraped or shaken such as drum
set, congas, tambourine, shaker etc..
Various beaters, sticks and mallets
Types of percussions
 Percussion instruments gives rhythmic support
and dramatic effect to any piece of music.
Produce sound?
- Hit beater/ rattle
-Strike
-Scrape beater /rattle/ hand
-Rub
-Strike against another similar instrument

*All percussion instruments rely on the vibration of a whole

instrument or some part of an instrument to produce sound.
Percussion instruments are made of many different materials,
such as wood, plastic, or metal, and they come in varieties
shapes and sizes.
 Two types

Vibration of Vibration of
the whole a stretched
instrument/ membrane/
idiophones part of the
Bells, cymbals instrument
&*xylophone vibrates /
membranophone
Drums and majority
of instruments.
Further categorized into 2 types:

Pitched/ Tuned
-identifiable pitch / specific pitch
Xylophone (pitch produced by each bar of
the instrument is distinct.)

Unpitched/ Untuned
-produce notes or sounds without an
identifiable pitch
Cymbals (produce sound waves on a number of frequencies)
 Other instruments can be tuned (but
rarely) The darbuka, a type of goblet
drum, can be tuned to produce a specific
note with a reasonable degree of
accuracy, so long as it is struck
consistently. This is not the normal
method of playing this type of drum,
however.
Acoustic drum
 Uses Of Percussion To Human
In Africa, drums as entertainment or to add
musical quality to the song.
Holds deeper symbolic and history meaning.
The sounds of drums pounding together is
necessary to stir up emotions ( inspire
excitement and passion).
Ceremony Celebrations:
- Birth -full moon
- Marriage -harvesting
- Deaths -weddings
- baptisms -summer

USES OF
PERCUSSION
Form of
telephone
-communicate
Symbolize
with other tribes
and protect
that miles away
the royalty
- Signal
meetings
- danger
 Djembe drums
Sacred drums
This followed by singer, dancing and other instruments.

Ritual
passage

Warrior
Healing ritual
Type of communication in any mode

Socially agrred upon conventions

develop over time

Category of literature , music or other

form of art entertainment
1. Light
rock
2. Disco
3. Rideless
Grove
4 . Funk
Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion (predominantly the drum
set, which includes a variety of drums and cymbals) in jazz styles
Other Genre
Bossa nove
Texas Shuffle
Hard rock
Reggae
Cha-cha
Calypso
Samba
Tango
Some Fun Facts on
Drums/Drumming
 Oldest Drum in History

existed from
2350-5500BC

Alligator
Drum
Range of a drum kit

Standard
Drum Kit
Modified Drum
Kit
 Conclusion
We are now in the 21 century with new idea and
techniques from which we try to learn. All over the world
people tried to improved their skills in order to be better
musicians and step over frontiers.
We should find ways of being more perspective because we
have the potential to change things.The drum set changes
like any other instrument.
We only have to watch the new generation perform in
order to see future will be a true pleasure.
Percussion for drum set is like the toy shop for drummers.
By this , not only mean the tinkering of the hardware but
the development of grooves , patterns and sounds that we
might not even know just yet.