Instrumental History of the Drums :: Instruments Drums Music Orchestra Essays

Instrumental History of the DrumsThe first instrumental drum was called a timpani or kettledrums. This drums profligate is of Eastern origin. Small kettledrums were introduced into Europe asearly as the 13th century.The European kettledrum , which is used in American orchestras also, derives itsspecial sound from the size of it and shape and diameter of its bowl. This bowl isusually made of copper or fiberglass.Another primary drum is the snare drum. It was developed drom double-skinneddrum of medieval propagation known as the tabor. This drum, also called a side drum ,has its distinctive feature several gut or wire strings that stretch crossways theinstruments lower skin. The upperskin is struck with a drum stick, while beingstruck the strings vibrate, giving this instrument its characteristic crispstaccato.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 instrumnetsbecame closel y associated with one another. A fife is a small flute having fromsix to eight finger holes and it also has no key, used mainly with drums inplaying marches.The tenor drum is closely related to the snare drum. It is somewhat larger insize and it has no snares across its lower skin. This drum is played with sofftfelt covered sticks and it produces a huskier sound. While it is now and thenused in the orchestra this type of drum is found more frequently in militarymarching bands.The largest drum in the percussion family is the mysterious drum. The bass drum of theclassical era, though not equiped with snares, was infact a very deep snare drumthat was set up in a horizontal dapple to be played. This instrument waseventually replaced by the bass drum that is now familiar-- a large and shallowinstrument with skins on either of its two sides.