Every song no matter how fast or slow has a consistent beat. The dynamic beat of the drums is perhaps the most influencing factor of a full band. The beat penetrates our mind, causing us to swing and sway. Drums have been associated with civilization for centuries. Early drums were used to send out signals and coded military messages, before being appreciated as a musical instrument. American Indians used dried gourds as drums.
The drum beats of the Roman Legions kept the soldiers marching at a steady pace, keeping them in their formations. However we can assume that almost every tribe on the planet also used drum beats to celebrate and dance around exotic campfires. Drums were common in the New Orleans marching bands. Many opine that the cymbals were first made in China.
As technology grew so did all musical instruments. Soon the drummer was a key member of any band. The drummer took centre stage - being positioned on a platform or pedestal as the guitarists sang and walked about. The drummer kind of held the entire performance together. Some of the famous drummers who captivated millions of fans are Ringo Starr (The Beatles), Buddy Rich, Neil Peart, Phil Collins (Genesis), Terry Pozzio, Dennis CHmbers, Steven Adler and Frank Ferrer( Guns n Roses), Dave Weckl, Charlie Watt (Rolling Stones), Peter Cirss (rock band Kiss), Tommy Lee (Motely Crue) Don Henley (founder of the Eagles) and Steve Smith (Journey). These drummers made an immense impact on their bands and fans and helped create record breaking songs and albums.
Drums may be played individually, with the player using a single drum, and some drums such as the djembe are almost always played in this way. Others are normally played in a set of two or more, all played by the one player, such as bongo drums, popular in the exotic islands of the Caribbean. . A number of different drums together with cymbals form the basic modern drum kit.
Several factors determine the sound a drum produces, including the type, shape and construction of the drum shell, the type of drum heads it has, and the tension of these drumheads. Different drum sounds have different uses in music.
Some jazz drummers avoid using thick drum heads, preferring single ply drum heads or drum heads with no muffling. Rock drummers, who have to cater to frenzied fans at massive stadiums often, prefer the thicker or coated drum heads.
The second biggest factor that affects drum sound is head tension against the shell. When the hoop is placed around the drum head and shell and tightened down with tension rods, the tension of the head can be adjusted. When the tension is increased, the amplitude of the sound is reduced and the frequency is increased, making the pitch higher.
The type of shell also affects the sound of a drum. Mahogany raises the frequency of low pitches and keeps higher frequencies at about the same speed. When choosing a set of shells, a jazz drummer may want smaller maple shells, while a rock drummer may want larger birch shells. In 1909 William Ludwig and his brother created the fist bass drum and the drum pedal system, redefining the modern drum kit. In 1958 Joe Calato perfected the drum stick to the delight of drummers. Today we see electric drum kits.
In Sri Lankan music videos it is interesting to note the merging of traditional drum beats to modern music creating fusion beats. The drum and drummer have come a long way to sustain their vibrant and pulsating beats.