Music InstrumentsAbout Drums

Drums have existed for a very long time. Some say they even date back to 6000 BC. It was no wonder then as they were used for a variety of situations and have evolved to create a wide range of different types. This being said, all drums consist of at least one drum-head or drum skin. The skin is then stretched over a shell and beaten either by hand or instrument to produce its sound. In most circumstances, it is used as a musical instrument. It is also part of the percussion group, to be used in rituals or entertainment such as modern-day’s rock bands. Ever since drums were founded, they have been created from many materials, including wood, metal, plastic, and even clay.

The material of the drum skin can also vary from place to place, culture to culture. The skins of assorted animals such as goats, sheep, and antelopes can be used as well as synthetic materials. Nowadays, people experiment to innovate better designs made of different materials.

Nowadays, there are sets called ‘drum kits’ which will give you all sorts of drums which vary in shape and sizes. This allows the musician to use all of their limbs to produce numerous sounds and pitches.

There are a few simple groups into which drums can be sorted. These vary in many details with the shape being the most familiar. The majority of drums fall into one of these forms:

• Cylindrical drums
• Barrel drums
• Conga drums
• Waisted drums
• Goblet drums
• Bowl drums

Many musical genres use a part of the aforementioned drum kit – a selection of distinct drums that are assorted so that they can be used together in harmony. The sounds and rhythms one can create with a drum kit are so different that a number of music genres can use them to create their preferred sound which will lead to many hit songs.

There are many types of drums that vary in size and shape. The bass drum (or known as Orchestral Bass Drum) is one of them. It is large and when used, creates a very low pitch which can be used in many songs. It is used by various artists to make music. Whether quiet or loud, the Orchestral Bass Drum can be used in many songs!

The snare drum is also a different type of drum. It uses plastic or calfskin from the heads which are then stretched securely over a metal frame that is hollow. The snare drum is used by beating the head with wooden drumsticks. The snare-head, also called the bottom head, has wires of metal called snares which are stretched across the bottom. When this drum is struck on the head, the snares give off a sharp rattling sound, since they are vibrating on the snare head, making a diverse sound.

Next comes the Tom-Tom. It is a drum that was designed in the 20th Century. It is now thought to be an essential component of the drum kit and can consist of up to three units of different sizes. One of those is mounted on three legs and sits to the left of the bass drum. The other two are usually hanging on either side above the bass drum. These drums are essential for the Drum Kits and were improvised long ago making them an old but good design.

I hope this article helped improve your knowledge about drums and educated you about how old some drums are and how they are improvised now.