A History of Drums

Drum: a generic term for numerous varieties of musical instruments consisting of skin stretched over a vessel or frame and sounded by percussion....the sound is produced by the vibration of a stretched membrane, thus classifying it as a membranophone (!) within the larger category of percussion instruments.

The First Appearance
Drums began making their appearance via archaeological excavations from Neolithic times, and through widespread geographic regions. One drum excavated in Moravia has been dated at 6000 B.C. Drums have been found in ancient Sumeria known to be dated at nearly 3000 B.C. Giant frame drums were used in the ancient temples of Sumer. Likewise, Mesopotamian objects depict frame drums and small cylindrical drums (played both horizontally and vertically) that date from about 3000 B.C. Drums with skins stretched using a network of thongs have been discovered among early Egyptian artifacts dating from 4000 B.C. A waisted, or hourglass drum has been identified on one of the Bharut reliefs, the oldest of Indian temple reliefs, from the second century.

The First Drums
The earliest drums probably consisted of a section of hollowed tree trunk. These sections were covered on one end with reptile or fish skin and were struck with the hands. Later the skin was taken from hunted game or cattle, and the first sticks were used. The double-headed drum came later, as did pottery drums in a variety of shapes. Several methods were employed to fasten the heads. Skins were secured to single-headed drums by pegs, nails, glue, buttoning (through holes in the membrane) or neck lacing (by wrapping a cord around the membrane overlap). Double-headed drums were often cord tensioned directly through holes in the skins. More modern European orchestral drums often combined two hoops pressing against--one rolled in the skin, the other outside--with indirect lacing, often to the hoops.

Snare Drum
The small drum model of the snare drum was probably adopted from the Arabs in Spain and the Holy Land. This drum was originally used as a folk instrument. Somewhere around the 14th century it began it's service to the military, as the early infantry established itself. The snare drum got its name from it's characteristic rattling tone created by snares--gut or (later) metal strings stretched tightly across the lower drumhead. Similar to the snare, but slightly larger, and with a much deeper tone, was the field or tenor drum. This was used both with and without snares.

Frame Drum
Frame drums were played (mainly by women) in the ancient Middle East, Greece and Rome and reached medieval Europe through Islamic culture. However, the frame drums used in the magic/religious ceremonies of shamans in Central Asia, North America and the Arctic regions are possibly of different origin. In India and Tibet double-headed frame drums with enclosed pellets are known as rattle drums.

Kettle Drum
Shallow kettledrums have been first depicted about 600 A.D. in Persia. Larger ones have been described with the smaller type in the 10th century and are not pictured alone until the 12th century. Originally comprised of clay and cord braced, kettledrums were later made of medal (or sometimes wood). They spread with Islamic culture through Europe, Asia and Africa. In the Middle East kettledrums were carried in pairs by players on horseback. They were introduced to Europe during the period of the crusades. Large kettledrums were associated with royalty and nobility. They entered the symphony orchestra as a purely musical instrument in the mid 17th century; they were played in pairs tuned to tonic and dominant pitches. Beethoven was the first composer to vary the tuning of kettledrums from the conventional tonic-dominant. Berlioz was possibly the first to require a change of tuning during a single movement. Bartok made use of the glissando, which is a rapid slurring effect created by mechanical tuning of the kettledrum.

Shallow Bass Drum
The large shallow bass drum derived from the long drums of Turkish Janissary troops was once known as the Turkish drum. This drum was introduced to Europe from the Ottoman armies in the 18th century along with military cymbals.

Medieval Drums
Much is unclear about medieval European drums; apparently no drums have survived and the only evidence has been obtained from pictures and written references. Written percussion parts from instructional books have survived, dating from the sixteenth century. By the 13th century, three types of drums appear to have been established: the nakers, small paired kettledrums; the tab, a small cylindrical drum, often with snares, and the tambourine. These early drums served only as time beaters and, with the exception of the tambourine, were beaten with sticks. Somewhere around the 14th century drums were beginning to be constructed to produce loud carrying sounds. This was a result of the developing mercenary infantry troops.

Wrap Up
Drums have always had extra-musical functions--civil, message transmitting, and particularly, religious. They have been credited with magical powers and they are frequently held sacred. In many societies the manufacture of a drum continues to involve ritual. In East Africa, offerings such as cattle are made to the royal kettledrums which not only symbolize the king's power and status, but also offer him supernatural protection. Drums figure predominantly in the 20th century in orchestral, military, popular dance, jazz and rock groups. The great variety of ways they are employed nowadays testifies to their long period of development.