Drums
A membrane is stretched across an opening on a container to create a drum, they are what is called percussive instruments and the sound comes from hitting the taut membrane (the head) either with sticks or your hand – the sound is the vibration that is the result of this striking. There is a range of materials that are used for these membranes like goat, cow, sheep or antelope skins. Synthetic materials may be used as well and they deliver a different type of sound.
Drums are used by people for different things, in some countries they are used for rituals, others purely for entertainment. Children can make their own drums from simple containers, others are intricately carved from wood and others are molded with clay. It is a very diverse instrument that has many incarnations.
Drums are classified by their different shapes and most fall into one of the following categories:
• Cylindrical;
• Barrel;
• Conga;
• Waisted;
• Goblet;
• Bowl;
Different types of drums
1. Kick drums – often also referred to as the bass drum because of its very deep sound. In a drum kit it is always the largest drum which is actually located on the floor and played using a pedal that has a beater attached and when it is stepped on it hits the drum;
2. Snare drums - Generally a snare drum will measure 14 inches in diameter though there are exceptions to this. A snare has either wires or strings across the bottom, which creates the unique snare sound. These drums are often used in marching bands, which have a deeper sound, and there is also a piccolo snare, which is higher in tone than a regular snare;
3. Kettle drums
4. Tom drums – these are part of a general drum set and come in a range of sizes and the size determines the tone though generally to drums have a deep, resonant tone and are very melodic;
5. Bongo drums – bongos are two drums attached to each other and are played with hands as opposed to drumsticks. Fairly small the will usually fit easily in the lap or between the knees. They can also be played on stands. They originated from Cuba but are popular now in many parts of the world;
6. Djembe African drums – these drums are made in many sizes and if you are thinking of buying one make sure that it fits your height – depending of whether you plan to sit or stand when you play. They are played by your hands and are traditionally manufactured from wood – often mahogany.
Me, I just love the sound of drums and have done since I was a kid. But not just the regular old type my passion is African drums and the amazing tribal beats, so much so that I decided that I didn’t want to learn to play in the west. It made no sense to learn from people that didn’t have the feel for the land where the drums originated.
So what I did was I volunteered in Mozambique for twelve months in a tiny little village in the middle of nowhere determined to learn how to play the African drums while I was there. From the moment I stepped foot on African soil I knew that I had made the right decision and apart from loving the sound of African drums I had always been fascinated by the culture and spirituality of Africa. They seemed to have a strong connection to the earth, which I envied and struggled to understand.
The actual reason that I was in the village was to help teach the children different kinds of sport but because of my musical background it ended up being a mixture of sport and musical activities and I loved every minute of it.
During the day we would alternate between soccer and baseball on a dusty piece of land that doubled as a playing field. The soccer ball was old and a bit flat but the kids didn’t mind they loved running around and playing the game they didn’t care if the ball was flat or they were playing in bare feet or without uniforms. It was the game that mattered.
On alternate days I would play the guitar and they would sing along. They would teach me to speak in their native language and I would share English words with them. The children were the ones that started to tech me about playing the African drums. When I tried to play the drums they would laugh behind their hands at the clumsy foreigner and then correct me until I would get it right.
But the real learning about the African drums started after dark when the children were asleep at night. I would share food with the men of the tribe around the fire and they would talk to me about what it was like to live in Africa. And then we would start to play music with the African drums sending out their message across the plains and the men and women would dance out their message.
I felt privileged that they let me join them playing on the drums, that I was allowed such a special insight into their lives. They gave me drums of my own that they had specially made for me when I left and I will never forget how I learned to play the African drums.