The Evolution of the Drum Set

Presented by Jeff Moore

The Formative Years• U.S. beat based on swing pulse

• Combo of African and European cultures through slavery

• African singing, dancing, instrumental playing

• European time signatures, bar lines, 2/4 rhythms

• Became rhythmic foundation of singing, dancing & instrumental playing of southern African-Americans

Keeping African Polyrhythm Alive

• Playing African drums outlawed in countries with slaves

• U.S. , Caribbean, Brazil

• Strictest in U.S.

• African hand drumming not developed in U.S

• U.S. slaves used “gumbo box”

• jawbone

• washboard

• hand clapping

• stick stomping

• stomping on floor w/ feet

• In 1900’s, became tap dancing

“Padding”

• “Pattin’ Juba”• In African-American

communities

• In minstrel shows

• Closest to drum set playing

in U.S.

• Performed by striking

hands on knees, then

together, then one

shoulder, then the other

• All while keeping time and

singing

Drums on the March…

• Some percussion instruments European

• Triangle, tambourine

• Eventually snare & bass drum

• Some African -American drummers played in military

• Brass bands

• Fife & Drum bands

Late 1800’s, Early 1900’s

• African-American

drummers took leading

role in development of

drum set playing

• Applied swing pulse

• Pulse in popular music was

2/4 & marching feels

• African-American

communities added dancing

styles and swing beat

• Heavily influenced pulse of

U.S. music

Ragtime

• Ragtime popular in late 1800’s, early 1900’s

• Played on piano

• Roots in Euro. Classical, marching band & African-American community

• Bluesy melody

• End of 1800’s - drum set invented

• 1909 - Ludwig Drum Co. made first pedal

• Drum set configuration:

• Bass drum

• Snare drum

• Wood blockBuddy Gilmore

Warren “Baby” Dodds

Example of Ragtime

Early New Orleans Jazz

• New Orleans Jazz popular

from early 1900’s -

1930’s

• Played w/ strong 2-beat

swing or 4-4

• Played time on snare

drum, wood block, or

rims.

• Drum set now included

bass drum, snare drum,

cowbell, wood block, a

small tom & cymbals

Example of Early New Orleans Jazz

Big Band Swing

• 1930’s - high hat invented

• Drummers played time on high hat instead of on snare

• High hat opened & closed w/ left foot

• Also used left hand

• Floor tom added

• Big bands featured drum solos on toms

• Cymbals got larger

Shelly Manne

Gene Krupa

Papa Jo

Jones

Example of High Hat - 4/4 Swing

Example of Tom-Tom solo

Bebop

• Bebop developed in

1940’s

• Most drummers played

time on ride cymbal

• Punctuated time on snare

drum & bass drum

• With addition of ride

cymbal, drum set was

complete

• Snare, Bass, Tom-tom, ride

cymbal, high hat, tilted

cymbals

Kenny

Clarke

Max

Roach

Example of Bebop

Rhythm And Blues

• First commercial music w/ the 2 and 4 after beat.

• First done with hand claps, then the 2 and 4 beats on the snare drum by early 1950’s

• R&B - small group music, developed out of big bands

• Featured a “shouter”, a sax player, or both

• Drumming simpler than big band

• New shuffles were developed

Louis Jordan &

The Tympany

Five

Example of Rhythm and Blues

U.S. Roots Styles

• Include blues, country, and gospel

• Came from the U.S. South

• Folk music, usually without drums

• By late 1940’s, drum set added to roots styles to commercial music.

• Pulse of all styles was swing pulse

• Jazz drummers could adapt to the different styles

Gospel

• Hand claps important

in gospel style

• Late 1940’s, early

1950’s, drum set

added to popular

gospel recordings.

Example of Gospel

Blues

• Blues feel inspired

drummers to play

pulse w/ strong shuffle

beat

• Late 1940’s, early

1950’s

Sam Carr

Sam Lay

Example of Blues Shuffle

Country

• First music outside jazz to add drum set (1935)

• Country music in Nashville did not add drum set until early 50’s

• First played with brushes & snare drum

• Added bass drum & high hat.

• Popular rhythm was the “Ray Price Shuffle”• Brush w/ right hand, stick

w/ left

Example of Country - “Ray Price Shuffle”

Rock and Roll

• Developed in early 1950’s

• Based on swing feel

• Solid 2 and 4 after beats on snare drum

• Boogie-Woogie piano players inspired even beats

• Between swing and straight eighths

• 1956-57, some drummers playing straight eighths

Dick Richards with

Bill Haley & The Comets

DJ Fontana with Elvis

Jerry Allison with

Buddy Holly & The

Crickets

Example of Rock and Roll - Early swing

Example of Rock and Roll - Boogie-Woogie Style

Rock

• 1960’s -1970’s -drummers changing styles

• 1960’s - Jazz had new developments

• Phrases of 3’s and 2’s

• Rock drumming influenced by European players

• Drum set players from outside U.S. playing and adding to U.S. style

• Rock drummers of the 60’s played w/ strong swing pulse & easy style

Keith Moon

John

Bonham

Example of Rock

Funk

• 1960’s & 1970’s -

strong swing pulse in

funk music

• Double time swing feel

moved from ride

cymbal to high hat

• Bass & snare added

underneath

John “Jabo” Starks w/ James Brown

Gregg Errico w/ Sly & the Family Stone

Bernard

Purdie

Example of Funk - “James Brown Style”

Jazz/Rock• Mid 1960’s - jazz

musicians blending modal and free jazz w/ soul, funk, & rock

• Bringing music of other cultures

• Caribbean, South America & India

• Many players were from Europe

• Developed “jazz/rock”

• Became “Fusion” in 1970’s

• Drummers able to play in odd time signatures

• Drum sets got larger

Steve Gadd

Dave Weckl