 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
Drum/Percussion Lessons
Drums are the world's oldest and most ubiquitous musical instruments. The basic design of the drum has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. A drum is essentially a membrane stretched over a frame or shell of some kind that produces a sound when struck with a stick, the hand or a foot pedal. Drum kits or trap sets were developed in the modern era so that orchestras could save money on the number of musicians. Percussionists were encouraged to play as many instruments as they could and this naturally led to the drumkit as we know it today.
Drum lessons starts with fundamentals including rudiments, snare work and learning how to keep time. One of the main functions of the drummer is to set the time for the rest of the band to follow. Developing a steady sense of time is vital to every drummer.
The history of the drum goes back as far as we have existed. It is widely considered the first musical instrument and has had many uses over time including as a means of communication. The talking drums of Africa can imitate the inflections and pitch variations of a spoken language and are used for communicating over great distances. Throughout Sri Lankan history drums have been used for communication between the state and the community, and Sri Lankan drums have a history stretching back over 2500 years. Chinese troops used drums to motivate troops, to help set a marching pace and to call out orders or announcements. Fife-and-drum corps of Swiss mercenary foot soldiers also used drums. They used an early version of the snare drum carried over the player's right shoulder, suspended by a strap (typically played with one hand using traditional grip). It is to this instrument that the English word "drum" was first used.
home | music lessons | teachers | early childhood | student policies | programs | contact | sitemap
Bradford School of Music | 1600 Osgood Street | North Andover, MA 01845| 978.685.7900
web design by Michael Mersha <Mik>