The World of Drums

Next to the human voice, percussion instruments were likely the first musical devices ever used, starting with hand against hand. The urge to tap, clap, and move to a rhythm is innate in all of us. So the art and practice of drumming has been in development for the span of human history. Hooray for progress. Yet even with the latest synthetic crashes and splashes, algorithmically generated grooves, and electronic beats, it seems that people will never tire of the primitive sound of wood against stretched animal skin or of the sight of the musicians creating them. When talented drummers are moving fast, it's almost machine-like. But machines have no soul. So, no matter how much technology comes between the person and the sound, the most compelling rhythms will always be born in the human soul. That's the power of music.

The Drummer's World

	Some of Ways Drums Have Been Used Throughout the Ages   Musical Accompaniment Give me the beat, boys Dance Accompaniment From clogging to belly dancing Communication Before they laid fiber optics in the jungle Military Command Rat-a-tat-tat, shoot at that   Teambuilding Gets out aggression and there's no trust fall   Therapy You know beating something makes you happy   Socializing Drum circles pulls a group together   Ceremony Plenty of circumstances for pomp   Prayer Native American tradition with a higher purpose

Some of the Many Types of Drums

Like people, drums have more in common than in contrast. In fact what is essentially the same drum will be sold as a different instrument if only to retain a different design, material, or country of origin.

Frame-Type Drums
Irish Bodhran	Egyptian Deff	Tambourine	Frame Drum
Played with a double-ended beater	Often ornate. Played with the hand.	A worldwide shaker and sometimes frame drum.	All-purpose shallow hand or beater drums
Tar	Riq	Ocean Drum	Buffalo Drum
Middle-eastern version, played with hand	Sophisticated frame drum with small cymbals	Fun and versatile. Beads make an ocean sound.	Frame drum with Native American motif
Goblet-Type Drums
Djembe	Doumbek		Zarb
African drum played with whole hand	Egyptian and Turkish drum played mostly with the fingers		Persian-style with defined edges
Barrel-Type Drums
Dhol	Historical Drum	Tubano®	Log Drum
Double-ended. Played with two sticks	Recalling medieval and renaissance periods	Remo's kid-friendly, conga-like creation	Emulation of one of the earliest African drums
Conga	Pakhawaj	Khol	Davul
Two hand drums for two separate pitches	Double-ended. Favored for Dhrupad-style music.	East-Indian style. Ceramic or Fiberglass body.	Old-style Turkish, two-headed wood drum
Truncated Cone-Type Drums
Ashiko	Bongos		Drum Table
Rosewood or Mango wood, rope or bolt tuning	A pair of small hand drums of different pitches		Actual furniture with drum heads
Double-Ended Truncated Cone-Type Drums
Hudak		Talking Drum
Two-headed talking drum that makes a whaaa-whaaa sound		Double-ended drum which can change pitch easily with a squeeze
Bowl-Shaped Drums
Tablas	Jug Drum		Nakers
A pair of hand drum in different materials and sizes	Food and water containers transformed to musical purposes		A pair of small kettle drums. Player with beaters

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