Who Invented Drumming?

Drums and percussion technique were developed by various performers and technological advancements, therefore the question of who developed drumming cannot be answered conclusively.

drum kit

Since they have been present for centuries, drums have played a significant part in many different cultures. There is no one person who can claim to have invented drumming because different musicians and technological advancements contributed to the development of the drums and drumming style. But in the 1920s, American jazz drummers began fusing various drums and percussion instruments to create the current drum kits. Let's learn more about the origins of the drum and the legendary figures who shaped drumming into what it is today.

current set drums

Throughout history, drums were primarily used as separate instruments in military and orchestral music settings. In the 1860s, percussionists started combining several drums into a set.

drums

The invention of the first drum set in the late 19th century paved the way for the creation of the contemporary drum kit we know of today. Jazz drummers were among the first to put together drum sets, which makes sense given how crucial drums are to jazz music. Jazz drummers in New Orleans invented the current drum kit in the 1920s. They combined many drums, cymbals, and other percussion instruments to create a drum set out of classical instruments. Drummers were already customizing their kits by both the 1930s. The five-piece drums became the standard, despite the fact that drum kits still varied in terms of size and percussion/drum set count.

The components of a typical drum kit's basic arrangement were as follows:

  • Large hanging cymbals
  • Tom toms
  • Bass drum and foot pedal
  • Snare drum
  • Hi-hat cymbal

The evolution of drum kits as we know them now was influenced by the growth of rock music in the 1960s. Electronic drums were first produced in the early 1970s because of advances in technology and many drummers have subsequently substituted them for an acoustic kit. It is only appropriate to give them the time in the spotlight they merit because so many musicians had a significant impact on the evolution of the drums.

creators of the drumming

  • Gene Krupa
  • Dee Dee Chandler
  • Remo Belli
  • Baby Dodds
  • William Lusdwig
  • Louis Bellson
  • Graeme Edge
    • More

Summary

Instead of being created by a single individual, percussion and drum kits were developed throughout time by a number of musicians. In the 20th century, American jazz drummers like Baby Dodds, Dee Dee Chandler, Gene Krupa, and many more gave birth to the contemporary drum kit. Check out our page on the greatest drummers of all time if you're curious about other outstanding musicians who contributed to the development of the drum. This quick overview of drumming history is intended to pique your interest in the instrument and provide you with some background on its development.

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