| What would music be without drums? Drums are | | | | music, the drum kit includes other items such as |
| responsible for providing the backbone of the song. | | | | shakers and cow bells. In Africa, the djembe and |
| The drummer holds the rest of the song together by | | | | congo are popular drums. Other cultures use steel |
| providing the other musicians with a beat to follow. | | | | drums and other drums that are made from different |
| Even if a song doesn't specifically include drums, more | | | | materials such as gourds and animal skins. |
| than likely they do include other percussion instruments. | | | | Using Drums from other Countries |
| History of Drums | | | | In today's society, the media and internet have opened |
| Percussion instruments have been used since ancient | | | | us up to different types of music. As a result of this, |
| times. Drums especially were popular because they | | | | more western artists are starting to embrace other |
| could be made using easily obtainable materials. | | | | percussion instruments. For example, it isn't uncommon |
| Generally speaking, drums include a hollowed out body | | | | for a song to include different hand drums borrowed |
| which could be made of wood, clay, gourds, and other | | | | from the African or Middle Eastern cultures. |
| materials with some kind of animal skin or membrane | | | | If you are interested in using drums from other |
| stretched over the top. Ancient drums have been | | | | countries, your best bet is to expose yourself to the |
| found in archaeological dig sites and can be viewed in | | | | traditional music to get a feel for how the drums are |
| museums. | | | | traditionally played. It is fine to borrow an instrument |
| Drums Throughout the Cultures | | | | from another tradition, but to get the most out of the |
| Different cultures have different kinds of percussion | | | | experience it is worth it to learn the traditional playing |
| instruments. In the west, the drum set is popular. In Latin | | | | styles. |