Print This Post
We at Black River Music Plus-Drums will no longer maintain this blog. It will remain published to allow access to archived articles and posts. Please visit our new blog at www.vt-drums.com.
And of course, see our drumming products store, Black River Music Plus-Drums now at www.brmpdrums.com
For Fife & Drum information and resources please visit our affiliated website – Fife and Drum Music On-Line
Thanks,
-Joe & Phyllis
Print This Post
Black River Music Plus T-Shirts available in sizes: SM, M, L, XL and 2XL
Print This Post
by dnb700
Whether you are a beginning drummer or an old pro you may be thinking about replacing your old drum set. But, have you decided on a specific brand?
Since there are many different drum manufacturers on the market, choosing a new drum set can be a little challenging. Here ‘s a little background and history on some of the most popular drum brands on the market today…
Yamaha
Yamaha first manufactured drums in 1968. Early Yamaha drum equipment borrowed concepts from from Ludwig drum set models. But Yamaha soon acquired a place among the top drum manufacturers and led the industry with innovative shell construction and finish techniques.
In 1993 Yamaha came out with the Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System, known as YESS, for mounting drums. YESS hardware minimizes shell to mount contact, allowing maximum drum resonance.
Additionally, the mounting hardware is attached to the shell at its nodal points where the shell ‘s vibrations are of the lowest amplitude. In 1995 the RC 9000 Yamaha drums were reintroduced, enhanced with the YESS.
In addition to making acoustic drum kits and hardware, Yamaha is also a major manufacturer of best selling electronic drums. Popular Yamaha electronic drums, in order of increasing cost, are the Yamaha DTXpress, Yamaha DTXpress Special, and Yamaha DTXreme.
Tama
Tama manufacture first focused on drum hardware, whose demand was increasing due to the rise of rock music, which required sturdy equipment for loud playing.
Tama led the industry with rugged double braced 36 inch tripods, and introduced the first boom cymbal stand in production. Tama also made the first multi-clamp hardware, letting drummers easily extend their drumsets.
In the late 70s Tama was further solidified as a brand name by the introduction of the Octobans. The Octobans are sets of six inch diameter tubes with tunable drum-heads that can produce an octave range pich.
Octobans were extensively used by Stewart Copeland, drummer of the Police, within his Tama Imperial Star drumset during the late 70s and early 80s.
DW
Drum Workshop, or DW for short, is the leading new American drum company and offers a large variety of snare drum shell materials including aluminum, copper, steel, brass, brass/maple combination, a great selection of lacquered finishes, and various types of rims.
In 1980, DW patented the chain and sprocket bass drum pedal drive system, which is the industry standard today.
The first chain and sprocket model was the 5000CX, which was followed by the addition of a stabilizing footboard on the 5000T Turbo model, and an offset sprocket for quicker action on the 5000A Accelerator. During the 1980s Drum Workshop also led the industry in manufacturing of double bass pedals based on their 5000 series.
Drum Workshop followed their accomplishment in pedal making with great success in their drum manufacturing effort. Today, DW is a leading custom drum manufacturer.
Ludwig
The Ludwig company was established in America by two German-born brothers, the older William F. and the younger Theobald Ludwig.
Working as a vaudeville drummer in Chicago in 1908, William Ludwig became dissatisfied with the clumsy foot pedals of the day. He began designing pedals capable of fast tempos and high power, and had them made out of wood by a cabinet maker. The Ludwig & Ludwig company started out by mass producing durable metal version ‘s of William ‘s pedals.
Ludwig drums were selling strong throughout the 1920s, but the invention of the talking movie, which decreased demand for live percussion, and the US market crash in 1929 severely curtailed Ludwig sales. William Ludwig then sold his company in 1929 to the GC Conn Manufacturing Co. of Elkhart, Indiana, which by now also owns Leedy drums.
Ludwig continued working under GC Conn until 1937, when he became dissatisfied and left to start a new drum manufacturing operation with his son, William F. Jr. They name their new company William F. Ludwig Drum Company.
In February of 1964, Ringo Starr appeared on the Ed Sullivan show playing a Ludwig drum set that he picked out at a central London location of the Drum City store. The words "The Beatles" were centered on the bass drum, with the Ludwig logo printed above.
This exposure gave Ludwig instant recognition and it became the number one drum manufacturer in the world until Japanese manufacturers started making major headway in the early 70s.
Pearl
Pearl drums, manufactured by the Pearl Instrument Company, are the most widely used drum kits today. Katsumi Yanagisawa, the founder of Pearl, started his company in 1946 in Tokyo Japan. He did not start out by making Pearl drums and drum kits, but music stands.
In 1966 Pearl introduced the first professional drum kit under the Pearl name, the Pearl President. Until then Pearl drums were sold under their distributors labels.
Pearl then became the first Japanese drum brand to penetrate the United States and UK. The boom in Japanese manufacturing increased the cost of production in Japan, and in 1973, Pearl moved a great deal of its manufacturing operations to Taiwan.
Today pearl drums are manufactured in the United States, Taiwan, and Japan, with a corporate headquarters in Chiba, Japan. Pearl drums are also among the most widely copied models among drum manufacturers.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the most popular drum brands on the market. There are also many others such as Gretsch, Slingerland, Sonor, and more.
Choosing a drum set is really a personal preference, and choosing one can be rather confusing. The main thing is to choose a drum set with a good reputation and one that is pleasing to your ear.
Daniel N. Brown has been drumming since 1976, and is the author of the best-selling eBook, The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Drums and Cymbals!" Get a FREE Special Introduction to his eBook when you subscribe to his FREE "Drummer ‘s Edge" e-Letter…
http://www.dbDrumTips.com
Print This Post
Advanced Rudimental Etudes for Snare Drum – Book/DVD– by Dennis Johnson
With this latest book, Dennis Johnson offers us an exciting and challenging compilation of rudimental drum solos.
Yes, this is, as stated, an advanced collection; but there are some only moderately difficult pieces. One piece, "The Old Timer", which is dedicated all of those over 40, is an updated variation of old time traditional rudimental drum pieces and reminiscent of “The Downfall of Paris”, “Hell on the Wabash”, “The Connecticut Half-time” and others.
Dennis champions his flams – being well representative in all his etudes – especially (and obviously) in his, “You Want Flams With That?”
It’s a testament to Dennis Johnson’s creativity to be able to compose an interesting and technically helpful drum score using primarily, flams!
I also very much like his use of 32nd note duple (or triplet 16th note) entries into his paradiddles phrases – very effective and great exercise!
Some of the solos in this book are affectionately dedicated to Dennis’s family members: his wife – “The Porcelain Doll”, his son – “Solo for David”, his dad – “Kenny Boy”, friends and even his cats – “Three’s a Crowd” and “Katula”!
Dennis Johnson has spent the last two-and-a-half decades teaching and arranging for school bands throughout the State of Alabama. He studied music at Auburn University where he performed in marching band, wind ensemble, symphonic band, jazz band and the percussion ensemble.
He marched for the DCI drum and bugle corps, The Spirit of Atlanta, under Tom Float.
Dennis is now on the threshold of a new career as a drummer for stage bands in the popular theme parks of Tennessee.
Pop into your player the DVD included with Advanced Rudimental Etudes for Snare Drum and see, hear Dennis Johnson perform the contents of the book and then know why any orchestra in the country would fortunate to have him.
Best to you Dennis on your new life in Tennessee!
See also, Dennis Johnson’s previously published, Let’s Learn to Drum – an excellent beginning snare drummers’ instructor.
-Joe
Print This Post
Rock and roll artists have a tendency to think that they invented the concept of rebellion. That before their genre came along, everything was goody-two-shoes and Miss Manners. What they forget is that the music industry has always been a place of innovation a source of social uproar. Even the waltz, when it was first introduced, was considered an outrage at first because of how close couples had to get to dance to it! Yes, rock and roll artists are just following in the industry ‘s grand tradition of scandal, a tradition that at no time has been more prevalent than in the era of swing jazz, or swing music. In its day, swing music was the ultimate revolution, a violent break from the Charleston of the previous decade. Swing music was characterized by a strong rhythmic drive and, and the bands that played it were anchored by equally strong rhythmic sections. Such sections tended to be led by drummers whose personalities were as big as their music, and a number of the jazz drummers of swing remain legends even today.
Sonny Greer (1895-1982) is best known for his work with the legendary Duke Ellington. A native of New Jersey, he eventually became Ellington ‘s first drummer in 1919 at the age of 24. Greer was not only a drummer; he also designed the instruments with the Leedy Drum Company. This job enabled him to put together a drum kit worth over $3000, the equivalent of nearly $36,000 today. This gentleman did his part to live up to the image of jazz music as a genre of debauchery. He was a heavy drinker and a pool-hall hustler and unfortunately, these qualities eventually led to a permanent estrangement between him and Ellington. He continued to work as a freelance drummer and briefly led his own band, but Greer ‘s association with Ellington marked the pinnacle of his success.
Gene Krupa (1909-1973) was known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style of drumming. He was a member of a number of bands, although the biggest name he ever played with was undoubtedly Benny Goodman. Krupa ‘s drumming is featured in the flagship of swing music, Goodman ‘s "Sing, Sing, Sing." His association with this song made him an immediate national celebrity. Although he, like Greer, had a falling out with his band leader and left the group as a result, his career did not falter. In spite of the occasional stint in jail due to possession of marijuana, Krupa continued to perform into the early 1970s.
William Henry Webb, aka Chick Webb (c.1905-1939) was a precocious child who saved up enough money from his paper route to purchase a drum set; he first played professionally at the age of 11. In addition to being a drummer, Webb was the long-time leader of his own band, which was the house band at the famous Savoy Ballroom. The Savoy often hosted "Battle of the Bands" contests, in which Webb ‘s band was pitted against the likes of the Benny Goodman and Count Basie Orchestras. The biggest name associated with Webb is Ella Fitzgerald, who he began to feature as a vocalist in 1935 when the singer was 18. After Webb ‘s early death (due to complications from a childhood bout of tuberculosis), Fitzgerald continued to lead his band for four years before leaving to focus on her solo career.
Bernard "Buddy" Rich (1917-1987) was billed as "the world ‘s greatest drummer" and was known for his power, speed, and experimentation with technique. He, like Webb, was drawn to drumming at an early age, and when he was 18 months old, he made his musical debut in vaudeville. He never received any formal drum education, and may have had more raw talent than any other drummer of his generation. During his career, he was associated with a number of famous names, including Tommy Dorsey, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for drums, jazz, swing, sheet music, guitar tabs, and home theater audio.
Print This Post
This last Saturday, St. Valentine’s Day, one of the world’s greatest all-time drummers died. Louis was in poor health of late after injuries from a debilitating fall. However, the exact details for the reason for his passing, as of the writing, are still not clear.
With Gene, Buddy, Cozy and Max gone, Louis was the last of the pantheon of the set-drumming gods of my youth.
There are hundreds of tributes to Louis Bellson on the web. Here is a wonderful one from Hudson Music.
-Joe
Print This Post
I’ve recently subscribed to Google’s GoogleAlerts for news and blog posts with the keywords: drums, drumming, drummers, etc. Within the article and news releases for drum related video game, brake drums and barrels I find some relevant, well written items. This article was salient for me for two reasons. Beth’s feelings about the sound of contemporary drum and bugle corps or marching band drum line and familiarity I immediately felt regarding the author.
My concern is with what is now being accepted as what a snare drum should sound like. (Beth goes beyond the snare drum in her discussion.) The modern high-tension, floating head snare drum is barely a snare drum at all. Drop of the snares on one and the difference is little. The snares are so thick, the heads are also thick as well as extremely tight that what is heard when played is so high, the snares matter little. Beyond this, the sound of impact projects straight up off the head, deafening the performer and giving little sound to the listener. (I once while waiting for the step off of a firemen’s convention parade I came up behind a drum line I occasionally marched with at the time and could barely hear them. This line had about 10 snare drummers playing 13" high-tension snare drums! Many times playing solo with my little fife and drum corps, I had comments that I can be heard a half-mile away).
This probably means nothing to many. But as I said above, I am concerned that generations of drummer will think that a marching snare drum should sound like a ping-pong ball hitting a paddle.
There is so much I can say about the corruption of the art of rudimental drumming since the introduction of these over torqued beasts. What was the beautiful discipline of motion involving arms, wrists (and some fingers) has become a showy display of finger diddling. This new evolution (or devolution) is fast, impressive and some times even creative. But I don’t think it’s rudimental drumming.
The second thing jumping up at me when reading the blog article was that Beth is the person that had sent me a few months ago two novel leg-rests!
So much for my venting, please read Beth’s thoughts I’ve quoted below:
drumming thoughts
So I’ve been at it for about eight months now, practicing in earnest since late January. Between finding free exercises on the internet, trying out different drum sticks and practice pads and cobbling together a marching snare drum from assorted used parts, I’ve developed not only a passable roll but some opinions about the state of drum corps and marching percussion these days. In no particular order:
1. Today’s marching snare drums are tuned too high. The resonance has gone out of them, and so has the depth. There are differences between a drum line of 1980 and 1990, between 1990 and today. Back in 1990, the first high-tension snares had trickled down to some high school drum lines. The heads were very high tension but there was still some depth to the tone quality, some "bottom" to the crack of the rim shot. Today’s drum line have almost none of that left, as drums have been redesigned to be totally high-end, all treble and nothing else. Drum parts have evolved too; lots of buzz rolls, one-handed buzzes and other things that don’t reflect traditional rudiments in the same way. I would say there’s lots of finesse and precision in today’s drum parts, but not as much "beef", not as much rudimental focus. After comparing and contrasting the different approaches, I can say I have no desire to play a modern super-high tension drum. I LIKE my older drum with its beefier sound and slightly slower response. I have to work a little harder to get a clean roll but really, that’s okay.
2. As marching snares went higher in tension and pitch, so did the rest of the drum line. Tenors got smaller, tighter and higher. So did tonal bass drums (on further reflection this may not be a bad thing, especially if you have to carry one. Bass drums in 1978 were HUGE, and well beyond my physical size and ability to carry at age 15!). The whole sound of a modern drum line is pitched noticeably higher than its predecessor of ten years ago, which is pitched higher than ITS predecessor of ten years earlier still. Not sure I’m crazy about this trend. While it certain makes some drum parts easier to hear above the range of the middle brasses, it takes some depth and muscle out of the overall sound of a corps or marching band.
3. Three-valve Bb brass are marching band instruments: trumpets, french horns, baritones, euphoniums and over-the-shoulder tubas. But they’re most definitely NOT bugles. And while Bb band brasses offer diatonic possibilities like never before, they don’t *sound* like bugles. (Any decent brass player will tell you that in most cases that third valve is mostly for alternate fingerings in fast passages, and not absolutely necessary to enjoy a full diatonic range on the instrument.) Just as long as we’re clear.
4. The introduction of electronics and microphones and all the rest into drum corps for the 2009 season makes me really sad. It’s not drum corps anymore, and I’m not scared of sounding like a dinosaur. Drum corps has been an acoustic art form for nearly 80 years. Introducing electronics is simply more evidence that the "muscle" has gone out of the sound.
5. Personal faves, sticks and pads: (a) I’ve been liking the Corps Master series from Vic Firth, especially the MS-1. I think that I’m gravitating towards matched grip more and more, and this shorter, beefy stick feels balanced and nice to play. I’m still looking for the "perfect" stick. (b) I settled on the basic Vic Firth two-sided practice pad, in a 13" size that fits neatly on top of a snare drum for quiet at-home practice. The two sides offer two different surfaces to practice on for different purposes and it’s nice to switch back and forth when I want to clean a roll or really work on pulling strokes out of the head more.
I begin rehearsals with Pacific Crest Wind Symphony (PCWS) in two weeks. Meanwhile, I’ve also found the Spartans Alumni listserv, which I was encouraged to join last spring at the Sellwood drum reuinion. I finally did, receiving a friendly welcome and finding a couple of people I marched with in 1978. Heavens, that seems SO long ago now. Because it was. Sweetie’s been a good sport about it all, giving me time and space in the house when I need to practice on more than a practice pad. I am playing drums again and it feels really good. "
Print This Post
Print This Post
I recently posted an enthusiastic review of the 2008 KoSa Percussion Workshop and Festival held at Castleton State College, Castleton, VT. I was soon after contacted by the festival’s director, Aldo Mazza, asking if I were interested in carrying KoSa’s DVD covering all the aspects of 2006 KoSa workshop held at Johnson State College in Vermont. Of course, being a big fan of the event, I jumped at the opportunity.
The DVD is KoSa Eleven/Live 2006.
Please check it out!
-Joe
Print This Post
The founder of KoSa, Aldo Mazza, pointed out to me that the workshop and festival has been held at Johnson State College rather than at Lyndon State College as I initially stated.
Also, Mr. Mazza clarified that the name Kosa translates with more emphasis than I indicated in the previous post: it means "thing" as THE thing or the ultimate.
-Joe
Copyright © 2008 Black River Music Word. Powered by Wordpress and Fastway 2.0.
