Percussion instruments are perhaps the oldest type of musical instruments in history. The voice, of course, was probably the first instrument, with percussion coming in as a close second. When you think about the drum and percussion, in it's rural beginnings, you may think of tribal beats from Africa, and maybe the Polynesias.



The term 'percussion' comes from the Latin terms 'percussion' and 'percussus', roughly translates to the beating of something with another object; it can be the sound created by clapping hands, beating sticks, logs, rocks or anything else that emits a noise or creates an audible vibration once struck. In modern time, when you hear the word percussion, the drum probably comes to mind. Percussion instruments have come a long way from their beginnings to create complex and enjoyable sounds that become an integral part of the layering and texture of music today.

The drum is perhaps one of the earliest inventions of the percussion instruments. Originally, the drum was comprised of hollowed out logs of trees. You may have seen versions at luaus. Eventually, the drum came to be a hollowed out stump with a leather skin stretched over it. In Eastern countries the drum was used in meditation practice, and in the South Pacific, the drums were used in ceremonial chants and dances. For many, the importance of the drum was to create rhythmic patterns. These rhythmic patterns are the back bone of music.

As the back bone of a musical composition, the drums may not be recognized as crucial or the top of mind when you think about modern day music, but for musicians, it is recognized that the drummer, and the bass player are really the core of the band. They may not be the ones that the crowd is cheering for, but they are the people that keep everything grounded. A group with a bad drummer is not a group very long...or a successful group very long.

Percussion Instruments have been used all throughout history, which is evident when studying what instruments people used in the past. And, while the drum may be mainly focused to some popular uses like traditional Rock, and Jazz, the drum is still prominent in Japanese culture, military marching, and tribal cultures. The next time you are enjoying your favorite cd, ask yourself what makes it so good. You may realize that the drums have alot to do with it.