From the Roots Up

The Evolution of the Pipe Band Drummer and his Drum

Brief History

The earliest form of the snare drum was the medieval tabor. The tabor is a double headed drum. It was often played along with a three-holed pipe in the Middle Ages. Today this combination can still be found in modern European folk music. The tabor gradually increased in size during the 15th century and emerged as a military instrument by the 16th century. It was popularized by the fife-and-drum corps of Swiss mercenary foot soldiers. Their snare was carried over the right shoulder on a strap. Unlike the modern [private_bronze] drum kit snare that uses: curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, these soldiers first used laces to increase the tension of the drumheads.

It was accomplished by lacing a cord in a W or Y pattern around the shell, and when the drum head was struck, it vibrated the cord against the bottom head producing a cracking sound. Snare drums were then primarily used as a military instrument and are still associated with the infantry.

And it is from these Swiss roots that the pipe band began life in the military, and we know from regimental records that pipers and drummers have served in regiments for centuries. The drumming in pipe bands is as ancient as the concept of formed military units; their original purpose on the battlefield was to signal tactical movements and keep pace on the march. There is little wonder that their power had such a profound, integral effect on contemporary music; the sound of the original Highland Snares, played by pipe band drummers is not unlike the contemporary backbeat snare of today.

The Birth of the Drum Kit

1. Bass Drum 2. Floor Tom 3. Snare 4. Tom’s 5. Hi-Hat 6. Crash & Ride Cymbals 

The drum kit evolved from these military beginnings by changing the conventions and playing styles, out of sheer natural progression. Conventionally, drums were always played separately in the pipe band. The bass and snare drums were played by hand, until the end of the nineteenth century when they began to experiment with foot pedals to play the bass drum. William F. Ludwig made the bass drum pedal usable in 1909, paving the way for the modern drum kit; Ludwig remains a well respected drum brand to this day. The move from the separate drummers in the Pipe Band progressed to what we see sometimes see in the street and categorise as “The One Man Band”. By WWI, very large marching bass drums with many other percussion items suspended on and around it became popular, subsequently becoming a central part of jazz music.

Style

There is a particular art to Pipe band drumming, and the associated skills are as important as Guitar Scales for Beginners. Pipe band drumming is a combination technique and feel. It focuses on technique, ensemble unity, and rhythmic interpretation or feel; not unlike Jazz. When we see a pipe band drummer playing the snare we can see and hear the skill involved. Timing and technique are of the utmost importance, just as important to a drummer as to someone who wants to know how to learn the guitar. Military playing of the snare drum was learned by rote and oral tradition into the 19th century, and it wasn’t until the snare’s eventual orchestral use that players needed any form of musical notation. Certain drummers in Basel, Switzerland, still maintain a particularly difficult traditional playing technique. Although still mostly playable by ear and with good rhythm, some modern compositions and jazz playing may require special effects, such as those obtained by releasing the snares, striking the rim, or using fingers, nonstandard sticks, or wire brushes.

Buddy Rich

No discourse on the snare drum, its origins, or indeed drumming in general would be complete without mentioning Buddy Rich. When considering the rolling snare rhythms of a pipe band drummer we can see where the contemporary styles of drummers such as Rich have derived; he is the epitome of this evolutionary drummer. Just watch Buddy Rich’s technique (in particular his snare work with the left hand) in this video and you can see what all the fuss is about.

Rich’s technique has its roots in military snare drumming, and his has been one of the most standardized and coveted in all drumming. His dexterity, speed and smooth execution are considered holy grails of technique. While Rich typically held his sticks using traditional grip, he was also a skilled match grip player, and was one of few drummers to master the one-handed roll on both hands. Some of his more spectacular moves are crossover riffs, where he would criss-cross his arms from one drum to another, sometimes over the arm, and even under the arm at unfathomable speed. Because drummers are improving and because learning the instrument is becoming much more technical these days, it does become more necessary to learn all the theory in the same way as a guitar player would benefit greatly by learning the Pentatonic Scale; particularly if the learner aspires to be as good as legends such as Buddy Rich.

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