Concert & Marching Drums > >

Showing 1 - 6 of 6 Results

If there are two drums in western culture that could be called traditional, it is the concert and marching drums. Neither drum has a particularly ancient tradition. Both drums follow the basic designs of any drum, having a shell and a membrane and other common drum-elements. What makes these drums stand out in the western musical tradition is their popularity and commonality. Concert drums have a place in just about every modern symphony on earth, while the marching drum can be found at nearly every school and military organization in the western hemisphere.

If you learned how to play a drum in school, or heard a drum played outdoors or during a televised parade, chances are you heard the distinct sounds of these musical stalwarts.

Concert drums come in several varieties, shapes and sizes. While the details may very, Concert drums are essentially snare drums. Concert drums are characterized by their large, firm cylindrical shape and their extremely solid, taught membrane. The drum is often mounted, played with a padded mallet by the musician standing before it. Concert drums are deep, and are often called bass drums, as this is their function in most orchestras and musical organizations.

Rock bands employ mounted bass drums worked over a foot-pedal as part of the standard drum set.

The Marching drum is similar to the Concert drum in many ways, but is instead mounted with a shoulder strap. The strap is put round the musician, who will then carry the drum during a band or military march. The Marching Drum differs also in the manner in which it is played. Instead of serving a bass function, it instead registers higher, creating the rat-a-tat familiar at all American high schools and parades. To facilitate the different sound, a different stick is used. Instead of the padded mallet often associated with the larger Concert drum, the Marching drum player will use wooden or synthetic sticks common to stationary drum sets.

Most drums designed for children follow the traditional Marching drum pattern. These drums carry particular significance in America, where they have a patriotic role as the signature drum pictured while whistling, “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

The marching bands of Michigan and Stanford are among the best in the nation, combing unique sounds and choreographed movements all timed to the tune of the Marching drum!

Many companies offer Concert and Marching drums for sale, most notably BMCmusicsource.com and the fine folks over at wwbw.com.

BMC music source provides shoppers with new and used drumming equipment, while at Woodwind and Brasswind consumers can find high quality, reasonably priced items with available financing.