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5500 BCE
The Ancient Drum
The first drums were discovered in the neolithic era dated back at approximately 5000 BC. These drums were made with a fish skin wrapped and stretched over a hollow tree trunk and stuck with the players hands rather than drum sticks. http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/drum -
3000 BCE
The Frame Drum
Frame drums were used in ancient Middle Eastern countries. The first frame drums also introduced the first drum stick in order to play the instrument by stretching animal skin over a stick. Frame drums quickly brought many adaptions from the ancient Greeks and Romans. http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/drum -
Jan 1, 1400
The Tabor
Thanks to the advancement of the frame drum, Arabs adapted the tabor, an instrument was commonly seen including a snare, which were thin animal guts that were stretched across the drum head in order to create a rattling noise. The tabor was the first drum to instrument the ancient ancestor of the modern drum stick as well as the ancient ancestor of the modern snare drum. http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/drum -
The Large Kettledrum
When large kettledrums were introduced to Western Europe, many advancements were quickly produced. The kettles that were used in these drums were created out of brass and copper rather than the ancient material, which was wood. On top of this, these were the first drums to be used in orchestras. http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/drum -
The Tenor Drum
The tenor drum was introduced as an alternative to the snare drum, in that the tenor drum did not have snares and was slightly larger than the snare drum. This drum was only used in the military until the 1900s. http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/drum -
The Timpani
The timpani was introduced in the late 19th century as the final advancement for the kettledrum. The timpani is still used today as a very common orchestral instrument. http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/drum -
Introduction of Plastic Heads
Up until 1950, all drum heads were made out of animal skin. However, during the 1950s, scientists tested the use of polyester rather than animal skin and was a great success due to the large amount of raw materials and reliability. http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/drum -
The Modern Snare Drum
Finally, in the 1970s, the modern snare drum was invented from many advancements in the tenor drum, tabor, and kettledrum. This modern snare drum is the same drum that is used today orchestrally. http://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/performing-arts/music-theory-forms-and-instruments/drum
