The modern drum set didn’t appear overnight. It slowly developed from the drums and cymbals in marching bands and theater orchestras in the late 1800s. Back then, each percussion instrument needed a separate player. But smaller venues with limited space and budgets pushed drummers to play more than one instrument themselves.
A turning point came in the 1890s with the invention of the bass drum pedal. This tool allowed drummers to strike the bass drum with their foot, freeing their hands for other instruments. Soon, snare drums, cymbals, and woodblocks began to cluster around a single player.
In the 1920s and 1930s, jazz shaped the drum set into something more familiar. Pioneers like Gene Krupa and Chick Webb added tom-toms and hi-hats to their kits, making rhythms more dynamic. Drum manufacturers caught on and began producing kits with multiple components.
From swing to rock and beyond, the drum set has only grown louder, more complex, and more expressive. Today’s drum set reflects over a century of innovation, shaped by music, necessity, and the creativity of inventive players.
Saejin An For The Junior Times junior/1751271617/1613367831
1. What tool was invented in the 1890s?
2. Who added tom-toms and hi-hats to drums?
3. When did drum kits become more common?
4. Why is the drum set important in music?
1. What instrument do you want to learn?
2. Why do people enjoy making music?
3. What kind of music do you listen to?
4. Is music important in your life?
The modern drum set didn’t appear overnight. It slowly developed from the drums and cymbals in marching bands and theater orchestras in the late 1800s. Back then, each percussion instrument needed a separate player. But smaller venues with limited space and budgets pushed drummers to play more than one instrument themselves.
