FULL Drums - Part 2: Bass Drums
In Complete Drums Part 1 , we learned about essential information about the Snare drum and how it has become such an important part of contemporary music. In this part 2, we will talk about Bass Drum - Big Daddy of the whole rig.
Also known as the “Kick” drum, the Bass drum is usually the largest and the only drum played with a foot pedal. It is usually placed on the floor, the front facing the audience.
Bass drums are usually placed in the center of the drum rig
Bass drums are used in almost every musical style, from jazz and classical to death metal - although they are used differently depending on the genre. In contemporary music, the Bass drum and the Snare drum are the most important components of the drum kit. Bass drums provide “bass” and are usually played on strong beats (beats 1 and 3) while Snare is played on lighter beats (beats 2 and 4). In jazz music, the bass drum is often played very softly to create a pulse that is felt more than heard, but is also used to drop "bombs" (powerful voices). In classical music, the bass drum provides powerful thunder, and marching bands use it as a means of setting the tempo of the march.
BASS . Drum History
The Bass drum is a descendant of the davul or tabl turki (Turkish drum) dating back to the 1300s, making it one of the oldest percussion instruments. The Davul is a double-ended, stringed drum, 60cm to 70cm in diameter and played with a wooden stick or by hand. It was used by Ottoman military bands, but was also an important part of demilitarized music in that part of the world.
In the 18th century, Turkish troops and military bands entered Europe, where davul was introduced to music written by Gluck, Mozart, and Haydn. Eventually, composers like Berlioz and Verdi used the bass drum in their compositions, and it became an important part of orchestral percussion.
In the early 20th century, the invention of the foot pedal revolutionized the art of drumming by allowing a drummer to simultaneously play Bass, Snare and Hi-hat drums. The idea of having a single drummer in a band has spread since the Big Band era and continues to this day - although there have been bands known for having two drummers playing kits simultaneously. individual.
Foot Pedal has revolutionized the art of drumming
TYPES OF WOODEN BASS Drums:
Bass drums are usually made from a variety of woods such as birch, beech or maple (birch, oak or maple). They can also be made from fiberglass, stainless steel and acrylic, but wood is by far the most popular material.
Birch is used to manufacture covers for Yamaha Recording Custom and Stage Custom drums. It emphasizes low and high frequencies, delivering a bright, vibrant sound with slightly reduced mid frequencies. Aries is highly performant and pairs well with other musical instruments.
Maple is a very popular wood for drum casings and is used in Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple and Tour Custom drums. It delivers warm bass, balanced lows and highs, and slightly enhanced mids. The shell of the Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple drum uses an inner layer of wood, a hard and heavy wood that combines with maple to produce a rich, clear sound at all dynamic levels.
The oak wood, used in the Yamaha Live Custom Hybrid Oak drums, produces round, mellow highs and extended, warm lows with multiple volume levels. The Live Custom Hybrid Oak is made from a single piece of oak wood surrounded by a dense layer of phenolic - a design that emphasizes performance while increasing the drum's dynamic range. In addition, weight placed in the bass drum at lug points reduces mid-low frequencies to produce a focused and tight sound.
The Yamaha PHX (Phoenix) drum shell is made from jatoba, kapur and North American maple. This unique construction maximizes the performance and increases the vibration of the drum head.
Unlike the Snare and Tom drum pegs, the Bass drum pegs are made of wood and use a "rotating pin" to hold the strap to the drum. The belt bars used with these swivels may have T-handles for easy adjustment.
The belt bar is used to hold the wooden ring on the Bass drum
SIZE OF BASS Drum:
As with any other type of drum, the basic pitch of a bass drum is determined by the diameter and depth of the shell: larger and deeper shells usually produce a lower pitch. The deeper shell also provides better performance, produces more overtones, and adds "boom" to the sound. In general, shallow shells are more responsive and can produce a softer sound.
Bass drums are designed for use in drum kits that come in a variety of diameters, from 18 to 26 inches (50cm to 66cm), with an average depth of 14 to 18 inches (35cm to 45cm). The marching bass drums can be significantly larger, and the bass drums in some compact drum kits have a narrower depth. For example, the new Yamaha Stage Custom Hip Bass drum is just 8 inches (20cm) deep, making it easier to transport.
Yamaha Stage Custom Hip Bass Drum is only 20cm deep
Case diameters of 45cm – 50cm are common for jazz music, while 60cm – 70cm diameters are standard for most other music genres (m number of heavy rock drummers prefer upper diameter Bass drums). 70cm because of the great bass). Using a large diameter Bass drum means that your stand Toms have to be placed higher, so make sure you can get the Toms where you want them when choosing a Bass drum size.
Yamaha Stage Custom Bop Kit includes a 45.7cm . Bass Drum
Yamaha Tour Custom
FIXED Drum BASS:
In addition to fixed pins, bars, or rings, bass drum casings often have hardware attached to them. Legs or “stalks” attached to each side of the housing serve the purpose of preventing the drum from drifting out of place. Some Bass drum stands have convertible ends: Rubber feet for use on hard floors and spiked feet for use on carpets.
Bass drums also have the important job of being the pillar for the holders of the Tom drums, so many are equipped with brackets that mount at the top of the case, such as those used on the Yamaha Live Custom Hybrid Oak drums. :
Bass drum end holder supports Tom or Hi-hat . stands
These stands typically support one or two Toms, but can also be used to mount Hi-hat stands. The Tom Holder is important because it's the only way to mount two center Toms on the Bass drum.
"CLOSE IN THE Drum Face"
Many drummers like to cut a hole in the front of the bass drum, which changes the impact of the sound while also making it easy to put a cloth inside to dampen the drum's reverberation. This hole also facilitates microphone placement, and that's important in situations where the drums are being recorded or amplified through a PA system. However, jazz drummers often prefer a pure tone and often don't choose holes or any damping inside the drum.
A hole in the front of the bass drum makes mic placement easy.
Bass drums are an important part of your kit both in terms of sound and the physical arrangement of the drum kit. You should spend a lot of time researching to make sure you choose the right style you like.
Article compiled by VIET MUSIC. Any reproduction requires written consent.
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