Adrumheadordrum skinis amembranestretched over one or both of the open ends of adrum.The drumhead is struck with sticks, mallets, or hands, so that itvibratesand thesoundresonatesthrough the drum.
Additionally outside of percussion instruments, drumheads are also used on some string instruments, most notably thebanjo.
History
editOriginally, drumheads were made fromanimal hideand were first used in early human history, long before records began.[1]The termdrumheadis first attested in English in 1580, in the writings of the soldierThomas Churchyard,who mentioned how "Dice plaie began... on the toppe of Drommes heddes".[2]
In 1956, Chick Evans invented the plastic drumhead. Plastic drumheads made from polyester are cheaper, more durable, and less sensitive to weather than animal skin. In 1957,Remo Belliand Sam Muchnick together developed a polymer head (also known asMylar) leading to the development of theRemodrumhead company.[1]
Despite the benefits of plastic heads, drummers inhistorical reenactmentgroups such asfife and drumuse animal skin heads for historical accuracy. Rawhide heads are also popular with musicians performing in the jazz, orchestral and early music genres due to their preference for period correct sounds and instruments. Real hide heads are used on mosthand drums,includingdjembes,frame drums,bongos,andcongas,and also someBanjos.In recent years, companies have begun manufacturing synthetic counterparts (most notablyFiberskin) for certainhand drumssuch as congas, and also banjos. There has also been a resurgence in the use of genuine rawhide heads by drum kit players, with companies such as AF cueros orquestales from Argentina, AK Drums, Buchler Trommelbau and Kentville Drums or the Austrian Drumhead Company offering goat, calf and kangaroo hide drumheads respectively.
Another common material used for drumheads isaramidfiber, such askevlar.Kevlarheads are also used inmarching percussion.[3]
Mesh heads
editMesh heads - drum heads that are usually constructed from a weave of synthetic material - were traditionally used onelectronic drums,as they provide a very similar playing feel to traditional heads.[4]Over time, however, manufacturers began to produce mesh heads that are attachable to acoustic drums, in order to create a playing experience that has a very similar feel and sound to playing a traditional drumkit, but at a drastically reduced volume, making them suitable for either practicing in a place where noise is a concern, or even recording usingdrum triggers.[4]
Tuning
edit
Adrum"hoop" or "rim" may be made of metal, wood, or other material and is used to hold a drumhead against a drum shell, either with bolts through metal "claws" attached directly to a hoop, or bolts through holes in aflangedrim. The bolts, called "tension rods", are screwed into threaded "lugs" attached to the drum shell, in order to tighten and tune the drumhead.[5]A "drum key" is a four sidedwrenchused to screw the tension rods into the lugs.[6]
Muffling
editDrummers occasionally muffle their drums using special drumheads. Some drumheads come pre-muffled. Most muffling is done by external muffles.
See also
edit- Vibrations of a drum headfor an illustrated mathematical treatment
- List of drum manufacturers
References
edit- ^ab"Remo - About Remo - History".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-05-26.Retrieved2015-05-11.
- ^"drumhead, n.",Oxford English Dictionary Online,3rd edn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2015) (accessed 21 August 2020).
- ^"The Complete History of Drumming".Retrieved10 November2014.
- ^abStuart Williams (February 17, 2022)."Mesh drum heads vs rubber pads: which are better for electronic drummers?".MusicRadar.
- ^International House of Blues Foundation."Making a Drum"ArchivedFebruary 6, 2009, at theWayback Machine2003
- ^"Drum key".
External links
edit- Know-How Is The Difference In DrumheadsKnow-How Is The Difference In Drumheads - Anatomy of a Drumhead
- Accessory FetishA Complete List of Drum Head Manufacturers
- Resonant Drum Head Explained