Open Thread: Drums

Hosted by hands playing a drum
Ever since he was a little kid, my brother used to drum on everything that would stand still long enough.  We used to have a game, at night, where he would tap out a rhythm on the wall between rooms, and I had to try to tap it back without messing up, as it got more and more complex.

In high school during the summer, he’d spend long hours marching in the Florida sun with a snare drum around his neck for marching band.  Then he’d come home, barely pause to grab water, and spend even more long hours in the stifling garage, practicing on his drum set for the garage band he was in with my  best friend.

There’s something about the “energy” of drums, the subtle tensions of the weaving rhythms, that’s very evocative.  Whether it’s a marching band snare, a full drum set, a djembe, a bodhrán… something about it just stirs the blood.

Open Thread!  Have you ever taken part in a drum circle?  Or heard an all-percussion band?  What did you think?  Do you play drums, of any kind?  Do you play any other instruments?  Do you know any fun facts or trivia about drums?

~ Kristycat

Wednesday Reminder!  Open threads are meant to be fun, chatty places to discuss anything that doesn’t “fit” into a deconstruction or other regular thread.  This can be something totally off-the-wall and random, or it can be something interesting that a deconstruction prompted you to think of, but which would be derailing to get into in the deconstruction thread.  When in doubt, move it over here - that’s what it’s for!



25 comments:

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Evan said...

Still in production, she says, and "coming along nicely." Good to know; I'll probably check back in several more months.

Thanks!

Evan said...

Still in production, she says, and "coming along nicely." Good to know; I'll probably check back in several more months.

Thanks!

Kristycat said...

Evan Evan Evan!!! I found a thing!

It's this thing right here!

It's an interesting look at a "Tropes Vs Men" pushback attempt and how that worked out (spoiler: it didn't), BUT! It ALSO says that the first video is due out on Thursday!

I checked around and apparently that's true - I found two other articles citing Thursday the 7th as the debut date. (I saw one that said the 8th, but that may be an error, and even so, Friday would still be awesome.)

Anyway, wanted to share!

Silver Adept said...

@TRiG -

Fascinating! I've got the 2Cellos album (pop/rock/grunge as done by two cellos with no other instrumentation), and they do a really neat job, so I can guess the song entirely of drums was equally cool.

Silver Adept said...

Drums are the backbone of just about all the music we make. Since I'm the musician in my circle of friends, I end up paying the drums when Rock Band appears. Despite having almost none of the necessary independent limb coordination to play a drum set, I seem to be able to manage on lower difficulties.

My actual infringement is in the low brass section, so I often end up having to play repeating rhythmic sections that are a little less complex than the pit.

That said, a good drummer and/or DJ that can keep a pulse going and then vary it with the energy level off the audience is a wonder. As are the taiko drum people.

Silver Adept said...

Drums are the backbone of just about all the music we make. Since I'm the musician in my circle of friends, I end up paying the drums when Rock Band appears. Despite having almost none of the necessary independent limb coordination to play a drum set, I seem to be able to manage on lower difficulties.

My actual infringement is in the low brass section, so I often end up having to play repeating rhythmic sections that are a little less complex than the pit.

That said, a good drummer and/or DJ that can keep a pulse going and then vary it with the energy level off the audience is a wonder. As are the taiko drum people.

Timothy (TRiG) said...

I believe there are some forms of Islam which allow drums but not any other form of music. I once heard a version of "Rock Around the Clock" done entirely in percussion (I think this was so it could be released in such a country); it was awesome.

TRiG.

Timothy (TRiG) said...

I believe there are some forms of Islam which allow drums but not any other form of music. I once heard a version of "Rock Around the Clock" done entirely in percussion (I think this was so it could be released in such a country); it was awesome.

TRiG.

Hypozeuxis said...

Totally off-topic from the open thread so far, but related to stuff that has shown up here in the past - today's Shortpacked! comic is about Beauty and the Beast, offering some definite discussion starters. I'd be interested to know what Ana's commentariat thinks, if any of you have time and inclination to look.

http://www.shortpacked.com/2013/comic/book-14/09-same-planet-different-dimentia/prankd/

Rakka said...

I love drums. I tried making one myself when I was in the historical handicrafts school for a year, but I couldn't get a fresh deerskin (they all went to ppl in leatherwork course because there weren't any extras nobody in that group wanted), and the bought reindeer skin I used was shit so I took it off and made a lantern out of it instead. So now I have a 30cm to 40cm oval frame waiting for a skin and new root sewing to keep it in one piece. I would also love to make or trade a really big drum, although bringing it to events would quite suck. And I'd love to learn to play bagpipes. I love bagpipes. I'm strange like that.

One of the best moments in years was one late evening at Saltvik viking market. Our teachers from the school were there with their family, and I got to borrow Sofie's drum. The skin in those is very sensitive to moisture, so we took turns warming and drying gently by the fire, and drumming and playing other instruments we had. Mostly mouth harps, although I think someone had a flute. Just going with the flow and making a rhythm and keeping it felt so natural, and the interconnectedness it created in those short dark hours was awesome.

Aidan Bird said...

Just this past December I went to a Christmas Concert for the Jazz Steel Drum Band. It was absolutely amazing. I adore drums, but sadly, do not actually play any yet. Mostly because they're quite expensive to buy.

I do like to try to include them in the songs I write because of all the interesting sounds and rhythms I can utilize with them.

Never been in a drum circle but have always wanted to try.

Aidan Bird said...

Just this past December I went to a Christmas Concert for the Jazz Steel Drum Band. It was absolutely amazing. I adore drums, but sadly, do not actually play any yet. Mostly because they're quite expensive to buy.

I do like to try to include them in the songs I write because of all the interesting sounds and rhythms I can utilize with them.

Never been in a drum circle but have always wanted to try.

welltemperedwriter said...

I played drumkit for 15 years, in high school jazz band, college orchestra (that was timps rather than kit) and a few bar bands, one of which had a modest amount of success in Seattle (in the late 90s, where else?). Every so often I contemplate going back to it, though I'd need to replace my kit. Unlike Irina I can't hold a conversation while drumming; it seems to plug into and occupy my language centers, or something.

I've led drum circles before, because I was usually the only person there with formal training, and have taught people how to play in them (the two key elements are: listen to others, and know the downbeat). Of course formal training isn't required at all to play on a drum circle, but a few seasoned players can help keep things going.

I'd like to learn to play the dhol, a large cylindrical two-headed drum from India.

Asha said...

I was lucky enough to go to an pow wow, and the drumming was something I will never forget. It was so powerful, moving the entire space we were in. I loved it. I was told by the friend who brought me that it was a very informal pow wow, but it was still a pretty impressive event, at least to me.

As for feminist frequency, the harassment that Ms. Sarkeesian faced because she dared question sexism in games really unnerved me. I've considered playing online, but this has more-or-less frightened me from ever considering it again.

depizan said...

I'm not rhythmically inclined, but I'm a little envious of those who are. Drums are a symple, yet really complicated instrument and people who are good at them are impressive.

I've dabbled in a few instruments, but my lack of ability to really hear/feel/whatever rhythm means I'm not very good. (Though I somehow fumbled through being in band in jr. high and high school.)

As a side note, I can't help wondering if my rhythm issues are related to my difficulty in learning foreign languages - some little quirk of perception that keeps me from hearing stressed sylables, rhythms, and the like. Or at least from hearing them in a way that I can easily follow and replicate them.

Kristycat said...

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Kristycat said...

Note to self: when creating new Open Threads, schedule them to post at a later date BEFORE beginning to write them. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, good. If you're getting this blog through a subscription or something... er, oops. Sorry.)

Evan said...

Since this is an open thread...

I was just remembering the Kickstarter project mentioned here a while back about exploring sexism in video games. There was a huge negative reaction, but the counter-reaction ended up stupendously oversubscribing the project. Does anyone know what happened to that? Are the films/articles/whatever finished, or is there any idea of when they're planned to be?

Evan said...

Since this is an open thread...

I was just remembering the Kickstarter project mentioned here a while back about exploring sexism in video games. There was a huge negative reaction, but the counter-reaction ended up stupendously oversubscribing the project. Does anyone know what happened to that? Are the films/articles/whatever finished, or is there any idea of when they're planned to be?

boutet said...

I was very lucky to be able to see a First Nations men's drum circle. I there as the driver for a man with developemental disabilities but they let me stay in the room while they drummed. It was a great feeling in the room. Very open and welcoming and loud!

Unrelated: I was technically clarinet in high school band but they used me as a stand-in percussionist as well. During a concert I hit the cymbal too hard and it flew off the stand, crashed into some equipment and then noisily rolled away. My band teacher was fantastic. All he said was, "Maybe not so hard next time."

Irina said...

I used to play percussion in a Renaissance dance band. Once we did a recording, causing me to keep drumming the beat (PAN panpanpanpan) while the other people stranded and recovered and restarted, because someone was going to cut-and-paste it into danceable music. If I'd stopped and restarted with the rest the tempo wouldn't have been the same. I'm still amazed, and proud, that I could actually keep up the beat for twenty minutes straight without wavering.

(I can also listen, talk, give instructions, and even read while keeping up a simple beat. Extremely useful.)

Irina said...

I used to play percussion in a Renaissance dance band. Once we did a recording, causing me to keep drumming the beat (PAN panpanpanpan) while the other people stranded and recovered and restarted, because someone was going to cut-and-paste it into danceable music. If I'd stopped and restarted with the rest the tempo wouldn't have been the same. I'm still amazed, and proud, that I could actually keep up the beat for twenty minutes straight without wavering.

(I can also listen, talk, give instructions, and even read while keeping up a simple beat. Extremely useful.)

Lady Viridis said...

When I visited Japan I saw a number of taiko (large drum) performances, and I really enjoy them. The largest drums especially have such a deep sound that they vibrate all the way up through your body when they're playing. I've got a few CDs of various taiko groups, although they're not really the same as the live shows.

I always hoped to join a taiko group and study it a little bit, but never found the opportunity. Fortunately, Japan also invented a video game, 'Taiko Drum Master', which I played in arcades as frequently as possible, as well as grabbing the two DS games of it. (It's essentially the same idea as Dance Dance Revolution, but you are hitting a large drum instead of dancing around.)

Laura G said...

When I was in high school, one of the boys who was doing music lessons as an independent study performed a drum number for his Senior Presentation. He and two underclassmen, all on full drum sets, did this amazing... routine, for want of a better word (could a drummer help me out?). Just several minutes of awesome, complex percussion.

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