Music

The percussion section of the marching band is one of the most important sections of the band. The drummers keep the tempo, and the tempo is what keeps all of the marchers together. At first...

A drum major salute is an important part of a marching band's performance and ceremonial ritual. Your salute will represent not only your band's or corps' polish and professionalism, but your...

Music production was once left to big-time producers with expensive studio equipment. Now just about anyone with a penchant for music can create beats with user-friendly music software and...

Learn to produce music at home by following this series of free articles by a veteran musician and producer. Articles cover a broad range of topics about music production, and are ideal for...

A drum rack is an excellent system for setting up a drum set. It increases the portability of your kit and allows for a level of adjustability and customization simply out of reach with other...

Your band is about to go on tour, and you can't wait. The shows have been booked, the hotel arrangements have been made, and your fans are eagerly waiting. There's just one small problem: your...

"Found percussion" is the art of turning everday objects into percussion instruments. One of the most popular forms of found percussion is the use of five gallon buckets as drums. This instrument...

So you want to learn to play drums, but don't know where to start. Start here. Starting to play a drum set can be intimidating, but with work and repetition you can be playing in no time.

If you are learning how to play the drum set as your first musical instrument, you will want to find drum music that both instructs you on the techniques and theory behind the music and gives you...

Playing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on the drums is a challenging but rewarding task. Once your body warms up to the physical demands of playing this song, you will be able to play any song by just...

The conga drum is a percussion instrument popular throughout the world. There is conflicting evidence as to the origins of the design, although most researchers believe it comes from an African...

Whether you take lessons or are learning the drums on your own, you need to incorporate intermediate lesson plans into your everyday practice schedule. If you do not slowly challenge yourself with...

A good beat is the backbone of any great song. The beat of a tune should serve to tie the entire structure together and provide rhythmic reinforcement for the rest of the instruments. Making a...

Standard drum sets include a snare drum, bass drum, cymbals and toms. A drum set's sound depends on the materials used.

"Stairway To Heaven," the fourth track on Led Zeppelin IV, is widely considered to be one of the most influential and epic songs in all of rock 'n' roll. Fortunately, the song is relatively easy...

Drum tuning can be one of the more frustrating aspects of being a drummer. Even the most seasoned drummer can have trouble getting the right sound. The Drum Dial will not automatically perfect...

Writing original music on beat-making software can be as easy as downloading and installing free or demo software. Audio and beat-making programs such as Ableton, Reason, Rebirth and Acid Xpress...

Making a drum that emulates the sounds of the ocean is an easy task. All you need is a few basic materials and a little time. You can use your drum by itself to create oceanic sound effects for a...

Cleaning a bodhran drum is best done using plain water, as using any other substance risks altering the sound of the drum. Spray down both sides of the skin and wipe clean with help from the...

It is easiest to play a bodhran while sitting, which allows the less dominant hand to move across the underside of the drum when it is struck. Discover how to play the bodhran drum with help from...

Creating a beat lays a foundation for songs to have recorded vocals, instruments or other sounds placed on top of the beat. A basic part of song composition in pop music, beat-making is fun and...

After playing your djembe for an extended number of months, you'll probably need to replace the head. Djembe heads wear at varying rates, depending on the material they're made of, the amount of...

The Boss DR-670 is one of the best values available in a full-featured drum machine available today. With rich drum sounds and the ability to play bass along with any pattern, the DR-670 has user...

The tongue drum is one of the world's oldest known musical instrument. Originating from Africa, the tongue drum was first built from hollowed-out trees and had many different functions in African...

A tongue drum is a percussion instrument for use in recording or in a drum circle. The box is made of a soft maple and the top from a hard wood. It is played with a mallet on the sound fingers on...

If you have ever dreamed of composing your own beats, it may surprise you to learn that beat-making tools might be as near as your fingertips. Making beats on your PC is fun and easy to do with...

A tabla is a pair of drums that are used in Indian music. The smaller drum is called a dayan and the larger drum is called a bayan. The smaller drum, the dayan, is made from wood, most commonly...

The quilting hoop drum is a small circular drum that is easy to build and play, and can be used to provide children with an early introduction to the elements of rhythm. The instrument's Native...

Traditionally built conga drums are made from narrow pieces of wedge-shaped wood, fitted together in a round shape that tapers toward the bottom. If you have a damaged conga drum rescued from a...

If you want to become a DJ, making club songs is fun and easy to do. Software beat programs and synthesizers are helpful tools. All it takes to make a song is a some computer skill and a good ear...

The beautiful, varied tones of the tongue drum are a distinctive addition to any occasion. Interestingly, these drums can be made at home with a minimum of woodworking skill and an inexpensive...

Few companies can claim as rich and varied a history in the story of the drum as the Ludwig Drum Company. Ludwig has been synonymous with quality drums for more than 100 years at this point, and...

Whether you are a seasoned professional drummer or just starting off, you need to practice. Diligence and discipline will allow you to advance on your instrument, and you must set aside ample time...

Whether you are running live sound or work in a studio, there are basic techniques that you must use to avoid problems such as noise and feedback. By following this advice, you can have great...

The Irish drum, called a "bodhran," (pronounced bow-ran) is loosely based on an ancient African design. Similar drums made their way to the Middle East and Central Asia, finally landing in Ireland...

The Ludwig Drum Company is a well-known drum manufacturer, started in 1909 by brothers William and Theo Ludwig in Chicago. The company, originally called Ludwig & Ludwig, began manufacturing...

Whether you are a budding recording engineer or a seasoned veteran, you can design a professional music studio by taking into account the many acoustic properties of the instruments you will...

Building your own djembe is not an easy task. It requires patience, practice, and of course, the right tools. Playing a djembe that you have built by hand, however, is a very rewarding experience....

For such a simple looking instrument there are numerous techniques that can be adopted when playing a bodhran. Starting with the most simple of playing methods, play can grow more complex when...

The grip you use as a drummer is an often-overlooked facet of your playing technique. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, you must master at least one of the techniques for...

Drum manufacturers will consider several factors when choosing a species of wood for their shells. For entry-level drums, price is obviously a factor, and cheaper woods such as eucalyptus,...

The djembe is a unique percussion instrument native to Africa. Instead of using sticks or mallets, djembe players use different parts of their hands to strike the instrument's head. Djembes are...

The tabla is a traditional Indian percussion instrument. While the name is singular, the tabla actually consists of two separate drums, the dayan, a narrower drum which produces a higher pitch,...

Depending on your strengths, writing drum music can be a lot easier than writing the parts for the rest of band. Plotting out drum parts requires a good sense of rhythm and a solid understanding...

Many drummers feel it isn't necessary to learn how to read drum notes, preferring instead to rely on their ears and sense of rhythm and timing to carry them through. This is particularly true of...

If you own an unsightly drum set, you might be interested in stripping the paint and lacquer from the drums to return them to their natural wooden finish. This process must be done carefully,...

Many drummers have moved from traditional acoustic drum sets to electronic drum sets due to their versatility and portability. An electronic drum set is set up essentially the same way as an...

For centuries, people have been making music and communicating by beating rhythms on practically any object that would resonate a sound. It is possible to make drum heads inexpensively that can be...

A drummer is the backbone of any band. Whether it may be a band in school, or a band you formed or joined, other musicians rely on the drummer to keep time and knock the socks out of any audience....

The drum set is the foundation upon which most modern music is performed. From jazz to metal to folk to traditional rock and roll, the drums are the primary rhythmic driver of music and, combined...