Recently here there has been an overwhelming flood of misinformed, uneducated rants about the drumset/drumset musicians position/purpose in music. Enough is enough. Let's get it together...
The drums/drumset were not created to keep the "beat". That is a total falsehood. The drums were created to communicate through rhythm (do your research). The drumset is a polyrhythmic multi-percussion kit. It was created to allow one person to play multiple percussion pieces to play 2 or more rhythms simultaneously (polyrhythms) created by African (American) slaves applying European drum construction ti African drum ensembles in what is termed "jazz" music. At no point was it meant to "keep the beat".
In musical terms, the "beat" is the notational pulse of the music. If you are playing in 4 (C) common time the "beat" is the is the quarter note. If you are playing in 8 time the 8th note gets the beat. If you are playing in 16 (like Virgil Donati, Thomas Lang, Marco Minneman etc) the 16th note gets the beat and so on.
When playing muisc we are playing various subdivisions of note values (space/time) that create a rhythm. We are not playing beats. That is a now all too often perverted slang that in misunderstood by so-called/would-be musicians whom most times cannot rightly divide a quarter note. The drumset/trap set (contraption set)/drum kit/multi-percussion set (termed by Max Roach)/drum choir (termed by Elvin Jones) is and always was created to be a polyrhythmic/multi limbed coordinated independence that communicated through rhythm and relatively pitch voices in a consistant manner. Since the creationof the sock cymbal (now called the hi-hat) it has required all for limbed. The drum set incorparate dance technique (as a vast number of the erly drumset players were tap dancers - ie. heel-toe etc) and military precision from European march influence and uniformity/oneness of sound in mind, body and spirit from it's African heritage.
The purpose of the drumset in music is to rhythmically support and communicate the melodic message in song. It is not to keep a beat. It is however required to be consistent in its presentation.
There i s also a really foolish idea bubbling over into todays aspiring/would-be musicians in the urban cultre especially that think there is no reason to learn music theory. This is especiall out of wack idea for "drummers", drum set players/musicians/percussionist.
"Why is that?" you may ask...
The answer is because the piano is a percussion instrument. The origin of which is the African bilophone (a mallet instrument fore runner of the marimba, vibraphone, xylophone but with NO black keys). There is very rae a music theory book/class/instructional material that does not show representation of this percussion keyboard in order to teach music theory/structure.
We need to stop claiming to be something we are not, which is musicians, when we turn away from our foundations and knowledge of self. This "junk' is projecting itself at the very beginning of every church service under the guise of "breaking up the fallowed ground" yet in actuality is pouring concrete ontop fertile soil. Folks are going out emulating what we do in ignorance... STOP IT. Proper Preparation Prevents Pour Performance. Accountability will show up on That Day... What will be his report?
**Myself included... the "ouch corner" will have a sign up list in the lobby for folks whom are ready to man up and quit faking the funk. I am looking for a secretary, treasurer and chaplain so those willing, qualified and interested please see me out back.
--Because of Love
