History of Percussion

Percussion is known to have been around since the beginning of civilization, in all cultures and all major civilizations around the world. In 6000 B.C., the first time of a percussion instrument was evolved, and it was simply anything that could be found that could be hit together to create a sound. Percussion instruments have been used and associated with strong ceremonial, sacred, or symbolic events. For example, in Africa, drums symbolize and protect tribal royalty. The drums symbolize a family, sharing the same blood and feelings. The drums were are used to communicate through the villages and used as a type of language to transmit messages. In medieval and Renaissance Europe, the snare drum was used in the infantry to send coded instructions to the soldiers. Some of the earliest percussion instruments are quite similar to modern percussion instruments in simplistic ways. There were many different types of percussion instruments used in each culture around the world. The first membrane drums are said to be consisted of a hollowed out tree trunk covered at one or both ends with the skins water animals, fish, or reptiles (mammals not yet used for skin). Later, the skins of hunted cattle were used. The bodies of the drums were usually made of wood, metal, earthenware, or bone. The heads were fastened onto the body by glue, nails, or wooden pegs. Sometimes, the head would be laced or lapped to the body of the drum. In every culture, you can find numerous representations of drums, in a variety of all shapes and sizes that can be found in the art of Egypt, Southern Africa, Assyria, India, Samaria, China, and Persia. The Greeks and Romans possessed membrane drums. Small kettle drums (also known as akers, nakeres, nacara, or nacaries) and tabors of Arabic or Saracenic origin arrived in Europe in the 13th century crusades. Many of our modern percussion instruments have roots in Africa. Africans brought their drums and rhythms to the West during the slave trade, and