American drum companies like Ludwig and Slingerland would soon begin importing the instruments from China and incorporating them into their outfits.Īs the volume and size of the big bands grew and recording technology improved throughout the 1920s, drummers began to favor larger drums. Usually 8' to 14' in diameter and rarely more than a few inches deep, these exotic drums had bowed wooden shells with two tacked-on drumheads often adorned with traditional Chinese painted scenes. Many of these new sounds had their origins in Europe and Asia, including curiously ornate small drums called tom-toms.

Woodblocks, bells, and small cymbals (referred to collectively as 'traps,' short for 'contraptions') would be mounted on a small rail or table atop the bass drum. Bass drums were too bass-heavy, and snare drums were just overpowering. It's a Trap!Īs the drum kit coalesced into a complete unit during the early 20th century, drummers looked for trebly, staccato sounds that would translate well onto the primitive recording media of the time.

It is perhaps the one piece of the drum kit most indicative of its era. Its deep, melodic tones have been integral to the development of modern popular music and can be heard anchoring famous tunes across all genres, from Benny Goodman's 'Sing, Sing, Sing!' and The Sufaris' 'Wipeout' to 'Come Together' by The Beatles and 'Run to the Hills' by Iron Maiden.ĭespite its humble beginnings, the development of the tom has been inextricably linked with the evolution of recording technology and pop trends through the 20th century. Devoid of any modern contraptions like foot-operated beaters or strainer mechanisms, the tom-tom is a drum as simple as they come: a cylindrical shell with two tensioned drumheads.

Funk carioca drum kit