10 Crazy Facts About Drums

It’s simply fascinating how drummers can do multiple things with different limbs at the same time. Below, we’ve compiled ten interesting facts about drums and drumming for you – check them out!

1. The true inventor of the bass drum pedal is unknown

One of the most important milestones in the history of the drum set was the development of the foot pedal for the bass drum. After all, it revolutionized the way we use our hands and feet to play. Even though a certain J.R. Olney is still sometimes cited as the inventor, this has turned out to be incorrect.

Firstly, his name was not J.R., but George R. Olney, and secondly, he applied for a patent for a so-called overhang pedal, which was mechanically very different from the modern bass drum pedal and failed to catch on in this form. We can also assume that other drummers had already developed similar devices, but none of these early designs had the essential features of a typical bass drum pedal

2. The first bass drum pedal kicks off the success story of the modern drum set

It goes back to a certain William F. Ludwig, who applied for the patent for the modern bass drum pedal in 1909. The drummers of the time were enthusiastic about an idea that we now take for granted: the bass drum could suddenly be played with the foot. And so, around ten years later, the Ludwig & Ludwig Drum Company introduced complete drum sets, laying the foundation of a brand that is still legendary today.

3. The allure of the forbidden: No Drumming Law

The foundation for the drums as we know them today was actually laid by a ban in a cruel time. In the time of slavery, thousands of people were deprived of their rights and abducted from Africa to North America to work on plantations.

Pearl Masters Maple/Gum 22″ 4pc #855

The slave owners were afraid that the slaves would communicate with the help of drums, so they implemented “No Drumming Laws” that banned them from playing their traditional drums. However, this backfired, as the slaves looked for other ways of expressing themselves with their hands and feet, with which they could continue to exchange rhythmic messages.

4. The inventor of the hi-hat machine simply forgot to apply for a patent

Even before then, there had been earlier percussion machines, for example from Sonor, in which one or two cymbals were struck together using a foot mechanism. Next were the first so-called “low boys” – short, compact pedals with two opposing cymbals. However, they were positioned so low that they could not be played with the hands or sticks at the same time. So they eventually transformed into “raised low boys”.

Pearl H-1030 Hi-Hat Stand

5. Probably biting his own drum throne

Vic Berton is said to be the first person to have experimented with this. He probably bit his drum throne for many years because he failed to apply for a patent. Yes, he forgot to get rich. And so it happened that the hi-hat machine was attributed to the developer Barney Walberg. By 1926 at the latest, the hi-hat appeared in documents from the Walberg & Auge Company.
The company became a hardware supplier for various brands, some of which are still highly renowned on the market today.

DW 9120AL Drum Stool

6. The drum set was also a result of a lack of space and money

In the 19th century, musicians played the drums in marching bands and orchestra pits. Later, they played in bars, pubs, brothels, and similar establishments. There was a lot to see there, but not much to earn. In the early days of jazz, the pay was miserable and there was hardly any space.
The fewer musicians had to be paid, the more was left over for the others. And so the drums were combined into sets that could be played by a single drummer. Thanks to the aforementioned foot pedals, the drummers became multi-instrumentalists, so to speak.

7. Independent playing with all limbs: an admirable feat

And so the doors were finally wide open for independent playing with all limbs, that extraordinary skill for which drummers are universally admired. The best drummers can play contrasting and interwoven rhythms, and some even manage to play different time signatures with both hands and feet.
Crazy. Drummers’ minds are simply something special.

8. The world’s largest drum kit was created during the pandemic

Robert Dietrich, the owner of musical instrument hire business from Essen, had plenty of time on his hands in 2020, albeit – like all of us – unintentionally. Presented with an empty schedule by the coronavirus pandemic, he used the time to set a new record by assembling the largest drum kit in the world. The set consisted of more than 1,000 individual parts, beating the previous record, which had stood at 813 drums and cymbals.

9. Another world record with an extraordinary line-up

Anyone who plays in a band or other ensemble knows what a challenge it is to keep time together. Even those who play to the click find it extremely difficult at first. The record for the largest percussion group is 10,045 percussionists and was achieved by the Hong Kong Federation of Young Groups (China), at the Hong Kong Coliseum, Hong Kong, China, on June 29, 2007.

10. Breakneck speed: the fastest drummer in the world

Drummers are incredibly fast. Racing across drumheads and cymbals like a fulminant thunderstorm, they obviously play with both sides of their brain at the same time. But some just can’t help themselves and take high-speed playing to the extreme.

Since 16 December 2021, Pritish A R from Australia has held the title of being the fastest drummer in the world. He topped out at an incredible 2,370 beats per minute, which earned him an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. You can work out for yourself how many beats per second that is – just hope that he doesn’t knock on your door at this speed.

YouTube Channel “Thomann’s Drum Bash”

More YouTube videos with tutorials and product checks about drums can be found on our channel Thomann’s Drum Bash.

Contact us: your point of contact at Thomann

Are you a drummer or keen to learn drums? The experts in our drum department will be happy to advise you, free of charge. Your contact options:
📧 E-Mail: drums@thomann.de
💬 Live chat on thomann.de
☎ Phone: +49 95469223-40
📍Or visit our drum department in person in Treppendorf.

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Browse our online catalog with all products related to drums and equipment under this link.

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Are you a drummer? What do you love about your instrument? Who’s your favorite drummer? We’d love to hear your comments!

Lawrence started playing the electric guitar because of his passion for rock music. Back in the day he played in a metal band, but now plays more for himself.

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