Kettledrum
edit
A kettledrum (or kettle drum) (/ˈkɛtldrʌm/) is a type of percussion instrument in which a membrane is stretched over a large hemispherical bowl.[1] Traditionally, the bowl is made of a metal such as copper or bronze, but materials such as clay and wood have also been used.[2]
In Western music, timpani are the most commonly used types of kettledrums, so much so that their names have almost become synonymous. However, most cultures, especially those of Southeast Asia and the Middle East, have their own distinct types of kettledrums.
Etymology and terminology
editThe word "kettledrum" first appeared in the writings of Thomas Seymour to Henry VIII in 1542 after the king had ordered several sets from Vienna.[3][4]
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, kettle drums were given the number '211.1' as part of their own unique classification.
Construction
editKettledrums, such as the timpani and tabla, are often used because of their strong pitch.[5]
History
editSome of the earliest kettledrums appeared in Southeast Asia during the 6th century BCE and now serve as late Bronze age artifacts.[6] Such drums, such as the Đông Sơn drums of Vietnam, were made using the lost-wax casting technique.
As war drums
editKettledrums have had a long history as serving as war drums, particularly within the cavalry.[7]
Types
edit| Name | Place of Origin | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bayan | India | This is the lower-pitched drum in a set of tabla. A type of hand drum, the player can change the pitch of the drum by pressing the heel of the palm into the head.[8] |
| Damaha | Nepal | One of the five main instruments in the Panchai ensemble, this large kettledrum contrasts the smaller tyamko. It has a neck strap to be carried and is played with a pair of wooden mallets. The Nepalese Damai caste, made up of largely musicians, takes its name after the instrument.[9] |
| Kudüm | Turkey | This is a pair of kettledrums consisting of the smaller tek and the larger düm. Played with soft, wooden mallets, they are an important part of Mevlevi musical ensembles.[10] |
| Kūrgā | Mongolia | This was a very large kettledrum introduced to the Islamic world through the Mongols. It is considered the precursor if not the same drum as the tabl al kabir.[11][12][13] |
| Kus | Persia | From the Aramaic word kūša, meaning "march", this was a war drum found alongside the karnay in Ancient Persia. |
| Naqareh | Middle East | These . As it became in Europe as the naker, It is the direct ancestor of modern timpani.[14] |
| Tabla | India | This pair of hand drums are among the most important instruments in Indian classical music. The bāyā, the larger and lower drum, is a kettledrum typically formed of brass.[15] |
| Timpani | Europe | This is a standard percussion instrument within the modern symphony orchestra |
| Tyamko | Nepal | One of the five main instruments in the Panchai ensemble, this small kettledrum contrasts the larger damaha. It has a neck strap to be carried and is played with a pair of wooden mallets.[9] |
References
edit- ^ "Kettledrum". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. July 2023. doi:10.1093/OED/1164460246. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ Heise, Birgit (2001). "Wooden Timpani". The Galpin Society Journal. 54: 339–351. doi:10.2307/842459.
- ^ Kirby, Percival R. (1928). "The Kettle-Drums: An Historical Survey". Music & Letters. 9 (1): 34–43.
- ^ Weiss, Susan Forscher; Fujinaga, Ichiro (2011). "New Evidence for the Origins of Kettledrums in Western Europe". Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society. 37: 5–18, 186–188.
- ^ Rossing, Thomas D. (November 1982). "The Physics of Kettledrums". Scientific American. 247 (5): 172–178. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1182-172.
- ^ Spennemann, Dirk H. R. (March 1987). "Evolution of Southeast Asian Kettle-drums". Antiquity. 61 (231): 71–75. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00072537.
- ^ Farmer, Henry George (1948). "The Great Kettledrums of the Artillery". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 26 (107): 94–105.
- ^ Arnold, Alison (2017). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: South Asia: The Indian Subcontinent. Routledge. p. 341. ISBN 978-1-351-54438-2. OCLC 1004990059.
- ^ a b Gurung, Ganga B. (November 2018). "Understanding the Dichotomy of Auspicious and Untouchability: An Ethnographic Study of Damai Musicians of Nepal". Contemporary Voice of Dalit. 10 (2): 138–150. doi:10.1177/2455328X18785453.
- ^ Seeman, Sonia Tamar (2019). Sounding Roman: Representation and Performing Identity in Western Turkey. Oxford University Press. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-19-994925-0. OCLC 1103217909.
- ^ Farmer, Henry George (1962). "Monster Kettledrums". Music and Letters. 43 (2): 129–130. doi:10.1093/ml/43.2.129.
- ^ Beck 2007, p. 87.
- ^ Farmer, Henry George (2008). "Ṭabl". Encyclopedia of Islam (Second ed.). Brill Publishing. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_1136.
- ^ Blades, James (January 1973). "Percussion instruments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance: Their history in literature and painting". Early Music. 1 (1): 11–18. doi:10.1093/earlyj/1.1.11.
- ^ Montagu, Jeremy (2011). "tablā". In Latham, Alison (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199579037.001.0001.
Bibliography
edit- Beck, John H., ed. (2007). Encyclopedia of Percussion (Second ed.). Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-97123-2. OCLC 0415971233.
Further reading
edit- Kempers, A. J. Bernet (1988). The Kettledrums of Southeast Asia: A Bronze Age World and its Aftermath. Routledge. ISBN 978-9-0619-1541-6. OCLC 17559374.