Drums in Music

[Rectifier]

Yesterday while I was eating dinner, I was having a typical discussion with my friends until two of them hit me with a bombshell. Apparently they think that drums are only used for rhythm or as a metronome in music. I was so flabbergasted that I couldn't think of a good argument besides, "Drums are everything in songs who have them, without the drums the song is like a person without a backbone."

Instead of showing the importance of drums in music, they simply took this as more confirmation that drums only serve the purpose of being used as a background instrument or as the rhythm.

Can you guys come up with a good logical argument with some examples explaining the importance of drums in music, not only as being central to filling many songs with solid base of sound, but also as melodic instruments that can serve the same roles as instruments that play on a higher scale?

P.S. One of them dislikes music that sounds like Techno, and I'm convinced that he simply hates the sounds that drums make even if he understands the roles they fulfill in many different genres.

[b0mb3r]

well I love the movie "drumline" and it shows how awesome snare drums are. cite that movie as an example.

[chrnno]

It depends on the music really, there are those rely heavily on vocal, some in guitars and others in drums.

You can try using vocal as an argument, there lots of pretty good music that the letter is simply stupid so it's there just as sound not any meaning. There are others the music itself isn't that good but you like the meaning behind it. I think it's pretty much the same for drums.

[TheGiftedMonkey]

I would say a Bass Guitar is a better example of something similar. People rarely notice it unless it gets a solo spot. Vocals, strings, percussion, each is a part of the song, regardless of how noticeable it's still necessary. As Chrnno said the amount that each piece is used varies with the song/genre/aritst.

You should get some guitar beats from a song that they enjoy. Make sure it's not from a solo, but just from the standard beat. Then get the percussion beats from the same part of the song. I can almost guarantee you they'll both be repetitive. Songs generally repeat the same beats until they hit the chorus or a solo section.

[ainsoph9]

The importance of drums in Western music really only starts to emerge with jazz. If one was to listen to only classical or earlier forms of music, one would easily have the opinion that drums are there for fill and for the beat. However, Indian music and African music as well as various other ethnic musical styles accentuate the use of drums as more than just for keeping the beat. In addition, drums are tuned to have certain pitches. Therefore, they are not just "noise." The timpani is a prime example of this, since timpani are tuned to specific pitches. Many other examples exist.

[Rectifier]

I found this video on youtube, would this be enough to support my argument?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5OKPR28 ... re=related

[ainsoph9]

That would be a good start to say the least. It might not hurt to branch out a little so that they will not be able to say that you are giving an isolated incident.

[b0mb3r]

here's a cool example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaOulFOWtbY