Skip to content
1981
Drum Kit Studies
  • ISSN: 2397-6721
  • E-ISSN: 2397-673X

Abstract

The late nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth century saw the drum kit emerge as an assemblage of musical instruments that was central to much new music of the time and especially to the rise of jazz. This article is a study of Chinese drums in the making of the drum kit. The notions of localization and exoticism are applied as conceptual tools for interpreting the place of Chinese drums in the early drum kit. Why were distinctly Chinese drums used in the early drum kit? How did the Chinese drums shape the future of the drum kit? The drum kit has been at the heart of most popular music throughout the twentieth century to the present day, and, as such, this article will be beneficial to educators, practitioners and scholars of popular music education.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jpme_00059_1
2021-07-01
2025-02-09
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Aldridge, John. ( 1994), Guide to Vintage Drums, Anaheim Hills, CA:: Centerstream Publishing;.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Anon. ( 1898;), ‘ Chinese tom-toms. ’, The Music Trade Review, 26:22, 28 May, p. 29.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Anon. ( 1905;), ‘ Geographical record. ’, Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 37:5, pp. 28699.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Anon. ( 1908;), ‘ The age of drums. ’, The Music Trade Review, 46:6, 8 February, pp. 4142.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Anon. ( 1913;), ‘ Care for unique instruments. ’, The Music Trade Review, 57:13, 27 September, p. 62.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Anon. ( 1920;), ‘ Business opportunities, No. 320. ’, Millard's Review of the Far East, 11:9, 31 January, p. 460.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Anon. ( 1922;), ‘ Big exhibit of tom-toms. ’, The Music Trade Review, 75:7, 12 August, p. 16.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Archibald, Paul. ( 2017;), ‘ Construction of, and performance on, the early drum kit. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Edinburgh:: The University of Edinburgh;.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Beck, John. (ed.) ( 1995), Encyclopedia of Percussion, New York:: Garland Publishing;.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Bellman, Jonathan. (ed.) ( 1998), The Exotic in Western Music, Boston, MA:: Northeastern University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Blades, James. ( 1984), Percussion Instruments and their History, London:: The Bold Strummer;.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Blades, James, and Holland, James. ( 2001;), ‘ Tom-tom. ’, Grove Music Online, https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.28095. Accessed 1 July 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Born, Georgina, and Hesmondhalgh, David. (eds) ( 2000), Western Music and Its Others: Difference, Representation, and Appropriation in Music, Berkeley, CA:: University of California Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Bourke, Chris. ( 2010), Blue Smoke: The Lost Dawn of New Zealand Popular Music 1918–1964, Auckland:: Auckland University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Brennan, Matt. ( 2020), Kick It: A Social History of the Drum Kit, New York:: Oxford University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Brown, Dennis T.. ( 1976;), ‘ A history and analysis of jazz drumming to 1942. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Ann Arbor:: University of Michigan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Brown, Dennis T.. ( 2003;), ‘ Drum set. ’, Grove Music Online, https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J130700. Accessed 15 June 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Brunero, Donna Maree. ( 2006), Britain’s Imperial Cornerstone in China: The Chinese Maritime Customs Service, 1854–1949, London:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Cohen, Brigid,, Revuluri, Sindhumathi,, Stokes, Martin,, Willson, Rachel Beckles,, Agawu, Kofi, and Currie, James R.. ( 2016;), ‘ Round table: Edward Said and musicology today. ’, Journal of the Royal Musical Association, 141:1, pp. 20332.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Cook, Rob. ( 1993), The Complete History of the Leedy Drum Company, Fullerton, CA:: Centerstream Publishing;.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Cook, Rob. ( 2004), The Slingerland Book, Milwaukee, WI:: Hal Leonard;.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Cooper, Mark. ( 2015;), ‘ The evolution of the tom-tom: From Chinese noisemaker to essential instrument. ’, Modern Drummer, April, pp. 8485, https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/april-2015-evolution-of-the-tom-tom/. Accessed 17 June 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Dean, Matt. ( 2012), The Drum: A History, Lanham, MD:: Scarecrow Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Dobney, Jayson. ( 2004;), ‘ The creation of the trap set and its development before 1920. ’, Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society, 30, pp. 2456.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Gretsch. ( 1941), Drums Catalogue, Chicago, IL:: The Fred Gretsch MFG. Co;.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Hartigan, Royal. ( 1995;), ‘ The heritage of the drumset. ’, African American Review, 29:2, pp. 23436.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Hartigan, Royal, and Ho, Fred. ( 2008;), ‘ The American drum set: Black musicians and Chinese opera along the Mississippi River. ’, in F. Ho, and B. V. Mullen. (eds), Afro Asia: Revolutionary Political and Cultural Connections Between African Americans and Asian Americans, Durham, NC:: Duke University Press;, pp. 28590.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Hayward, Philip. (ed.) ( 1999), Widening the Horizon: Exoticism in Post-War Popular Music, Sydney:: John Libbey and Co/Perfect Beat Publications;.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Head, Matthew. ( 2003;), ‘ Musicology on safari: Orientalism and the spectre of postcolonial theory. ’, Music Analysis, 22:1–2, pp. 21130.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Ho, Fred, and Mullen, Bill V.. (eds) ( 2008), Afro Asia: Revolutionary Political and Cultural Connections Between African Americans and Asian Americans, Durham, NC:: Duke University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Lancefield, Robert C.. ( 2004;), ‘ Hearing orientality in (white) America, 1900–1930. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Middletown:: Wesleyan University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Leedy ( 1933), Catalog ‘T’, Elkhart, IN:: Leedy;.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Leedy ( 1942), Catalog 46, Elkhart, IN:: Leedy;.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Locke, Ralph. ( 2008;), ‘ Doing the impossible: On the musically exotic. ’, Journal of Musicological Research, 27:4, pp. 33458.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Locke, Ralph. ( 2009), Musical Exoticism: Images and Reflections, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Ludwig/Ludwig & Ludwig ( 1919), Drums and Accessories, Chicago:: Ludwig & Ludwig;.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Ludwig/Ludwig & Ludwig ( 1922), Drums and Accessories, Chicago:: Ludwig & Ludwig;.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Ludwig/Ludwig & Ludwig ( 1923), Drums, Tympani and Accessories, Chicago:: Ludwig & Ludwig;.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Ludwig/Ludwig & Ludwig ( 1939), Drums and Accessories, Chicago:: Ludwig & Ludwig;.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Moon, Krystyn R.. ( 2005), Yellowface: Creating the Chinese in American Popular Music and Performance, 1850s–1920s, New Brunswick:: Rutgers University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Nichols, Kevin. ( 2012;), ‘ Important works for drum set as a multiple percussion instrument. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Iowa City:: University of Iowa;.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Peters, John R.. ( 1845), Guide to, or Descriptive Catalogue of the Chinese Museum, in the Marlboro’ Chapel, Boston, Boston, MA:: Eastburn’s Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Reimer, Benjamin N.. ( 2013;), ‘ Defining the role of drumset performance in contemporary music. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Montreal:: McGill University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Said, Edward W.. ( 1978), Orientalism, New York:: Pantheon Books;.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Scott, Derek B.. ( 2003;), ‘ Orientalism in musical style. ’, in D. B. Scott., From the Erotic to the Demonic: On Critical Musicology, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;, pp. 15578.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Scott-Maxwell, Aline. ( 2014;), ‘ Early jazz in Australia as oriental exotica. ’, Jazz Research Journal, 8:1&2, pp. 5270.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Sheppard, Anthony W.. ( 2001), Revealing Masks: Exotic Influences and Ritualized Performance in Modernist Music Theater, Berkeley, CA:: University of California Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Sherman, Clay & Co. ( 1915), A Catalogue for Band Musicians, San Francisco, CA:: Sherman, Clay & Co;.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Slingerland ( 1928), Slingerland Banjo and Drum Co [catalogue], Chicago:: Slingerland;.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Slingerland ( 1936), Drums [catalogue], Chicago:: Slingerland;.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Smith, Mandy J.. ( 2020;), ‘ “Primitive” bodies, virtuosic bodies: Narrative, affect, and meaning in rock drumming’. , Ph.D. thesis, Cleveland:: Case Western Reserve University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Spagnardi, Ronald. ( 1992), The Great Jazz Drummers, Cedar Grove, NJ:: Modern Drummer Publications;.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Taylor, Timothy. ( 2007), Beyond Exoticism: Western Music and the World, Durham, NC:: Duke University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Thrasher, Alan R.. ( 2001;), ‘ Musical instruments. ’, Oxford Music Online, 20 January, https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.43141. Accessed 1 July 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Till, Rupert. ( 2017;), ‘ Popular music education: A step into the light. ’, in G. Dylan Smith,, Z. Moir,, M. Brennan,, S. Rambarran, and P. Kirkman. (eds), The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Music Education, Abingdon:: Routledge;, pp. 1430.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. tom-tom, n. (and int.). ’ ( 2019), OED Online, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;, https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/203131?isAdvanced=false&result=1&rskey=kZ8toe&. Accessed 20 June 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. von Hornbostel, Erich M. von, and Sachs, Curt. ( [1914] 1961;), ‘ Classification of musical instruments’ (trans. A. Baines and K. P. Wachsmann). , The Galpin Society Journal, 14, pp. 329. First published in Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 46, pp. 553–90.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Johnson, Henry. ( 2021;), ‘ Chinese toms in the making of the drum kit: Localization and exoticism. ’, Journal of Popular Music Education, 5:2, pp. 22742, https://doi.org/10.1386/jpme_00059_1
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/jpme_00059_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/jpme_00059_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): Chee-foo tom; China; Chinese tom; drum kit; drums; musical instruments
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test