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Which Instrument
Drums: Percussion Family |
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Drums play a major part in the music industry today.
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Wilson Atie |
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The drum is one of the earliest instruments, popular throughout the world, and comes in all shapes and sizes. All drums have a skin (sometimes made of plastic) that is stretched over a frame of wood, metal, earthenware or bone. The drum can be struck by hand, beaten with a stick, or plucked of there is a string below the skin.
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| An interview with mother and son |
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| Matilda and Wilson Atie |
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I do encourage him, but not when he is banging around the house and on the furniture!
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| Matilda Atie, Wilson's mother |
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| Top Tips |
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- Toy drums can be great starter instruments from as early as two years old
- Younger children should begin with a smaller drum
- A basic three-piece junior drum kit costs from £200 upwards
- Your child may find it difficult at first, but encourage them to persevere
- Drums are important in most forms of modern music
- A drum machine or practice pad can be quieter, portable and good for practice if you do not have room for a full kit
- Listen to: Phil Collins, Evelyn Glennie, Kodo Drummers, or Billy Cobham to get an idea of the range of percussion possibilities.
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Instrument Guide
Conga drum - African-Cuban, fairly tall barrel drum
Bass drum - largest orchestra drum played standing, low and deep tone
Xylophone - wooden bars of differing size and pitch, set in a frame and played with a stick
Triangle - a simple one-note steel triangle hit with a small steel stick
Cymbals - metallic discs when clashed together or hit with a stick - come in various sizes
Timpani - (kettledrums) often made of copper with a thin skin covering the top
Snare drum - cylindrical with a skin covering the top and a set of wires or strings strung across the bottom
Piano - large instrument with strings hit by hammers operated by a keyboard
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| Interview Transcript |
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Matilda: I think if a child is interested in percussion, it depends what they are interested in, you can maybe start them off with a little drum and make your way up and eventually you can get the conga.
Wilson: I was interested in the drums because I thought that it was quite a hard instrument to learn and it would be an achievement for me to learn it in the future.
Matilda: I do encourage him when he is playing the drums - but I don't encourage him when he is banging around the house and on the furniture - but I don't mind if he is banging on the drums for a while because it is something that he is interested in.
Wilson: I have learnt other instruments such as the keyboard at school. I think that there is a difference between the drums and the keyboards. The keyboard is harder to play because you have to think of things quicker and I find the drums easier because I am more rhythmic.
Matilda: I bought Wilson the drum machine because I think it is a lot less noise than the drum kit and it is a bit easier for him to play the drum machine at the moment but as time goes on maybe I will get him the bigger drums. And with the drum machine you can take it out with you if you have to, but with the conga drums you can but it is a bit bulky.
Wilson: I think that drums play a major part in the music industry today because they play a vital part in the music that everyone is into.
Wilson: I think that it is important that parents encourage their children to play drums but if they are at a younger age that they play a little one and as time go by they could learn on bigger ones and learn different patterns.
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Further Reading
The Right Instrument for Your Child, Atarah Ben-Tovim, Douglas Boyd (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1995; ISBN: 0575058943)
The Rough Guide to Drums (Rough Guides, 2002; ISBN: 1858289661)
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