Drum

[Devildog0311]

I have recently become interested in learning how to drum, so I need to purchase a drum. I was just wondering if anyone knew where to get a good drum? It seems that everyone that I have looked at so far uses synthetic material in their construction. Is there someone out there that makes a good drum?

[mmartin4600]

I bought my son's drum from Nathan Carroll (http://www.ropedrum.com/). His web site states, " All drums are fitted with synthetic heads at the prices quoted. If period-type skin heads of calf and/or goat skin are desired they can be obtained at an additional cost. His prices are reasonable too. Give him a call.

[YoungCampaigner]

Hi Justin,
My drum was made by Mr. George Carroll (Nathan Carroll's father). I highly reccommend Mr. Carroll's drums. George Carroll has a shop in Alexandria Va. George Carroll and his sons both do excellent work. I might note that Mr. Carroll originally put synthetic ropes on my drum (they have since been replaced). Please note that this is not something that he normally does. I am sure that he would gladly make yours with cotton ropes, but that is another thing to be aware of when you are looking for a drum. Some companies use synthetic ropes with many of their drums, so you may want to choose carefully.

[MLovejoy]

Cooperman and Florence Drum Company both make nice drums. Cooperman will put on the natural skin heads, ropes, and guts, but they'll be extra of course. The wood they use for the shells and hoops is also, in my opinion, far superior than the Carroll drums.

If you can manage to find a Red Dragon Drum they are also very good. They're not made anymore, but you never know who might be selling one. I have one of the last one's made by them, custom sized for me, and it plays great.

[27thNCdrummer]

I would go with Cooperman. Ask them for calfskin heads, milk paint, all period varnishes,, and hemp rope. I would also get a drum made out of ash.

Just my 2 cents.

Regards,

[Devildog0311]

Thank you all for the replies. I will definately check those out. I was debating on whether to actually get calf skin heads or the synthetic skin heads. It is my understanding that if the calf skin gets wet it tears easily and it tends to rain at almost half of the events I attend. I think the synthetic heads are waterproof. Is that just a myth or are they really that fragile? Is there a method of preventing that from happening and still being able to play in the rain with a natural head?

[Devildog0311]

I was also thinking about the design. I think I would like to get an amber finish with tacks, but my issue is I do both Union and Confederate and I haven't noticed any plain drums on the Federal side. It seems that most of them have an eagle design. I want a drum that I can use for either impression. Would it be correct to use if it had a federal eagle on it for a Confederate impression or would a plain drum be more correct? I am trying to get as much information as I can. I am new to this side and I feel like I'm totally in the dark. Please feel free to give me some 2 cents.

[mmartin4600]

I was also thinking about the design. I think I would like to get an amber finish with tacks, but my issue is I do both Union and Confederate and I haven't noticed any plain drums on the Federal side. It seems that most of them have an eagle design. I want a drum that I can use for either impression. Would it be correct to use if it had a federal eagle on it for a Confederate impression or would a plain drum be more correct? I am trying to get as much information as I can. I am new to this side and I feel like I'm totally in the dark. Please feel free to give me some 2 cents.

Let's start with the fact that I am not a drummer, I am the father of a drummer. With that, I have seen images of union drummers with and without the eagle design. In this thread (http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17283) there is a close up of a drummer sitting on his drum. There appears to be no design. Now, we may just be looking at the back of his drum, I don't know. Now a quick look on the LOC for "Union Drummer" came up with these images.

9777

9778

So I guess what I'm getting at here is their could be an argument for a Union Drummer that has a drum with a plain finish and tacks. Please do not take my word as gospel, I'm sure there are more knowledgeable people hear who can help out.

[YoungCampaigner]

Hi Justin,

An eagle design is appropriate for a Union drum because that is what the Federal regulation calls for. However, Confederate eagle drums were extremely rare. If I were you, I would go with a tacked design and possibly a stenciled regimental number. There is one such drum on page 52 of A Pictorial History of Civil War Era Musical Instruments and Millitary Bands by Garofalo & Elrod. That particular drum was used by a drummer in a New Hampshire regiment and it has no eagle design. Keep in mind that drums with just a tacked design were fairly rare in the Union army and more common in the Confederate army.

[Devildog0311]

So I have that narrowed down as to what design I will get. The one thing that still worries me is the natural heads. It is my understanding that they tear very easily when they get wet or even dry too quickly or too slowly. I may be required to play in the rain. Is there a method to get past this or is it best just to go with a synthetic skin head?

[YoungCampaigner]

Hi Justin,

The one thing that still worries me is the natural heads. It is my understanding that they tear very easily when they get wet or even dry too quickly or too slowly.

I have heard that as well. I have tried both synthetic and natural heads in the past and I would have to say that that statement is farely accurate. Some synthetic heads look exactly like the real thing except for the fact that they are built on a metal hoop. I have broken all three of the natural heads that I have had on my drum in the past and replaced the synthetic head because it was farby and it looked bad with the metal hoop at the bottom. My advice would be to go ahead and use natural heads. It's only about $10.00 to buy a new head if you do break one. This is just one of those things where you just need to try both options and see which one you like.

[jtrotta]

Since you mentioned that you wish to learn how to play drums, I would suggest not buying a drum at all (not yet at least). Buy a practice pad kit to learn on first. This way you can learn more about drums in general, how to read the music, figure out what you want to get, etc. Plus its quiet, so you can practice anywhere, anytime (although they do sell drum mutes). You may start drumming, get frustrated, and realize you don't want to do it anymore. You don't need a real snare to practice rudiments.


Just a thought.

[27thNCdrummer]

I would have to disagree with the statement that tack only design drums were rare in the Union army. There are numerous photos and original examples that are documented to the Union army. There are even a few examples in the Federal Echoes of Glory.

Just my opinion.

Regards,

[YoungCampaigner]

Hi Andrew,

I would have to disagree with the statement that tack only design drums were rare in the Union army. There are numerous photos and original examples that are documented to the Union army. There are even a few examples in the Federal Echoes of Glory.

I agree with you and I am sorry if I wasn't clear in my earlier post. By saying that that tacked drums were fairly rare, I meant that they were not as common as eagle drums. Sorry for my bad wording and thanks for the clarification.

Thanks Again.

[Ryan Halsey]

Hey Justin,
I forgot totally about talking to you about this over the weekend. I guess the rain made me forget. I used a drum that had a synthetic head on it, and it was better in the rain. You didn't have to worry about it as much. My drum that I used about 2 years ago has a skin head on it, and I have to be extremely careful. Hope this helps. Give me a call. I have a few questions about upcoming events.

[pjdrums96]

Justin,

It appears that you have a couple of concerns about what you want to buy. It really boils down to this: Do you want to be authentic? Or, do you just want a drum that looks OK?

There are only three drum makers, that I know of, who will actually bend a piece of wood as the processed call for. They are Cooperman, if you ask, George Carroll, and Jim Smith. Cooperman will be more than happy to do whatever you'd like, as long as you have the money. They are a bit pricey, but will last a long time. George Carroll steam bends all of his shells that I'm aware of. And Jim Smith makes a superb reproduction, but is almost impossible to get a hold of.

I would call Cooperman and ask for Jim Ellis. You want to make sure that the seam is visible on the shell. I have never seen an original drum with a perfectly smooth, butt to butt, joint. They would use a scarf joint and secure the seem with glue and tacks.

I have read many posts on this forum about drums, and it always surprises me that many people are will to purchase very inaccurate instruments. I'm not refering to you sir, but just commenting in general. I see many commenting on sutlers who machine sew a section that they feel should be hand sewn, but few ever pay close enough attention to the construction of drums.

Sorry for the venting.

Sincerely,

Patrick Jones
Camp Chase Fifes and Drums

[Ryan Halsey]

Justin, I think I'm gonna sell my old drum to Shawn and pick up the fife. With us three, we could get an awesome impression going on.

[flattop32355]

The one thing that still worries me is the natural heads. It is my understanding that they tear very easily when they get wet or even dry too quickly or too slowly. I may be required to play in the rain. Is there a method to get past this or is it best just to go with a synthetic skin head?

I'll use this example from my son's experience...

When we began reenacting in '03, he insisted on calfskin heads, so that's what we went with. Things went well enough until we attended an event at Buffington Island, Ohio. The humidity was unbelievable: It would become unbearable, then rain for ten minutes, leaving it only hot as he!!, then the humidity would immediately go back up again until the next short rain.

My son went nuts trying to keep the drum in tune. Even drying the heads near the fire and keeping the drum in the tent, the sound only lasted until the next downpour. In a matter of seconds, the sound would progress: Boom Boom Bong Bong Bum Bum Bup Bup....

He got so frustrated at his inablility to play it, he demanded we switch to synthetic heads, and has been playing them ever since.

As for the tearing of the natural heads, his suffered a small burn through from a campfire explosion (The Saga of the Bad Sugar), and showed no ill effects.

[Hardtack Herring]

Synthetic Heads? They do not belong in our Hobby or on the Authentic Campaigner......

The true sound of Fife and Drums from the Civil War era comes from drums with natural skin heads and no muffles.

Yes there is a big difference in sound.

Once we did a demo for a group of boy scouts. We played a tune with a FARBY drum (fiberskyn heads) and the same tune on a drum with skin heads and no muffles.

We then asked which they liked better. They choose the natural skin head drum with no muffle overwhelmingly.

When asked why they liked the skin heads better they replied... not only did it sound better but it was more authentic. If we are going to watch a historical group play music we want to hear it on authentic instruments. Not a modern version of a Civil war instrument.

Anther example is a program we did for 4rth and 5th graders in N.C. I went down to N.C. with another fifer from our group The LHFD. We went to help a friend of ours who is a drummer in another group.

The drummer plays on fyberskyn heads. During his drum presentation he described Civil War Drums and how they were made. He also said the heads on Civil War Drums were made from calf skin. The students hands flew in the air to ask questions. He began calling on them. He got to one child who asked if he could see the bottom of his drum. When the drummer showed him the bottom of the drum the kid said......That is plastic. I did not think they had plastic in the Civil War! This is from a 4rth grader.

The Liberty Hall Fifes and Drums only play on skin heads with no muffles. That is the way it was done in the war and it is the way it should be done today!

Please only use natural skin heads with no muffles! Learn to take care of your drum and you will have little problems. Of course you will not be able to play in the middle of a downpour....But neither did they.

As for the dreaded ring from a drum with no muffle.....It affects the drummer more than anything. The audience can not not hear the ring at a small distance. Also if you are playing the drum right the ring is not as loud. When playing in a group with all skin heads and no muffle the ring is almost gone all together.

[Raymond]

First I would like to say that I fully agree with mister Herring.

My experience as an authentic drummer has learned me the following.
1) Use hemp roping, as it will not get longer, nor shorter (cotton will stretch when wet).
2) Just don't play the instrument when you are about to destroy it (if you want to be able to play in the rain, become a bugler).
3) Use a very thick upper head (if you can't find it, buy a bass drum head and resize it).
4) Consider goatskin in stead of calfskin.
5) Care for your sticks is as important as for your drum (keep them smooth).

The problem is that you need a lot of experience to get the feeling what your drum head can take. (That reminds me of a superb timpani player who stood on one of his drums to demonstrate the strenght of their heads!)
Sometimes there is just this weak spot in the head you never noticed! So inspect the skin before buying by holding it against sunlight to see weak spots.

Drums are not made for rain, nor are guns or uniforms. Does anyone has evidence of bands or field music playing in the rain at all?

Raymond Rammeloo

[33rdaladrummer]

Goats do make good drumheads. I actually prefer them to the $100 skins for a number of reasons. I agree that proper maintainance is key to making a drumhead last and sound good as well. The ropes must be pulled "tight as a drum", hence the old saying. To get a drum with new rope and skins in good playing condition, the hemp or linen rope needs to be pulled three to five times.Really! Numbering the rope "triangles" 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10, pull in this order: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5 6 7 8 9 10 6 7 8 9 10 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 9 10 10.I hope that made sense, but it surprising how many people who own rope drums know nothing about caring for it If the drum is not tight the heads will bust. With sufficient tension, the ears will not have to be pushed all the way down and you will have a little extra to tension so you can push the ears down farther to deal with the humidity. Don't play in the rain unless it is very light sprinkle, and then you should only play lightly and only if absolutely necessary. Personally, I would rather hear no drums at all than the sharp ping of plastic. As to the ring of unmuffled drums, Paul is right. If you get a group of drummers beating on unmuffled skins together, you don't even notice the ring. Or perhaps it is an acquired taste. It is also true what Gus Moeller said about "rags" in drums: "No good drum needs one".Plastic heads, thick shells, thick hoops that don't fit right. All of these things make a drum ring more.

[Daniel G.]

While yes calf skin is period correct, I went with synthetic heads. Most of the events I attend it is humid or rainy which makes for a very bad drum. I have a Florence 16x16 with synthetic heads from Cooperman. I have put way to much money into the thing to have it break all the time on me. The hardest thing about synthetic heads is that you'll have to tune out the ring, but a nice muffler and about 30 min with your drum and it'll be fine!

[OldKingCrow]

Looks like Federals procured drums outside of the normal military channels as well:

Letters of Felix Voltz, a drummer boy in the 187th New York Volunteer Regiment

March 3d / 65 187 Regt.

Dear Parents Brths & Sisters

I take the Pen in Hand this Evening to write you a few lines I have so much to Say I dont know what to comence at first The first thing I will let you know about Me being in the Drum Chor. We new Syuat formed A new Company in this Regiment and our Officers are for Captain is Capt. Tyler for Leit is Leit Fred Reiser for Ord is Anthony Duncolin and I suppose you all know him the Husband of Mary Wichter and for Drum Major is Joseph Roagh and I suppose you all know him he used to keep a Saloon on Corner of Ellicott & Genesee Sts.


Now I will let you know how I got in the Drum Chor I had to go on Picket Duty the other day and when I came back I got sick for two or three days but I got over that and then I went to Tony the Orderly and ask him if they had A Drummer for our Company Says he No sir then he told me to wait A day or two and he would set about it then he to Drum Major and when he come back he told Me to go over to the Drum Major he wanted too see Me when I come over their who was Drum Major was Joe Koack and he told me if it was possible he would get Me in and then he came over and told


me to give up my Musket and come with him then he said he would try and see if he could get Drum for Me here but he said I could not draw any government Drum down here he told Me to write Home fore one and have it send here you Tony can go and do this favor for Me he said the best and cheapest place you can buy one is on the corner of Main and Tiagarer Sts a new music Store and please buy a good one and I will make it all right as soon as I get My Bounty and he Joe told Me best way and the quickest way to send it would be by Mail / they tell us we will get our Bounty the 15th of this Month then I will send home all I possible can.

No More news this time I will write again as soon as possible please tell Mother not to wearry herself about Me for I am all right yet and I hope will be so for the next year and tell here I am in no danger what so ever all I have to do is to take care of Me and my Drum and learn how to Drum as soon as possible I must not do no more guard or Picket Duty nor I must not take care of no Musket at all. Please tell Joe Duckene that he should excuse Me for not writing to him for I was at writing to him onced then I was called out for to go on Picket Duty but I will have More time know. So no more this time give my best Respects to all inquiring Friends. Please write as soon as possible for I am most sick to here a little something of home and please send me some postage stamps for I am out of them. I remain your truly Son and Brother.

Felix Voltz

[Hardtack Herring]

Daniel......


There is no easy way to say this......So here we go.

Tuning out the ring with a muffle..... That is mistake number two on your drum..... Period drums did not have muffles...... And they did not have plastic heads.

Heck... Many of them did not even have snare strainers.

Someday, I hope to never see a new thread on this forum regarding plastic heads. They did not have them. Period. Neither should anyone who is trying to represent a musician from the Civil War.

Maybe it is time to add drums and other instruments to event authenticity regulations. Functional Musician is just not cutting it.

[JLHurst]

This discussion has gone way into correct or not correct drums.

But really the point has been missed with the exception of one other gentleman.

The original poster states he is not a percussionist.

My advise would be to contact your local highschool music teacher, see if he/she knows of anyone in the area that would be good for giving drum lessons. Then take some!!!!!
I've been a perscussionist for over 20 years, I'll never be as great as I want to be. I've played with Baton Rouge Syphony, all state bands through high school, DCI Drum Corps, even a local Calidonian Pipes & Drums. I still work on my rudiments now, and I don't even play hardly anymore. (RockBand not included) :D

So before you buy a drum, grab some sticks, a practice pad, a few lessons from a professional and take some lessons. Be sure to tell what style of drumming you are wanting to be able to do as well, the mentor will be able to take you in that direction.

Good luck!

[27thNCdrummer]

Amen Paul! Amen!