The Origins of Drums

Drums, or membranophones have been around for thousands of years. Today the usage of drums range from part of a marching band, to the instrument supporting the rhythm in a rock band. Drums first appeared over 6000 BC. Since then they have been found all over the world, for example: Evidence of drums have been unearthed from the Neolithic Era, Mesopotamian ruins have been discovered containing cylindrical objects as old as 3000 BC, Egyptian tombs have contained small drums, many caves in Peru have paintings depicting drums used for ceremonies or celebrations, and drums from 3000 BC have been found in India. Drums have also been used for other things such as communication. Many African cultures used drums as part of religious ceremonies to express themselves and use different beats to symbolize ideas. The idea of a drum kit has only been around recently when people realized they could play more than one drum at the one time. This was called double drumming.