As a drum collector I quickly became fascinated with early bass drum pedals and how they evolved over time to what we know today as the modern-day bass drum pedal. The bass drum is the driving force of our musical experience, but it is the bass drum pedal that makes this experience possible. But how did these crude looking contraptions come into existence, evolve, and help the drummer keep the time for the band? Let’s begin back in the 1890s. It was around this time that bands were squeezing into orchestra pits. The need of a snare drummer, a bass drummer, and a cymbal player was abandoned for the new position of one drummer doing the job of three; and the drum set was born! It was obvious that the snare drum and cymbals could be easily played with drumsticks, but there was a need for some sort of foot-operated […]

September 2025 Issue