The drum set is a uniquely American instrument that has played a central role in jazz from its inception. The invention of the bass drum pedal enabled one drummer to cover multiple percussion parts, and as the different styles of jazz advanced and morphed through the decades of the twentieth century the techniques and rhythmic vocabulary of the drummers evolved and expanded to accommodate the new emerging styles and to propel the music forward. The half notes played on the bass drum which accentuated the “two-feel” being played by the tuba in early jazz turned into steady quarter notes, or “four-on-the-floor,” during the swing era to match the prevalent walking acoustic bass lines. Similarly, timekeeping by “digging coal” on the snare drum was replaced by drummers moving their hands up to the high hat for their primary timekeeping voice though the 1930s. As the music continued to progress, so did […]