History of the Drumset - Part 5, 1917 - New Orleans Style Drumming

The New Orleans-based Original Dixieland Jass Band (with drummer Tony Sbarbaro) makes the first official "jazz" recordings in New York City. Around the same time, other Crescent City musicians - including drummers Baby Dodds and Zutty Singleton - relocate to Chicago, where the New Orleans jazz style becomes very influential.

In this 15-part series, Vic Firth and Daniel Glass will be looking at 100 years of drumming evolution. Learn about the key events and advancements that shaped the drumset we know and love today!

Visit the Vic Firth website today for an interactive timeline and hundreds of great photos cataloging the history of our instrument the drumset!

Start from the beginning!

[adrimaulanasadira]

Understand the history to play better. What a drummer. Congrats mr Daniel Glass!

[crazysdrums]

Cheers to Vic Firth and Daniel Glass for sharing these awesome little snippets into the history of our drums!  Lots of fun!  :D

[bombocropper]

I heard somewhere they were called 'traps' as a derivative of 'contraption'. Considering the rudimentary mechanics of the foot pedals for the bass drum and low- boy cymbals it kind of made sense.

[atU]

Hi Daniel...I discovered you on Drumeo. You keep classic alive! Fantastic drumming!

[darnell]

Hi, I love this. Please make sure that you change the video to show what a cowbell is. The one you show is for a particular kind of ewe drumming. Sorry not sure I spelled that correctly. A cowbell is not a mambo bell or a double bell (Ago-go). Its a particular pitch and size so, if your doing a technical video on this drumming subject, lets be technical. Also, The reason we play drums with our feet is because of tap dancing. This was happening for 150 years before we started to tap dance directly on drums in new orleans. Thats why so many of the first generation drummers were in fact tap dancers. There was no drum language outside of march concepts before tap came into the conversation.

[windsofmarchjourneyperrytr]

Louie Bellson with James Brown (1976) on Soul On Top changed my life. Wow.

[yippiecahier]

Wow, that was so cool! I am just learning how to play the drums, and playing Trad Jazz is my goal! Thanks for these great vids!

[InflatablePlane]

I’ve always referred to that new Orleans drumming sound as the ‘New Orleans bounce’. I guess because of the bouncing bass drum and rolling snare. I really like this sound.

[InnerBeatDrumSchool]

Awesome demo again Daniel! So educational!!!

[tmaddrummer]

Great Drummer and Educator. Thanks and Blessings Daniel!!!

[natefromdetroit]

I've watched a couple of these vids, ragtime one was first I saw. .These are great videos and well done research. Thank you.

[ridrums]

King Oliver's band came before the "Original" Dixieland Jazz Band. The only reason they got signed to a record deal and got publicity was because they where white. Although King Oliver's band swung so much more, they were black. The stuff those other guys played sounded like carnival music. 

[TheMadDogsRock]

fantastic informations about the history of the drumset !!!

[GeoffBosco]

These are too short! You need to get Ken Burns on this shit. lol

[daveb]

That was a pleasure. Making music with drums! Thanks

[dagostinoification]

Thank you Mr Daniel Glass ! Ilike it ! Frienships !

[sirjcurry]

Great series of videos. Thanks. 
Jazz come from blacks in New Orleans. The first record was cultural appropriation, unless the white musicians not only gave credit to the blacks, but also shared some of the $ and fame with the originals back in New Orleans.

[steeg_e]

What was that song in the background called? Sounded like sing sing sing almost.

[publicminx]

the cowbell for the first drum sets (! - not talking about the ancient history of bells itself or their usage for leading animals) did not come from china but europe. learn e.g. more about the usage of cowbells in the mountain region of germany/switzerland/austria (alps/alm bells) etc. - and the usage as instruments already in classical music (e.g. richard strauss) long time before ragtime/jazz etc. existed. it might be in general a good idea for every serious musician (or as general education) to learn the history of classical music and their variations over the centuries to get a good basic knowledge not just about the evolution of modern music/singing in general - and also how this music evolution differs from the time before (stone age to this medivial time). it also helps to look at the people or companys (e.g. 'ludwig & ludwig' /german migrants) who invented/produced actually the different bells, brushes for the drum sets of old times etc.

[DaveWatts_ejectamenta]

I find that idea that early jazz drummers used china cymbals difficult to believe. Is there any evidence of this, eg. pictures of early drummers with them in their kit?