Is a drum a musical instrument?
 

Hey every one, this may seem like an odd question, but I was having a heated debate with a work colleague last week who believed.

1. a drum is not a musical instrument.
2. a drummer is not a musician.

I personally don't agree!

His argument was.

1. A drum is not a musical instrument, it's a percussion instrument.
2. You can't tune a drum or a drum doesn't go out of tune.
3. You can't play a melody with a drum.

My view on his argument.

1. percussion instrument is a subset of musical instruments, in the same way wind instrument, brass instrument and all the other ones are.
2. I don't think I even need to answer this one, it's just not true.
3. I'm not sure if you could really play a melody on a drum, but I did find some talk on the internet of a few drummers who had played melody with very big drum kits i.e. lots of drums and symbols of different tuning.
But whether you can or you can't it's beside the point, that wouldn't determine whether it's a musical instrument or not.

So anyway please let me know what you all think and vote on the poll

Cheers
Pete

Your colleague makes me go :banghead:

Seems like he's arguing semantics, to me.

If an instrument is used in the creation of music, it's a musical instrument, and it follows that the person who plays it by hobby or trade is a musician. I don't think the term 'musical', in the context of instruments, is intended to be defined as something strictly melodic... although it can be, in other contexts.

I think your work colleague needs to take a moment to figure out that there are different meanings to words when they're used in different contexts. He's limiting himself to strict literal interpretation, which I'm sure most of us agree is a mistake.

1 - that's like saying a dirt bike is not a motorized vehicle because it's not a car.

2 - that's not true. period. i had one drummer tune the toms so their tones were harmonious with each string on my guitar. drum skins stretch and get worn and need to be readjusted at times. this statement alone should have been enough to completely discredit your co-worker in your debate.

3 - if 2 is not true and the drums CAN be tuned to specific tones then they can in turn play a melody.

*sigh*, tell him to read the first line. Wikipedia is, in fact, more accurate than your average encyclopedia.

It's like scientific fact yo. I mean, that's kinda like arguing the earth is actually flat... but it don't stop these guys

peace,
-nick

I never understood that whole "it's not music unless it has a melody" argument. Although melody is a very important part of most music, it's not all there is to it. It also depends on the what kind of music as well. I think in certain ways, the drums can be just as melodic as other instruments in their own way. Drums add rhythm to a song, they can be the driving force or pulse, and add a sort of texture to the music, which I think is one of the more important aspects that people don't recognize.

Drums are the original musical instrument, period.

I'd say the voice is actually the original instrument.

Yeah, that dude's a tool. People who sequester themselves to a limited view of music are the bane of my existence.

true that

I think you're completely right and your coworker is dumb. :)

Just for shits and giggles though, here's my response to his arguments:

Percussion instruments include not just drums but also things like pianos and xylophones. Does he think pianos are not musical instruments too?

Yes you can tune a drum and yes they do go out of tune. What does this guy think a drum key is used for?

Really now? What about steel drums?

Yes, of course! Music today, drums play a role other than keeping a beat, take a song without the drums. Sounds horible. you need the drums in a song. Just my opinion. :pimp:

Duh

I do think that this is my area of expertise.

A drum, any kind for that matter, is in fact a musical instrument. You're co-worker is DEAD WRONG on his three points. Percussion is a class of instruments, just like woodwinds or brass. You can tune drums. And they do go out of tune. Take quads for example. When my marching band takes them out in the cold of Mass, the drums have to be tuned down some, so that the risk of breaking the head is drastically reduced. Marching snares, are tuned aprx. to an A. And percussionists are musicians. It takes a tremdous amount of skill in order to play percussion. For one, percussionists keep the beat. They have to right on the beat, every single time, or the other members of the ensemble take the percussionist(s) tempi.

Believe or not, drums do have a tone, just not a sustained one. It's a collection of frequencies and harmonics just as much as a piano or a guitar.

hmm, you work with stupid people.

actually you can tune a drum, and play varied notes on a drum (excluding kick)
pretty much if it's something that can make a sound it can be a musical instrument

You can, in fact, play a melody with steel pan drums.

So I think this has been settled once and for all.

• Just because it doesn't entirely carry the melody, doesn't mean it's not an instrument
• Drums are entirely tuneable
• Melody is a very important part of all music, yes, but so is the harmony and the rythem
• Percussionists are in fact musicians; other wise, how could one obtain a doctorite degree in percussion?
• Percussion may be simple instruments in the theory of music evolution, but they add a different spice, a different color to the music
• And percussion can have the melody. Keyboard instruments are still in the percussion family

What the hell?

Drums can fall out of tune just like stringed instruments. The tenser the drum skin is; the brighter the tone. Same with stringed instruments. This guy is a dumbass.

so is this guy part of the "Hire a Idiot Program" ?

Only a true muppet would even argue those points - hope you punched him in the face , hard ...

There's a very easy way to prove that drums are a musical instrument...

Tie your friend up and beat him down with the ass end of a drumstick until he agrees. Chances are, he'll start hearing some musical notes in the stick-to-bone percussions.

Who voted 'no'?

To put it simply, if a drum is not an instrument, then by the same rule, a piano is not an instrument. Both are percussive.

John Cage would stick his foot so far up this guy's arse he'd be tasting liver spots for months.

Of course its a musical intrument..... This is a very silly question.....

his friend

What? A piano can actually produce notes, drums are strictly used to keep rhythm, unless we're talking about a steel pan drum. Anyway the piano and the drum are two entirely different instruments all together.

they both use percussion though, and a kick drum has the widest range of frequencies of any instrumental type. drums DO make different notes. think of a djembe, where you tap/how hard etc makes different notes; it's capable of creating different frequencies even though it's a percussive instrument.

I think his point was that they're both part of the percussion family, and since the OP's idiot friend was claiming that percussion instruments are not musical instruments, that would mean pianos are not musical instruments. From wikipedia:

Drums produce notes.

Who the bloody hell voted no? :laughing:

You can create music with drums.

Therefore it is an instrument.

Aww shoot, I was told that they could be classified as either string or percussion. My music teacher lied to me :(.

They are both, I think. At least that's what I've always known.

Drums as a string instrument?
I'm not arguing, but how?

Strings are used on some drums to tighten or loosen them to get a different pitch.

But would I consider them a string instrument? Probably not........

I was talking about Pianos :p:

Oh.
Yeah, it's a string instrument and a percussion instrument.

I always thought keyboard instruments were a class of their own...