Kettledrum


A kettledrum is a type of percussion instrument in which a membrane is stretched over a large hemispherical bowl. Traditionally, the bowl is made of a metal such as copper or bronze, but materials such as clay and wood are also used.
In Western music, timpani are the most commonly used types of kettledrums, so much so that their names have almost become synonymous. However, most cultures, especially those of South Asia and the Middle East, have their own distinct types of kettledrums. In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, kettledrums were given the number '211.1' as part of their own unique classification.

Construction

Kettledrums can differ greatly in the shape of their bowls, even among instruments that are classified as the same type. For example, timpani may be parabolic, cambered, or elliptical in shape. The exact way the shape of the bowl affects the sound is debated. The type of animal hide that forms the drumhead differs from different instruments, but calfskin is the most common. Many types of kettledrums continue to use animal hide even after the invention of synthetic Mylar drumheads in the 20th century. Drumheads may be held down and tuned through either traditional rope-tension or the more modern hoop and bolts system. Less commonly, the heads may simply be nailed or glued on.

Acoustics

The sound of kettledrums is determined by multiple factors, including the material, thickness, and collar of the head, as well as the shape, size, and material of the bowl. Due to the bowl reflecting the dominant pitch of the head, most kettledrums, such as the timpani and tabla, produce a definite pitch when struck.

History

Early examples of musical instruments shaped into kettles appeared in Southeast Asia during the 6th century BCE and now serve as late Bronze Age artifacts. The Đông Sơn drums of Vietnam are one such example, made using the lost-wax casting technique. However, these instruments were not membranophones, as true kettledrums are. They were idiophones, bearing greater similarity in both sound and construction to large, pitched gongs.
The earliest true kettledrums were likely simple instruments, made by stretching animal hides over clay pots. Other materials, such as wood or tortoiseshell, may also have been used in its early history. Tablets in Mesopotamia, around the time of the Achaemenid Empire, give instructions for constructing a bronze drum called the lilissu or lilis. This drum, outfitted with a head made from bull hide, was used chiefly in religious ceremonies as a representation of the heart of a god.
Kettledrums have a long history of serving as war drums, particularly within cavalry units. Their first use in battle is first attested to the Parthian Empire, who used them for battlefield coordination and to terrify the opposing army. The use of kettledrums continued through the Sasanian Empire, where they were gradually employed with signaling horns or trumpets. This practice developed across multiple Middle Eastern cultures, including within the Byzantine Empire, giving rise to various forms of the drum known as the naqareh. The instrument subsequently disseminated to Europe and India, where it evolved into the naker and nagara, respectively.
The word "kettledrum" first appeared in English through the writings of Thomas Seymour to Henry VIII in 1542 after the king had ordered several sets from Vienna to be used in battle.

Types