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Other articles by D/S Glenn Smith on this page:
The Drummer�s Sixth Sense


THE ART OF DRUMMING IN THE PIPE BAND: An Introduction


"They're so tight that their heads are going to pop." We're speaking of snare drums in a Scottish bagpipe band. When the drums are properly tuned the heads are tight enough to tap dance on. The first difference that any drummer will notice about pipe drumming is the drum itself. It has basically the same dimensions as other field snares, but it's tuned much higher than any other drum. Only drum and bugle corps come anywhere close to this kind of pitch. This is because it must match the high pitch of the bagpipe's chanter, where the melody is produced. I've been told that the high pitch and drone sound much like a cat with its tail caught in a bench grinder.

You either love them or you hate them. I love them!

Intensity is an inherent part of this style of drumming. It's a controlled intensity and the better the corps, the more control they have over that intensity. They can increase or decrease it to perfectly match whatever tune they're playing. Drums were first played with bagpipes by the British army during the last century. Pipers, being notoriously bad timekeepers, needed someone to help them keep in step. So drum sections consisting of bass drum, field tenor (played by drummers swinging large felt-headed sticks in rhythmic patterns for an exciting visual effect) and snare drums were added to regimental pipe sections to form the first pipe bands. This was followed by the formation of the police and civilian pipe bands. It was in these bands that pipe drumming saw its greatest development and became one of the most unusual styles of drumming in the world today.

To achieve the pitch of the snare drum you must use the strongest head to be found. Batter heads were used; however, this was the cause of much aggravation and the outlay of much time and money for pipe drummers. Mylar heads, until the last few years, were able to withstand the pressure only for so long. When their will to live wore thin, they would announce their untimely end with a loud gunshot-like bang resulting in a lovely split across the head. This would always happen at the least opportune time, like in the middle of the 50-yard line at the Rams vs. 49ers half-time show. The advent of the kevlar-mesh head has pretty much eliminated this problem.

But these stronger heads, while being more capable of withstanding the high pressure exerted upon them, also exert a much stronger pressure on the drum itself. Drums fall apart, tension lugs pull through or snap off, rims warp into strange shapes, and tension brackets pull out of the shell. Premier, one of the oldest manufacturers of pipe drums, came out with the HTS 200 pipe drum. This drum has the high, crisp sound required in pipe bands.

Headroom Roonie, D/S Glenn Smith
Glenn Smith, Drum Sergeant

From the September 1999 issue of the
Shasta Celtic Society Newsletter


THE DRUMMER�S SIXTH SENSE


The world of drumming has produced more than its fair share of creative and original musicians. Drumming requires more interpretation and imaginative input than most other instruments, since drummers are rarely presented with highly notated music parts. Broadway bands, for example, will find that the drummer is allowed more freedom in the way he or she plays. This artistic freedom cuts both ways. As drummers, we are generally in a position of interpreting the musical wishes of others in the absence of totally written out parts, so we have to become competent in understanding what is required. We need to "take direction." This is what the best and busiest players are good at. They develop a "sixth sense" that tells them what is required, and they use this instinct to provide what is right for the music. The sixth sense should start functioning as soon as we walk into a new situation. It encourages us to look out from under our cymbals and remember the wider context of our musical efforts. Though most of us actually play live more than in studios, it is in the bars, clubs, and theaters that the sixth sense begins to work overtime.

Beyond the important demands of interpreting the music, we now have other things to worry about. One area well worth thinking on is that of volume level, or dynamics. If you are playing in a piano trio, for instance, don�t play louder than the piano. It is forgivable to test the waters and bring the volume level up occasionally to see if the pianist responds to the stimulation. But if he�s running the show, once he tells you to watch the volume level, that�s it! Musical directors do not appreciate giving instructions twice. Its amazing how much work goes to drummers who know how to play softly. This is an aspect of our job that other musicians are obsessed with. The secret is to play softly behind the singers so that their words can be heard, and really play out in chorus and dance numbers. Your sensitivity will be noted, and approved. The ability to take direction cheerfully and, indeed, to accept criticism in the right spirit is, along with sound musical skills, the essential factor that helps freelance musicians stay in business. To achieve this, we must accept that by the very nature of the music business, the drummer is on the receiving end of a long chain of command. The musicians have to accept that what they are being asked to do might not always be the way they would choose to do it, but that they are doing it to keep someone, somewhere happy.

The ability to take direction may seem a passive or negative goal, but if you are going to regularly face new musical situations, it�s the only way to convince fellow musicians and future employers that you are a safe bet. I take heart from the fact that the greatest drummers can use the tight constraints of a musical situation as a stimulus to creativity. Accept "taking direction" as the name of the game, and turn it to your advantage. Drum on.

Headroom Roonie, D/S Glenn Smith
Glenn Smith, Drum Sergeant


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