Cocktail drum
Encyclopedia
Cocktail drums are a type of portable drum kit
which combines bass drum
and snare drum
sounds in a single drum.
and other assorted percussion.
Eventually the companies Slingerland, Ludwig-Musser
and Gretsch
began producing cocktail drums that are more similar to what is used today. The typical drum consisted of a floor tom
that was 14 inches in diameter and 24 to 26 inches tall, with both top and bottom drumhead
s. The bottom head was struck via a foot-pedal-operated beater and tuned to achieve a bass drum sound. The top head was struck with sticks. The top head is also fitted with a snare
underneath to achieve a snare drum sound. The drum's height would normally require the musician to play it standing upright with one foot operating the pedal and one foot bearing the weight of the musician's body (as opposed to a trap set that is played sitting down). This made the drum quite easy to move from place to place, as opposed to moving a snare drum, stand for the snare drum, stool and bass drum for a trap set. However the tradeoff for this ease of transportation is the practice and balance required to play the instrument that is unnecessary when playing a trap set.
Some more modern cocktail drums are fitted with a baffle
. The baffle is of a non-resonant material to prevent the bottom head's vibration from interacting with and "buzzing" the snare, which creates a sound much closer to that of two separate drums. Others use a small snare drum that is clamped or mounted in some fashion to the cocktail drum. This leaves the top head free to be used as a tom with the snares removed. The clamp provides the musician with a secure place for the snare drum without the added inconvenience of using a snare drum stand. Using two separate drums in this manner makes both drums easier to tune and provides much more consistent sound.
Holders for cymbals, tom drums, cowbells and other various percussion instruments can be mounted to the cocktail drum depending on the musicians' needs. This makes the instrument very personal and few cocktail drums today are alike.
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
which combines bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
and snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
sounds in a single drum.
History
Cocktail drums were first put into production in the 1940s with the Carlton combo kit, consisting of a vertical 20 inch bass drum, a snare drum, cymbalCymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
and other assorted percussion.
Eventually the companies Slingerland, Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
and Gretsch
Gretsch
The Gretsch Company was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch, a twenty-seven year old German immigrant recently arrived in the US. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums, until his death in 1895. His son, Fred, moved operations to Brooklyn, New York in 1916...
began producing cocktail drums that are more similar to what is used today. The typical drum consisted of a floor tom
Tom-tom drum
A tom-tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snare.Although "tom-tom" is the British term for a child's toy drum, the name came originally from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala; the tom-tom itself comes from Asian or Native American cultures...
that was 14 inches in diameter and 24 to 26 inches tall, with both top and bottom drumhead
Drumhead
A drumhead is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a drum. The drumhead is struck with sticks, mallets, or hands so that it vibrates and the sound resonates through the drum.-History:...
s. The bottom head was struck via a foot-pedal-operated beater and tuned to achieve a bass drum sound. The top head was struck with sticks. The top head is also fitted with a snare
Snare
Snare may refer to:* Snare trap, a kind of trap used for capturing animals* Snare drum* SNARE , a family of proteins involved in vesicle fusion* The Snares, a group of islands approximately 200 kilometres south of New Zealand...
underneath to achieve a snare drum sound. The drum's height would normally require the musician to play it standing upright with one foot operating the pedal and one foot bearing the weight of the musician's body (as opposed to a trap set that is played sitting down). This made the drum quite easy to move from place to place, as opposed to moving a snare drum, stand for the snare drum, stool and bass drum for a trap set. However the tradeoff for this ease of transportation is the practice and balance required to play the instrument that is unnecessary when playing a trap set.
Modern use
Use of cocktail sets in modern music remains relatively rare but does remain a viable alternative for drummers looking to maximize portability and/or minimize stage space normally taken by the drum set. It is also useful as an alternative to a traditional drum set for providing a "retro" or "off-beat" appearance to a group.Some more modern cocktail drums are fitted with a baffle
Sound baffle
A sound baffle is a construction or device which reduces the strength of airborne sound. Sound baffles are a fundamental tool of noise mitigation, the practice of minimizing noise pollution or reverberation. An important type of sound baffle is the noise barrier constructed along highways to...
. The baffle is of a non-resonant material to prevent the bottom head's vibration from interacting with and "buzzing" the snare, which creates a sound much closer to that of two separate drums. Others use a small snare drum that is clamped or mounted in some fashion to the cocktail drum. This leaves the top head free to be used as a tom with the snares removed. The clamp provides the musician with a secure place for the snare drum without the added inconvenience of using a snare drum stand. Using two separate drums in this manner makes both drums easier to tune and provides much more consistent sound.
Holders for cymbals, tom drums, cowbells and other various percussion instruments can be mounted to the cocktail drum depending on the musicians' needs. This makes the instrument very personal and few cocktail drums today are alike.
Notable players
- Drummer Steve JordanSteve Jordan (musician)Steve Jordan is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, musical director and Grammy Award-winning artist, who has made a name for himself as a producer from the Bronx in New York City. A graduate of the Fiorello H...
plays his own Steve Jordan cocktail set professionally with various groups. - Peter ErskinePeter ErskinePeter Erskine is an American jazz drummer and composer. He has enjoyed a long and successful career as a session drummer, recording and touring with many famous jazz and rock artists, including Steely Dan and Weather Report...
also plays the YamahaYamaha DrumsYamaha Drums is a subsidiary of the Yamaha Corporation founded in 1967. The company manufactures acoustic and electronic drum kits as well as percussion instruments, marching band equipment, and drum hardware.-Production:...
Club Jordan cocktail drum. However, he plays it sitting on a high drum throne. - Slim Jim PhantomSlim Jim PhantomSlim Jim Phantom is the drummer for Stray Cats. Alongside band mates Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker, he spearheaded the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 1980s.-Biography:...
of the Stray CatsStray CatsStray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
plays a bass drum/snare drum set standing up in the traditional "cocktail" manner. He plays all concerts standing with this type of set. - Fritz Lewak of Melissa EtheridgeMelissa EtheridgeMelissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
plays a Metropolitan Cocktail kit on tour. - John Mettam of Cocktail Angst plays a vintage cocktail drum. He has a wide variety of Latin percussion instruments coupled to his drum for a unique sound.
- Bernie Dresel of the Brian Setzer Orchestra plays a DWDrum WorkshopDrum Workshop is a drum and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Their slogan is "The Drummer's Choice".-History:...
brand cocktail drum during a trio set (guitar, bass and drums) at most concerts. - Joe Palacki of the Neon Swing X-perienceNeon Swing X-perienceNeon Swing X-perience was founded in 1998 by Mike Urick near Jeannette, Pennsylvania. Since then, the band has been dedicated to preserving varied forms of "Americana" music - particularly those types inspired or rooted in the big bands of the 1930s and 40's.The band has independently released...
used a custom built Phattie cocktail set to record the group's 5th album "Late to the Party". - Gilson LavisGilson LavisGilson Lavis was the drummer for Squeeze from 1976 until 1992. More recently, he has been drumming for Jools Holland's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra....
of Squeeze Performs with Jools Holland's BBC television show with a Metropolitan Cocktail Drum. - Alex Hodgson of The Last Resort(Band)
- Michael Ruggelo noted Boston area drummer whose credits include Martha Reeves and others performs on a Metropolitan Cocktail Drum.
- The Raveonettes use a Cocktail Set when they are on tour.
- Crash LaResh Drummer for The Dexter RomweberDexter RomweberJohn Michael Dexter Romweber is an American rockabilly/roots rock musician from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dex is best known as one-half of the seminal two-piece Flat Duo Jets...
Duo/Flat Duo Jets from 1995-2007. - Sonny BrownSonny BrownClifton D. Brown is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He played with the Houston Oilers during the 1987 season and was a member of the 1985 National Champions Oklahoma Sooners. Brown was named the MVP of the Orange Bowl in 1985 that earned the Sooners a National...
Drummer for retro-country band, THE RIDE, plays a modified Peace Manhattan cocktail drum kit. - Verien Brotzman Drummer for singer/songwriter, DANI MARI, plays a Club Jordan cocktail kit.
- Midtown Tabernacle, an Apostolic Pentecostal church in Middletown, Delaware, makes use of a cocktail drum in their worship services.
- The Clams use a cocktail kit.
External links
- http://www.cocktaildrumsets.com/
- http://www.cocktaildrum.com/
- Drum Workshop Cocktail Kit