Foot drum

A foot drum is any type of drum that is typically played by striking it with the bare foot or pedal and beater combination. The most common type of foot drum is the kick drum or bass drum of a drum set or trap kit, which consists of a deep cylindrical shell with drumheads attached to both ends.

Instrument History

Archaeologists have unearthed 'foot drums' in several southwestern and central-Californian US Native American archaeological sites inhabited, or formally inhabited, by the Miwok, Maidu, Aztec, and Hopi Indian tribes. These drums were often semicircle cross-sectioned hollow logs laid over wood covered 'resonating' pits positioned according to custom in kivas or dance houses. The foot drums were played by stomping on top of the hollow log with the structure's poles used for steadying. [Citation
last=Densmore
first=Frances
year= 1939
title= Musical Instruments of the Maidu Indians
periodical= American Anthropologist, New Series
issue= Jan. - Mar., 1939
www.yosemite.ca.us/library/miwok_material_culture/] [Citation
last=Parsons
first=Elise
year= 1940
title= Relations between Ethnology and Archeology in the Southwest
periodical= American Anthropologist, New Series
issue= Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jan., 1940)] [.Citation
last=Lowie
first= Robert H.
year= 1938
title= The Emergence Hole and the Foot Drum
periodical= American Anthropologist, New Series
issue= Vol. 40, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1938)
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-7316(194001)5%3A3%3C214%3ARBEAAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6]

Since the 1930s, many Chicago area musicians, producers, and engineers have referred to the bass drum as the foot drum or 'foot.' Although not commonly used today, the 'foot drum' name is still used in areas of the music recording industry. [Recording Institute of Detroit [http://www.ridproductionschool.com/glossary/pglosfj.htm#sectF] ]

Although now a major component of typical drum kits, foot drums were often played with pedals singularly or in combination with other foot played percussion instruments manufactured in the early-20th century by Sonor, Max Flemming, Duplex and Viktoria companies. [Winnie's Drumkit Vintage Drum Collection. Amsterdam, Netherlands [http://home.hetnet.nl/~winnie-/gallery/pedals/pedals1.html] ]

Besides the typical bass drum and pedal, there are other varieties and playing styles of foot drums. They range from complete foot pedal played drum kits to a heel struck Cajon and stompbox.

ee also

*Edoardo Bennato

References

External links

* [http://www.farmerfootdrums.com Farmer Foot Drums]
* [http://www.footdrum.com Underwood Foot Drum]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqGap02On2w Nana Kimati Dinizulu]
* [http://www.myspace.com/3daftmonkeys 3 daft monkeys]
* [http://www.carillon.uregina.ca/06.08.06/arts4.html Dave Harris]