The history of drumming is far more interesting than one would suppose. Who would have guessed that it all goes back to the Swiss military in the 14th century? But that is what we learn from the obscurely titled Drum Rudiment article in Wikipedia.
The earliest instance of rudimental fife and drum is often cited as the Swiss military at the battle of Sempach in 1386.[5] There is evidence, however, that the Swiss were already using drums in battle in 1315 at the Battle of Morgarten.[6] Initially, Swiss rudiments were very influential to the French system, which in turn was the basis for many other rudimental systems. Switzerland produced two distinct rudimental cultures, the wider Swiss Ordonnanz Trommel[7]practiced in Zurich, Valais, and Geneva, and the Basel version or Basler Trommeln.[8]
From there, the basic elements of rudimental drumming spread across Europe and to the Americas. I first heard the term "paradiddle" from a musician friend, an English percussionist. To this day I think it is the funniest technical term in music, even outdoing appoggiatura and allegro non troppo. How does one execute a paradiddle, one of the fundamental rhythmic patterns of drumming?
A paradiddle consists of two single strokes followed by a double stroke, i.e., RLRR or LRLL.[91] When multiple paradiddles are played in succession, the first note always alternates between right and left. Therefore, a single paradiddle is often used to switch the "lead hand" in drumming music.
Interestingly, we have another whole set of terms for rhythmic patterns from classical prosody:
Disyllables
Macron and breve notation:
= stressed/long syllable,
= unstressed/short syllable
pyrrhus, dibrach iamb (or iambus or jambus) trochee, choree (or choreus) spondee Trisyllables
tribrach dactyl amphibrach anapest, antidactylus bacchius cretic, amphimacer antibacchius molossus
What is really, really interesting is how much of the fundamental content of music is actually rhythm even though all our music theory courses talk about harmony and modulation with maybe the occasional mention of melody. But I cannot recall a single music course at university titled "rhythm." Maybe with the entry of more popular music into academia there is now?
What better envoi for this than Steve Reich, Music for Pieces of Wood:
Why is this piece so interesting and enjoyable? Polymeter!
