Human society considers music as one of its unique cultural aspect since prehistory. Paleolithic man have conceived the idea of creating rythmic sound through their most primitive audio device. Drums and percussion are the oldest musical tone heard in human ears.

These devices are still being used until today. Unlike modern drums hewn from synthetic plastic material, traditional drums maintain a separate cultural identity compared to their modern predecessors. But their cultural identity varies from every part of the world.

As the cradle of human society, African and its music is primarily being attuned to drums mostly made of cured goat’s skin. Their voodoo ancestor worship is often accompanied by vibrant drum banging and chanting. They believed that communal dancing and singing paves way for divine intervention.

The European continent has been using drums as their earliest musical device since their most primitive history. Particularly among the Norse and Greek culture, drums are used to maintain morale especially in the navy. The Germanic and Gaelic peoples also use drums for their music to connect to the spirit world with the help of their dancing druids.

In China, Asia’s elemental civilization, music has been mainly played by drums. Each Chinese New Year, from ancient times until today, Chinatowns all over the world revel with the sound of drums and symbals played by parading musicians. Dragon and serpentine lions donned on concealed dancers skip with the drummers’ beats.

In Japan, traditional music genre use drums as their primary instrument. The traditional drums are called “taiko” and they have been so symbolic the nation had its own drum festival. These drums are used not only in civil fuctions but also in war, and every feirce samurai warrior in his lord’s fief rouse to the sound of the fat drum’s alarm.

In the American continent, drums are the most significant musical instrument among the natives. In ancient times preceding European settlement, natives used it for war as well as for important civil events such as the chief’s wedding. But more importantly, Native American drums are symbolic to their cultural spiritual practice from the ancient times until today’s annual All Nation’s Powwow.

But if there is any ancient culture that considers traditional skin-hued drums as an important musical instrument until today, it’s the tropical islander culture in all parts of the globe from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Modern reggae music was intergal to the uniting of all islander cultures who identify with each other’s stark similarities. For this reason typical imagery of tropical beaches wouldn’t be complete without sheep skin drums and the people dancing to the reggae beat.

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Every musician is looking for good sheet music that appeals them. For that to be you need lots of choices. Choose from easy piano sheet music, jazz sheet music. Free reprint available from: Recognizing How Old Drums Matter In Contemporary Reggae Music.