Whizzer and the history of the Drumkit

Though multiple percussionists played various instruments like toms, snare drums, bass drums, and cymbals before the 1900s, it was the unique circumstances in New Orleans during the Vaudeville Era that led to a single percussionist playing a modern drum set as we know it today.

To allow one person to manage more percussion, early drummers experimented with a spring-loaded beater on the bass drum, which was connected to their foot by a rope or a pedal-like board. In 1896, New Orleans drummer DeeDee Chandler was instrumental in creating a foot pedal similar to those used today, allowing the drummer’s hands to perform more complex snare work or play other instruments.

Early efforts by individual drummers also included attaching a cymbal to the bass drum, struck simultaneously with the bass drum pedal via a connected striker. A more effective invention was the low-hat pedal, which enabled the left foot to control a pair of cymbals on the ground, engaging all four limbs. This setup eventually evolved into the waist-level high hat.

Years later, Gene Krupa played a key role in refining the drum kit into its modern form. He developed tunable tom-toms, one mounted on the bass drum and another on the floor, along with a bass drum-mounted ride cymbal. This configuration became the modern 4-piece drum set with a hi-hat, ride cymbal, and two crash cymbals, as we recognise it today.