Rototoms are
drumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of music instruments, technically classified as a membranophone.. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some sort of...
s which have no shell. They consist of a single head in a die-cast zinc or aluminum frame. Unlike most other drums, they have a variable definite
pitchPitch represents the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. It is one of the three major auditory attributes of sounds along with loudness and timbre. When the actual fundamental frequency can be precisely determined through physical measurement, it may differ from the perceived pitch because...
. Composers are known to write for them as tuned instruments, demanding specific pitches. Rototoms are often used to extend the tom range of a standard
drum kitA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
. They were invented by the drumhead company Remo.
They can be tuned quickly by rotating the head, which sits in a threaded metal ring.
Rototoms are
drumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of music instruments, technically classified as a membranophone.. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some sort of...
s which have no shell. They consist of a single head in a die-cast zinc or aluminum frame. Unlike most other drums, they have a variable definite
pitchPitch represents the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. It is one of the three major auditory attributes of sounds along with loudness and timbre. When the actual fundamental frequency can be precisely determined through physical measurement, it may differ from the perceived pitch because...
. Composers are known to write for them as tuned instruments, demanding specific pitches. Rototoms are often used to extend the tom range of a standard
drum kitA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
. They were invented by the drumhead company Remo.
They can be tuned quickly by rotating the head, which sits in a threaded metal ring. Rotation raises or lowers the tension hoop relative to the rim, which increases or decreases the pitch of the drum by increasing or decreasing the tension of the drum head.
Master James Holland, former percussionist of the
London Philharmonic OrchestraThe London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
, highly recommends them in his book "Percussion", which is part of the Yehudi Menuhin Music Guides series. Rototoms are often used as a training substitute for
timpaniTimpani are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper, and more recently, constructed of more lightweight fiberglass. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick...
students, as they have a very similar sound, are not as loud and expensive as timpani, and do not require as much room space.
A few drumming greats who used rototoms were
Bill BrufordWilliam Scott Bruford , better known as Bill Bruford, is an English drummer who is recognised for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. He was the original drummer for the highly successful progressive rock group Yes, and has been a prominent figure in the progressive rock movement...
and
Terry BozzioTerry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and the late Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California...
. Roger Taylor of
Duran DuranDuran Duran are an English rock band from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. Since the 1980s they have placed 14 in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and 21 in the...
used rototoms extensively on their self titled debut album
Duran DuranDuran Duran are an English rock band from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. Since the 1980s they have placed 14 in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and 21 in the...
of 1981.
Roger TaylorRoger Taylor is an English musician best known as the percussionist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of the most influential rock drummers of the 1970s and 1980s...
of
QueenQueen were an English rock band. Formed in London in 1970 following the demise of the band Smile, Queen consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. The band became popular with audiences via their hit songs, live performances,...
has used rototoms since the early 1970s most recently in the cover of "
Let There Be DrumsLet There Be Drums is a BBC World Service radio series about drummers, written and presented by Richard James Burgess....
" on the
Return of the ChampionsReturn of the Champions is a double live album by English rock band Queen + Paul Rodgers. It was recorded in May 2005 during the Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield, England and released on September 19, 2005...
DVD and album.
Bev BevanBev Bevan is an English rock musician who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and the Electric Light Orchestra...
, the drummer for the
Electric Light OrchestraElectric Light Orchestra, commonly abbreviated ELO, were a British symphonic rock group from Birmingham, United Kingdom, who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop...
also used rototoms, most notably on the albums
Discovery- History :Discovery was the band's first No. 1 album in the UK, entering the chart at that position and staying there for five weeks. The LP contained five hit songs in "Shine a Little Love," "Don't Bring Me Down," "Last Train to London", "Confusion" and "The Diary of Horace Wimp", many of which...
and
Secret Messages-Original Concept:The record was originally planned to be a double album, but the band's record company cited that it would be too expensive for a double vinyl LP due to the early 80's oil crisis. This version of the album was digitally recorded and supposed to be ELO's first compact disc before...
.
Nick MasonNicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is the drummer for Pink Floyd. He has been the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1964. He also competes in auto racing events, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans...
of
Pink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art,...
used rototoms to record the distinctive introduction to "
Time"Time" is the fourth track from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, and the only song on the album credited to all four members of the band...
" on the 1973 album "
The Dark Side of the MoonThe Dark Side of the Moon is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released in March 1973, the concept built on the ideas that the band had explored in their live shows and previous recordings, but it lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their...
". The intro to
Curtis MayfieldCurtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly. From these works and others, he is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of...
's "
PushermanPusherman was an alternative rock band from London, England. Formed in 1994, the bands lineup consisted of Andy Frank , Meredith "Yank" Reid , Bo Ellery , Martin Hoyland , Tony Antoniou and Harry Harrison ....
", heard on the
SuperflyThe term Superfly or Super fly may refer to:*Super Fly , a landmark 1972 blaxploitation film**Super Fly , a Curtis Mayfield soundtrack to the film**"Superfly" , the album's title track...
soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the synchronized...
, makes prominent use of the drum's
pitchPitch represents the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. It is one of the three major auditory attributes of sounds along with loudness and timbre. When the actual fundamental frequency can be precisely determined through physical measurement, it may differ from the perceived pitch because...
-sliding feature.
Phil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins LVO is an Academy Award-winning English singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for English progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
of
GenesisGenesis are a Grammy Award-winning English rock band formed in 1967, and are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, including 21.5 million albums sold in the United States. In 1988, the band won the Grammy Award for Best...
used rototoms earlier in his career.
Taylor HawkinsTaylor Hawkins is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band, Foo Fighters....
of the Foo Fighters uses several rototoms in his kit as well.
Notable Rototom Users
- Roger Taylor of Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English rock band from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. Since the 1980s they have placed 14 in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and 21 in the...
- Nick Mason
Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is the drummer for Pink Floyd. He has been the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1964. He also competes in auto racing events, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans...
of Pink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art,...
- John Dolmayan
John Ohannes Dolmayan is an Armenian-American songwriter and drummer. He is best known as the drummer of Grammy Award-winning rock band, System of a Down. The band has been on hiatus since 2006...
of System of a DownSystem of a Down is an Armenian-American rock band from Glendale, California, formed in 1994...
- Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan is an English rock musician who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and the Electric Light Orchestra...
of Electric Light OrchestraElectric Light Orchestra, commonly abbreviated ELO, were a British symphonic rock group from Birmingham, United Kingdom, who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop...
- Bill Bruford
William Scott Bruford , better known as Bill Bruford, is an English drummer who is recognised for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. He was the original drummer for the highly successful progressive rock group Yes, and has been a prominent figure in the progressive rock movement...
of YesYes are an English progressive rock band that was formed in London in 1968. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, extended song lengths, abstract lyrics, and a general showcasing of instrumental prowess. Yes blends symphonic and other 'classical' structures with their own brand of...
and King CrimsonKing Crimson is a progressive rock band founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969. They have typically been categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, although they have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation drawing from jazz, classical and...
- Terry Chambers
Terry Chambers was the English drummer and a founding member of XTC, appearing on all studio and live albums until his departure during the 1983 sessions for Mummer, on which he played on "Beating of Hearts", "Wonderland", "Love On A Farmboy's Wages" and a B-side, "Toys".He moved to his wife's...
of XTCXTC were a New Wave/Alternative rock band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. Though the band enjoyed some significant chart success, including the UK hits "Making Plans For Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , they are better known for their long-standing critical success than...
- Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins LVO is an Academy Award-winning English singer-songwriter, drummer, keyboardist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for English progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
of GenesisGenesis are a Grammy Award-winning English rock band formed in 1967, and are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, including 21.5 million albums sold in the United States. In 1988, the band won the Grammy Award for Best...
- Stewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks.-Background:...
of The PoliceThe Police were an English rock trio, from London, England, formed originally in 1977. The trio consisted of Gordon Sumner, CBE , widely known by his stage name of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
- Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and the late Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California...
- Roger Taylor
Roger Taylor is an English musician best known as the percussionist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of the most influential rock drummers of the 1970s and 1980s...
of QueenQueen were an English rock band. Formed in London in 1970 following the demise of the band Smile, Queen consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. The band became popular with audiences via their hit songs, live performances,...
- Taylor Hawkins
Taylor Hawkins is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band, Foo Fighters....
of Foo FightersFoo Fighters is an American rock band formed by singer/guitarist/drummer Dave Grohl in 1995. Grohl formed the group as a one-man project after the dissolution of his previous band, Nirvana, in 1994. Prior to the release of Foo Fighters in 1995, Grohl drafted Nate Mendel , William Goldsmith , and...
- Lucius Borich
Lucius Borich is an Australian musician, best known as the current drummer for the band Cog, and previously the drummer in funk metal band Juice and in The Hanging Tree.-Biography:...
of CogCog is an Australian progressive rock band that formed in 1998. Their debut album The New Normal was nominated for Triple J's 2005 J Award. The band's music draws influences from Tool, Isis, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Leftfield, and Helmet...
- John Fell
John Fell may refer to:* John Barraclough Fell , British railway engineer* John Fell , Bishop of Oxford* John Fell , American drummer* John Fell , American farmer and jurist...
of Heroine SheiksThe Heroine Sheiks is a Minneapolis based Noise Rock band. It began in 1999 as a collaboration of Shannon Selberg and Norman Westberg and John Fell along with a changing group of musicians including bass player Eric Eble...
- Fenriz
Gylve Fenris Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the two-piece Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone...
of DarkthroneDarkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1988 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
- Damon Che
Damon Che is a rock drummer and guitarist. He has made significant contributions to indie rock and progressive rock through his work with math rock pioneers Don Caballero since 1991...
of Don CaballeroDon Caballero are a rock group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are often categorized as math rock, though the band dislikes this label. The group took their name from the character Guy Caballero, portrayed by Joe Flaherty, on the sketch comedy show Second City Television...
- Lol Tolhurst of The Cure
The Cure are an English alternative rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976 by Robert Smith, Lawrence Tolhurst and Michael Dempsey. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
- Alex Van Halen
Alexander Arthur Van Halen is a Dutch born- American drummer and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen.Originally, his brother Eddie had taken lessons for drums, while Alex practiced guitar...
of Van HalenVan Halen is a hard rock band formed in , USA in 1974. They enjoyed success from the release of their self titled debut album in 1978. As of 2007, Van Halen has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide and have had the most number one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
- Mike Mangini
Mike Mangini is a drummer who is best known for his work as a session artist who has played for Extreme and Steve Vai. He is a teacher at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and held five World's Fastest Drummer world records.-Biography:Mike Mangini started playing the drums when he was five...
of ExtremeExtreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen...
- Tim Fogarty of El Ten Eleven
El Ten Eleven is a Los Angeles, CA post-rock duo known for combining guitar/bass doubleneck or fretless bass, with heavy looping, or vamping, and the utility of an effects pedal, over acoustic or electric drumming...
- Jon Farriss
Jon Farriss is the drummer for the Australian rock rock band, INXS.-Biography:...
of INXS----INXS achieved international success with a series of hit recordings through the 1980s and 1990s, including the albums Listen Like Thieves, Kick, X and Welcome to Wherever You Are and the singles "Original Sin", "Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside" and "New Sensation".Hutchence died in 1997 and...
External links