The History of the Drum Machine
One of the most important parts of music is beat and rhythm...without beats, without rhythm, there\u2019s no groove...without a groove, there\u2019s no movement or dancing or really physically getting into the music...beats and grooves are essential building blocks for so much of modern music...\nIn some songs, the beat is subtle but there...you feel it without someone having to keep it for you...but in others, you need a timekeeper, someone to emphasize and augment and the beats and the rhythms...\nFor centuries, that job has fallen to drummers and percussionists...but what if a drummer or percussionist isn\u2019t available?...or if you want to try something rhythmic but with different sounds, sounds that a drummer can\u2019t make?...then you might find yourself reaching for a drum machine...\nSince their introduction in the very early 1980s, drum machines have become an essential part of modern compositions and productions...in fact, it\u2019s impossible to imagine the music we have today without such electronic devices...\nOh, we still have human drummers\u2014we always will\u2014but drum machines have taken us places that human timekeepers never could...and I\u2019m speaking as someone who plays drums myself...\nBut how did this all come about?...let\u2019s investigate...this is the history of machines that keep time for our music...\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices