The Evolution of the Ride Cymbal Pattern from 1917 to 1941: An Historical and Critical Analysis Page: I

                                
Clark, Colleen B. The Evolution of the Ride Cymbal Pattern from 1917-1941: An
Historical and Critical Analysis. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), May 2019, 123
pp., 7 tables, 12 figures, 5 musical examples, bibliography, 58 titles, discography, 54
titles.
The purpose of this study is to provide a historiographical and musical analysis
examining the jazz ride cymbal pattern, from its inception on woodblock, small
accessory cymbals, hand cymbal mechanisms and brushes through what becomes
known as the modern-day ride cymbal pattern. This research examines a wide array of
drummers and bandleaders, with the objective of identifying the earliest recordings of
this important addition to jazz drumming, and popular music history while analyzing the
ride cymbal pattern's evolution through definitive recordings. The study begins with the
earliest known recordings that clearly display the pattern as it is played on any of the
instruments mentioned above. The research concludes with the jam sessions of the
early 1940s at Minton's Playhouse, where the pioneer of bebop drumming, Kenny
Clarke, experimented with altering the pattern. At this point, the pattern reach its final
level of maturity and has since experienced no subsequent major modification. The
historical and geographical analysis uses relevant literature from the field of jazz history
in order to interpret and evaluate the impact of the the overall trajectory of the music
and players. By surveying newspaper and magazine articles, archival interviews, and
photographic sources, combined with audio and film analysis, it is clear that drummers
navigated a path to the maturation of the pattern.