The act of using two drummers with two separate drum kits to play a single song is known as double drumming. Double drumming, which became popular in the 1960s, became a staple of some of the biggest rock-and-roll bands and was the driving force behind many popular hits. Double drumming was used to create a stereo-like drum effect as well as very intricate drum beats that were actually a combination of two different drummers’ efforts. The use of double drum kits is still a studio practice with some recording groups, despite the fact that it was discontinued as a feature of most post-1970s groups.
Several of the most popular bands used double drumming because it gave them more stage presence and a visible shock factor for the audience. Placing two drummers on the same stage created a visible image of twirling drumsticks and flashing cymbals that was almost circus-like. The double drumming began to draw the audience members into a mystical feeling of being a part of the music as they watched. The two drum kits were wired together to give the group’s mixing board a stereo sound. Good sound engineers could switch the sound back and forth from one side of the stage to the other to create a spinning effect for the listener, adding to the psychedelic rock image.
Not only did some of the more successful American Southern rock bands use double drumming, but they also used double lead guitars and double keyboards. When some of the bands took the stage, there were two complete groups on stage. For a few musical groups, the 1960s and 1970s were a period of absolute excess with rock bands, and double drummers were one area where the music took a backseat to the stage show. Some English rock bands began to consider this fad to be excessive, and the practice of doubling the band began to fade.
When some of the bands from the 1970s reunite and embark on a new tour, they frequently perform for a new audience of supporters and fans who are awestruck by the double drumming spectacle. Due to their resurgence in popularity, bands in the 1990s and later began experimenting with a double drummer setup for live shows. Many recording studios employ a double-drum setup to achieve a unique percussion sound that is impossible to achieve with a single drum kit. Some country music groups experimented with double drumming on tour and in the studio during the rise to fame of American country music in the 1980s.