Originally, drumheads were made from
animal hide and were first used in early human history, long before records began. In 1956, Chick Evans invented the plastic drumhead. Plastic drumheads made from polyester are cheaper, more durable, and less sensitive to weather than animal skin. In 1957,
Remo Belli and Sam Muchnick together developed a polymer head (also known as
Mylar) leading to the development of the
Remo drumhead company. Despite the benefits of plastic heads, drummers in
historical reenactment groups such as
fife and drum use animal skin heads for historical accuracy. Rawhide heads are also popular with musicians performing in the jazz, orchestral and early music genres due to their preference for period correct sounds and instruments. Real hide heads are used on most
hand drums, including
djembes,
frame drums,
bongos, and
congas, and also some
banjos. In recent years, companies have begun manufacturing synthetic counterparts (most notably
FiberSkyn) for certain
hand drums such as congas, and also banjos. There has also been a resurgence in the use of genuine rawhide heads by drum kit players, with companies such as AF cueros orquestales from Argentina, AK Drums, Buchler Trommelbau and Kentville Drums or the Austrian Drumhead Company offering goat, calf and kangaroo hide drumheads respectively. Another common material used for drumheads is
aramid fiber, such as
kevlar. Kevlar heads are also used in
marching percussion.
Mesh heads Mesh heads—drum heads that are usually constructed from a weave of synthetic material—were traditionally used on
electronic drums, as they provide a very similar playing feel to traditional heads. ==Tuning==