Some people say that Leonardo designed (but apparently never built) the first programmable drum machine. (I'm not sure. Noel Sharkey argues that Ishmail Al-Jazari has a good claim https://techradar.com/news/the-forgotten-history-of-the-800-year-old-robot).

But the wonderful curators at the Museum Speelklok in Utrecht put me onto Leonardo. (If you're ever in Utrecht, go to their museum. It's heaven). These lads built a full-size Tamburo Meccanico. https://coaa.us/index_archive/Issues_41_to_50/Leonardo%20Da%20Vinci%20E%20Il%20Tamburo%20Meccanico%20(Leonardo%20Da%20Vinci%E2%80%99s%20Defined%20Mechanical%20Drum)%20Ernestino%20Marchetti,%20_44.pdf

The thing is programmable using pegs positioned around barrels that flick beaters against two drum heads. I bought a toy one. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Academy-Da-Vinci-Mechanical-Drum/dp/B004U0632K/ref=sr_1_2?crid=TRO412736FUW&keywords=leonardo+drum+machine&qid=1673001903&s=kids&sprefix=leonardo+drum+machine%2Ctoys%2C69&sr=1-2

You can programme your beats by stacking up little wheels, each of which has a peg on. Trouble is, there are ten holes around each wheel, which means every rhythm is split into 10. This makes for good maths but bad music.

In musical terms, we're forced into 5/4 time, which nobody really likes. Famous tunes in 5/4? Take Five by Dave Brubeck. It's brilliant, and features the wonderful Joe Morello. And it's the biggest selling jazz single ever. But that's about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT9Eh8wNMkw

More appropriate for a military renaissance drum is the Mission Impossible theme, I feel. This means programming one side - the bass drum - to play quavers 1, 4, 7 and 9, and the other side - a sort of snare - to play beats 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10.

It ended up sounding like this