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GREENSBORO — When the countdown reached zero, hundreds of percussionists took up a five-minute drum roll Monday morning in pursuit of a world record.

Although they didn’t reach it, they set a national record, said Eric Chilton, a musician and chief meteorologist for WFMY (Channel 2), which organized the event. With 1,009 drummers, they fell short of the 2009 record of 1,682 set in Germany.

Greensboro’s annual Fun Fourth Festival downtown offered the typical slate of music, food and vendors. But this year, it drew people from across the country, as far away as California and Florida, to take part in the quest for a Guinness World Record.

“You have to be involved in this if you’re a drummer,” said Steve Powell, 45, of High Point. “It’s too cool not to be a part of.”

He brought along his wife, Ginger, and their kids Ally, 10 and Brock, 6, who is a budding drummer himself.

Maybe he’ll be ready next time, Brock said.

The promotions department for WFMY came up with the idea. The event was a chance to promote music at a time when the arts are being slashed in education budgets, Chilton said.

In one section stood 21 members of the Hickory-based Piedmont Percussion Program. Their black T-shirts proclaimed: “p3 ... For Real DRUMMERS.”

A five-minute drum roll was nothing for them, even for the youngest members who are 4 years old. The group just participated in a drumathon that lasted three hours.

Summer Cline, 33, a member of the group, called it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Being a mom, we’re always looking at the book of world records,” she said.

“If we make it, I’m sure the Guinness book of world records will sell a lot of books!”

Only about 4,000 records make it into the book each year, according to Guinness. That’s out of more than 60,000 inquiries into setting or breaking a record each year.

Debbie Bates signed up her fiance to take part in Greensboro’s effort to break a record. Then, she told him.

But he didn’t mind at all, said Lee Pegram, 52, of Greensboro.

“I had no idea there’d be this many people,” he said, looking at the crowd of drummers, who had been sectioned off into groups of 50 so official observers could ensure everyone was playing at the same time to qualify for the record.

Charles Stewart, 26, hadn’t played his drum since high school.

“He brought it out just for this,” girlfriend Shannon Ellenwood, 22, said.

Chilton counted down, then hundreds of drum sticks began pounding out a basic rat-a-tat-tat.

Together, they sounded like a huge air conditioner had been dumped on the parking lot by the old YWCA building.

People stood on tiptoe trying to get video and snapshots of the possibly world record-breaking event with cameras and phones.

Drummers sat on the ground or stood with snare drums either hanging from a harness or sitting on a stand. Some crowded two to three to a snare.

McKenzie Woodard banged on her tiny blue drum set while her mom, Kennita Woodard, watched, a green-and-white-striped umbrella protecting her from the sun.

“She loves her drums,” Kennita Woodard, 37, said. The drums were a Christmas gift two years ago.

“The only hard part of it was the heat,” said a still sweating Nicholas Olen Gerald, 9.

His drum just made it through the world record attempt. When they were done, it fell into pieces.

He was excited about the prospect of being a world record holder.

“A lot of people get famous from those,” he said. “I want to.”

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064 or jennifer.fernandez@news-record.com