Drum Set Illustration

Drums are membranophones that consist of a round wooden shell with a drumhead, which is stretched across one or both ends of the shell. The head is typically mounted with hardware to tune it and to secure it. Drummers strike the heads with sticks to create a rhythm and support the music of a song. Historically, drummers played a variety of styles with different configurations of drum sets. The modern drum set, however, has been standardized for a few decades.

The basic parts of a drum set include the bass drum, snare drum and cymbals. A drummer can also add extra components such as a second floor tom and a cymbal arm for added sound options. The drum throne should be adjusted to a comfortable height to allow the drummer to reach all the components of the kit. This is important because improper posture can result in poor tone and potential injury.

Most drum kits contain two types of toms: floor and mounted. The rack toms are usually in front of the drummer, above the snare and bass drum. The floor toms are in the back of the kit and typically lower in pitch than the rack toms. Mounted toms should be placed slightly above the drummer’s snare and angled so that they are easy to reach with the stick. This allows the drummer to strike the center or bell of the cymbal without having to extend the stick from their hips (which can strain the back and shoulders).

Toms that are too high make it difficult to hit the head of the drum cleanly. This can lead to pitted and damaged drum heads and unnecessary wrist strain, as well as wasted energy when attempting to hit the rim of a tom with the stick. Similarly, toms that are too low can cause the drummer to smack their knee against the side of the kit, which can result in excessive wear and tear on the drum and also create an unwanted sound.

Cymbals are the metallic percussion metals that give a drum set its unique sound. The cymbals used on a modern drum set typically consist of a crash, ride and two china cymbals. The crash cymbal is usually about 14 inches in diameter and when struck with the shoulder or shaft of the drumstick will produce a wash sound that lasts until it decays. The ride cymbal is a larger, thinner cymbal and when struck with the shoulder or shaft will produce a more traditional sound.

The snare drum should be set so that the snare throw-off, the lever that engages the snare wire, is on the left-hand side of the drum. The snare drum should be set flat, although some drummers prefer to set it up with a slight tilt towards the drummer.

Once the toms are in place, the snare drum and hi-hat can be attached to their stands. The legs on the base of the cymbal stand can be folded up to raise the tubes to a comfortable playing height.