What Is a Drum Set?

drum set definition

A drum set is a group of percussion instruments that one person, typically seated on a drum stool, plays with a pair of drumsticks. The instrumentation varies by musical style, but the basic five-piece drum set includes a bass drum, snare drum, and three toms (high, mid, and low). The drums and other percussion are usually made of metal alloys such as brass and bronze. The most common type of cymbals are usually called effects cymbals. These cymbals are normally made of sheet or cast bronze. They are idiophones—meaning they produce sound when the entire cymbal vibrates, as opposed to membranophones like drums that make sound through a membrane.

Drummers generally hold their drumsticks with a grip known as the military grip, which involves pinching the sticks between the index finger and thumb in a fulcrum-like manner. The grip is preferred by most drummers because it gives them the most control over their sticks. Some drummers choose to use different grips, depending on their preferred style of music.

There are two main types of drum sets: acoustic and electronic. An acoustic kit typically includes drums and cymbals. It also includes a drum throne, and the hardware that supports the drums, cymbals, and other percussion instruments. The hardware includes cymbal stands, hi-hat stands, and bass drum pedals and legs. The acoustic drum set is often supplemented with an electronic kit, which contains a digital drum module or “brain” with sampled/modeled or synthesized drum sounds. The drum module is connected to a power amplifier, which in turn is connected to stage monitor speakers so that drummers can hear the electronically produced sounds when they play.

Electronic kits are becoming more popular and commonly seen in the studio as well as on stage. Drummers who choose to use a drum module and electronic percussion instruments in addition to their acoustic drum set do so for a number of reasons. These include the ability to record a kit with a digital drum module and then use the data from the module for mixing in an electronic drum mix, as well as the versatility of having a wide range of drum sounds available with the click of a mouse.

Many drummers also use acoustic drums to supplement their electronic kits by playing a rhythm and using the module’s click track to reproduce the beat in a computer program that translates the drum beat into MIDI data. Drummers can then use the MIDI data to trigger virtual drum kit software, which uses synthesized or sampled acoustic drums and other percussion instruments.

Lastly, some drummers also have a stick bag mounted on their snare drum, or near the floor tom for easy access. These bags are usually large and have a hole in the side to allow the drummer to place their drumsticks in the bag, then retrieve them with a single hand when they are needed. This allows the drummer to keep their hands free, giving them more mobility and allowing them to use their other hand to manipulate keyboards or other equipment.