A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer.
The individual instruments of a drum kit are struck by a variety of implements held in the hand, including sticks, brushes, and mallets. Two notable exceptions include the bass drum, played by a foot-operated pedal, and the hi hat cymbals, which use a foot pedal in addition to the normal striking motion. Although other instruments can be used on a pedal, it is not common, as the feet are usually occupied by these two. Percussion notation is often used by drummers to signify which drum kit components are to be played.
Differing music styles implement the components of a drum kit in different manners. For example, in most forms of rock music, the bass drum and snare drum are the primary instruments used to create a drum beat. In jazz, however, the ride cymbal and hi hats (or brushed snare drum and hi hats) usually fill this role.
Drum Kit Components[]
The exact collection of drum kit components depends on factors like musical style, personal preference, financial resources, and transportation options of the drummer. Cymbal, hi-hat, and tom-tom stands, as well as bass drum pedals and drummer thrones, are often referred to as "hardware."
See also[]
| Audio samples | ||
|---|---|---|
| Component | Content | Audio (Vorbis) |
| Snare | Unmuffled snare drum | Template:Audio |
| Muffled snare drum | Template:Audio | |
| Rim click on a snare | Template:Audio | |
| Bass drum | Muffled bass drum | Template:Audio |
| Toms | 8-inch (20 cm) rack tom | Template:Audio |
| 12-inch (30 cm) rack tom | Template:Audio | |
| Floor tom | Template:Audio | |
| Hi-hat | Closed hi-hat | Template:Audio |
| Open hi-hat | Template:Audio | |
| Hi-hat being opened and closed by its foot pedal | Template:Audio | |
| Crash | Crash cymbal | Template:Audio |
| Ride | Hit normally | Template:Audio |
| Hit on the bell of the cymbal | Template:Audio | |
| Hit on the edge | Template:Audio | |
| Beat | A typical rock beat on hi-hat | Template:Audio |
| Typical rock beat on ride cymbal | Template:Audio | |
| See the Drums category at Wikipedia Commons for more | ||
- List of drummers
- Drum solo
- Drummania
- Drum set tuning
- Drum tablature
- Percussion instrument
- Percussion notation
References[]
- Drummerworld – Drum resources.
- Drumeo – Youtube channel about drum masterclasses.