The Structure of Drums

Drums work by the vibration of the skin or membrane that is stretched over a hallowed out piece of wood. This usually happens when it is struck by a rounded stick. The skin can be tightened or loosened by using a key to twist screws placed around it. For thousands of years drums were only used one at a time, but when it was discovered that more than one drum could be struck at the one time drum kits were invented.

 Today the main components of a drum kit are a snare drum, bass drum, tom toms, floor toms, hi-hat, ride cymbal, and a crash cymbal. A snare drum is a drum with thin metal wires or snares on the bottom that can be tightened or loosened. The hi-hat is two cymbals that hit each other when the pedal is pressed. The bass drum   is hit by also pressing a pedal. Other accessories for drum kits include, cowbells, wood blocks, tambourines, and chimes. One of the first revolutionary drummers to fully use the kit was Buddy Rich.