Editing Drum kit (section)

==Components==

===Drums===

====Bass drum====
{{main|Bass drum}}

The bass drum (also known as the "kick drum") is the lowest-pitched drum and usually provides the beat or timing element with basic pulse patterns. Some drummers may use [[double bass drumming|two or more bass drums]] or a double pedal on a single bass drum, which enables a drummer to play a double-bass-drum style with only one drum. This saves space in recording/performance areas and reduces time and effort during set-up, taking down, and transportation. Double bass drumming is a technique used in certain genres, including [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[progressive rock]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mattingly |first=Rick |url=https://archive.org/details/allaboutdrumsfun0000matt/page/4/mode/2up |title=All About Drums: A Fun and Simple Guide to Playing Drums |publisher=[[Hal Leonard]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-423408-18-5 |edition= |location=Milwaukee, WI |pages=5 |oclc=1150827839}}</ref>

====Snare drum====
[[File:2006-07-06 snare 14.jpg|thumb|Snare drum on a modern light-duty snare drum stand]]
{{main|Snare drum}}

The snare drum provides the [[backbeat]]. When applied in this fashion, it supplies strong regular accents played by the non-dominant hand and is the backbone for many [[drum fill|fills]]. Its distinctive sound can be attributed to the bed of stiff metal wires held under tension against the bottom head (known as the snare head). When the top head (known as the batter head) is struck with a drumstick, the snare wires vibrate, creating a snappy, [[staccato]] buzzing sound, along with the sound of the stick striking the batter head. Some drummers may use two or more snare drums at a kit, known as secondary snares, to diversify and create different sounds on backbeat.

====Toms====
[[File:Keith Moon 4 - The Who - 1975.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Keith Moon]] of [[The Who]] with a mixture of [[concert tom]]s and conventional toms, 1975]]
{{main|Tom-tom drum}}

Tom-tom drums, or toms for short, are drums without snares and played with sticks (or whatever tools the music style requires) and are the most numerous drums in most kits. They provide the bulk of most drum fills and solos.

They include:
* Traditional double-headed [[Tom drum|rack toms]] of varying diameters and depths
* [[Floor tom]]s (generally the widest and largest toms, which also makes them the lowest-pitched toms)
* Single-headed [[concert tom]]s
* [[Rototoms]]

The smallest and largest drums without snares ([[octobans]] and [[gong drum]]s, respectively) are sometimes considered toms. The naming of [[#Common configurations|common configurations]] (four-piece, five-piece, etc.) is largely a reflection of the number of toms, as conventionally only the drums are counted, and these configurations all contain one snare and one or more bass drums, (though not regularly any standardized use of two bass/kick drums) the balance usually being made up by toms.

====Other drums====
[[File:Anders Johansson 2.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Anders Johansson (drummer)|Anders Johansson]] with an array of octobans]]

[[Octobans]] are smaller toms designed for use in a drum kit, extending the tom range upwards in pitch, primarily by their great depth and small diameter. They are also called rocket toms and tube toms.

[[Timbales]] are tuned much higher than a tom of the same diameter, typically have drum shells made of metal, and are normally played with very light, thin, non-tapered sticks. Timbales are more common in Latin music. They have thin heads and a very different tone than a tom but are used by some drummers/percussionists to extend the tom range upwards. Alternatively, they can be fitted with tom heads and tuned as shallow concert toms.

Attack timbales and [[mini timbales]] are reduced-diameter timbales designed for drum kit usage, the smaller diameter allowing for thicker heads providing the same pitch and head tension. They are recognizable in genres of the 2010s and more traditional forms of Latin, reggae, and numerous other styles.

Gong drums are a rare extension of a drum kit. This single-headed mountable drum appears similar to a bass drum (around 20–24 inches in diameter) but is played with sticks rather than a foot-operated pedal and therefore has the same purpose as a floor tom.

Most [[hand drum]]s cannot be played with drumsticks without risking damage to the head and bearing edge, which is not protected by a metal drum rim. For use in a drum kit, they may be fitted with a metal drum head and played with sticks with care, or played by hand.

===Cymbals===
[[File:Portnoy 2327834448 d06703c5cd o.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Mike Portnoy]], drummer of [[Dream Theater]], with a multitude of cymbals. Rio de Janeiro, 7 March 2008]]

In most drum kits and drum/percussion kits, cymbals are as prominent as the drums themselves. The oldest [[Idiophone|idiophones]] in music are cymbals, a version of which were used throughout the ancient Near East very early in the Bronze Age period. Cymbals are mostly associated with Turkey and Turkish craftsmanship, where [[Zildjian]] has made them since 1623.<ref>Remnant, M. (1989). Musical instruments. (pp. 159–174). London: B.T. Batsford Ltd</ref>

While most drummers purchase cymbals individually, beginner [[cymbal pack]]s were brought to market to provide entry-level cymbals for the novice drummer. The kits normally contain four cymbals: one ride, one crash, and a pair of hi-hats. Some contain only three cymbals, using a [[crash/ride]] instead of the separate ride and crash. The sizes closely follow those given in [[#Common configurations|Common configurations]] below. Most drummers extend the normal configuration by adding another crash, a splash, and/or a china/effects cymbal.

====Ride cymbal====
{{main|Ride cymbal}}

The ride cymbal is most often used for keeping a constant rhythm pattern, every beat or more often, as the music requires. Development of this ride technique is generally credited to jazz drummer [[Baby Dodds]].<ref name="pas">{{cite web | url=http://www.pas.org/experience/halloffame/DoddsWarren.aspx | title=Warren 'Baby' Dodds | publisher=The Percussive Arts Society | access-date=21 November 2011 | quote=Dodds' way of playing press rolls ultimately evolved into the standard jazz ride-cymbal pattern. Whereas many drummers would play very short press rolls on the backbeats, Dodds would start his rolls on the backbeats but extend each one to the following beat, providing a smoother time flow. | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927104938/http://www.pas.org/experience/halloffame/DoddsWarren.aspx | archive-date=27 September 2011 }}</ref>

Most drummers have a single main ride, located near their dominant hand{{snd}}within easy playing reach, as it is used regularly{{snd}}often a 20"–22" in diameter, but diameters of 16"–26" are not uncommon. It is usually a medium-heavy- to heavy-weight cymbal whose sound that cuts through other instrumental sounds. Some drummers use a [[swish cymbal]], [[sizzle cymbal]], or other exotic or lighter metal rides, as the main or only ride in their kit, particularly for jazz, gospel, or ballad/folk sounds. In the 1960s, [[Ringo Starr]] of the [[The Beatles|Beatles]] used a sizzle cymbal as a second ride, particularly during guitar solos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/ringos-cymbal-sound.111931/|title=Ringo´s cymbal sound|website=Steve Hoffman Music Forums|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

====Hi-hats====
{{main|Hi-hat (instrument)}}
[[File:Hihat123.jpg|thumb|Two hi-hat cymbals mounted in a pedal-operated stand, which allows the drummer to close or open the cymbals.]]

Hi-hat cymbals (nicknamed "hats") consist of two cymbals mounted, one upside down, with their bottoms facing each other, on a hollow metal support cylinder with folding support legs that keep the support cylinder vertical. Like the bass drum, the hi-hat has a foot pedal. The bottom cymbal is fixed in place. The top cymbal is mounted on a thin rod, which is inserted into the hollow cymbal stand. The thin rod is connected to a foot pedal. When the foot pedal is pressed down, it causes the thin rod to move down, causing the upper cymbal to move and strike the lower. When the foot is lifted off the pedal, the upper cymbal rises, due to the pedal's spring-loaded mechanism. The hi-hats can be sounded by striking the cymbals with one or two sticks or just by closing and opening the cymbals with the foot pedal. The ability to create rhythms on the hi-hats with the foot alone expands the drummer's ability to create sounds, as the hands are freed up to play on the drums or other cymbals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://drummagazine.com/birth-of-the-modern-hi-hat/|title=Birth of the Modern Hi-Hat|date=2013-05-16|website=DRUM! Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref> Different sounds can be created by striking "open hi-hats" (without the pedal depressed, which creates a noisy sound nicknamed "sloppy hats") or a crisp "closed hi-hats" sound (with the pedal pressed down). High hats can also be struck with the pedal partially depressed.

A unique effect can be created by striking an open hi-hat (where the two cymbals are apart) and then closing the cymbals with the foot pedal. This effect is widely used in [[disco]] and [[funk]]. The hi-hat has a similar function to the ride cymbal; the two are rarely played consistently for long periods at the same time, but one or the other is often used to keep what is known as the "ride rhythm" (e.g., eighth or sixteenth notes) in a song. The hi-hats are played by the right stick of a right-handed drummer. Changing between ride and hi-hat, or between either and a "leaner" sound with neither, is often used to mark a change from one song section to another.<ref>{{cite web |last=Vetter |first=Roger |title=hi-hat cymbals |url=https://omeka-s.grinnell.edu/s/MusicalInstruments/item/2398 |website=Grinnell College Musical Instrument Collection |access-date=9 July 2023}}</ref>

====Crashes====
{{main|Crash cymbal}}

Crash cymbals are usually the strongest accent markers within the kit, marking crescendos and climaxes, vocal entries, and major changes of mood, swells, and effects. A crash cymbal is often accompanied by a strong kick on the bass drum pedal, both for musical effect and to support the stroke. It provides a fuller sound and is a commonly taught technique.

In jazz, using the smallest kits and at very high volumes, ride cymbals may be played with the technique and sound of a crash cymbal. Some hi-hats will also give a useful crash, particularly thinner hats or those with a severe [[taper (cymbal)|taper]]. Alternatively, specialized crash/ride and ride/crash cymbals are designed to combine both functions.

====Other cymbals====

=====Effects cymbals=====
{{Main|Effects cymbal}}

All cymbals, other than rides, hi-hats, and crashes/splashes, are usually called [[effects cymbal]]s when used in a drum kit, though this is a non-classical or colloquial designation that has become standardized. Most extended kits include one or more [[splash cymbal]]s and at least one [[china cymbal]]. Major cymbal makers produce [[cymbal extension pack]]s consisting of one splash and one china, or more rarely a second crash, a splash, and a china, to match some of their starter packs of ride, crash, and hi-hats. However, any combination of options can be found in the marketplace.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reverb.com/uk/news/the-evolution-of-the-china-cymbal|title=The Evolution of the China Cymbal|website=reverb.com|date=11 January 2017|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

[[File:Sabian O-zone cymbal.jpg|thumb|[[Sabian Cymbals|Sabian]] O-zone "vented" crash cymbal]]

Some cymbals may be considered effects in some kits but "basic" in another set of components. Likewise, Ozone crashes have the same purpose as a standard crash cymbal, but are considered to be effects cymbals due to their rarity, and the holes cut into them, which provide a darker, more resonant attack.

=====Accent cymbals=====
Cymbals, of any type, used to provide an [[accent (music)|accent]], rather than a regular pattern or [[groove (drumming)|groove]], are known as accent cymbals. While any cymbal can be used to provide an accent, the term is more narrowly applied to cymbals for which the main purpose is to provide an accent. Accent cymbals include chime cymbals, small-bell domed cymbals, and those cymbals with a clear sonorous/oriental chime to them, such as specialized crash, splash, and china cymbals.

=====Low-volume cymbals=====
Low-volume cymbals are a specialty type of cymbal, made to produce about 80% less volume than a typical cymbal. The entire surface of the cymbal is perforated by holes. Drummers use low-volume cymbals to play in small venues or as a way to practice without disturbing others.

===Other acoustic instruments===
[[File:Günter Baby Sommer E5100543.jpg|thumb|[[Günter Sommer]] with [[bodhrán]] and [[bongo drums]] in his kit]]

Other instruments that have regularly been incorporated into drum kits include:
* [[Woodblock (instrument)|Wood block]] and [[cowbell (instrument)|cowbell]], especially in classic rock and other genres.
* [[Tambourine]], particularly mounted on the hi-hat stand above the cymbals; an ordinary tambourine can be used, or a tambourine produced specially for drum kit use.
* [[Timbales]] can be used to extend the range of tom-toms, particularly when the drummer owns them for other musical settings; a traditional timbale is tuned far higher than a tom of the same diameter, so the result is not always the most ideal.
* [[Keyboard percussion instrument|Keyboard percussion instruments]], such as [[tubular bells]] or a [[glockenspiel]].
* [[Gong]]s.
* [[Triangle (musical instrument)|Triangles]].
* [[Found object (music)|Found objects]], including [[wrench|spanners]], [[brake drum]]s, [[bucket]]s, [[cardboard box]]es, [[Washboard (musical instrument)|washboards]], [[drum (container)|oil barrels]], and jam and kerosene [[tin can|tins]] (anything ordinary that can be struck to produce sounds, patterns, and grooves).

See also [[#Extended kits|Extended kits]] below.

{{clear}}

===Electronic drums===
[[File:Clavia ddrum4 SE.jpg|thumb|Triggers sensors in use, here they are red and mounted on the rims of the snare drum, bass drum and hanging toms. The larger box in the same color of red is the "brain" to which they are connected.]]
[[File:Korg Wavedrum WD-X.jpg|thumb|A [[Korg]] trigger pad]]
[[File:Tampere Jazz Happening 2005 - KTU 2.jpg|thumb|[[Pat Mastelotto]] playing a kit with both acoustic and electronic drums, 2005]]
{{main|Electronic drums}}
[[File:V-drums-2.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A MIDI drum kit|Drum controllers, such as the [[Roland V-Drums]], are often built in the form of an acoustic drum kit. The unit's sound module is mounted to the left.]]

Electronic drums are used for many reasons. Some drummers use electronic drums for playing in small venues, such as coffeehouses or church services, where a very low volume for the band is desired. Since fully electronic drums do not create any acoustic sound (apart from the quiet sound of the stick hitting the sensor pads), all of the drum sounds come from a [[keyboard amplifier]] or [[PA system]]; as such, the volume of electronic drums can be much lower than an acoustic kit. Some use electronic drums as practice instruments because they can be listened to with headphones, which enable a drummer to practice without disturbing others. Others use electronic drums to take advantage of the huge range of sounds that modern drum modules can produce, which range from sampled sounds of real drums, cymbals, and percussion instruments such as gongs or [[tubular bells]] that would be impractical to take to a small gig, to electronic and synthesized sounds, including non-instrument sounds such as ocean waves.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.electronicdrumadvisor.com/history-electronic-drum-sets-1960s-2010s/|title=The History of Electronic Drum Sets – 1960s to the 2010s|date=2017-11-18|website=Electronic Drum Advisor|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

A fully electronic kit is easier to [[soundcheck]] than acoustic drums, assuming that the electronic drum module has levels that the drummer has preset in their practice room; in contrast, when an acoustic kit is sound checked, most drums and cymbals need to be mic'd and each mic needs to be tested by the drummer so its level and tone equalization can be adjusted by the [[sound engineer]]. Also, even after all the individual drum and cymbal mics are sound checked, the engineer needs to listen to the drummer play a standard groove, to check that the balance between the kit instruments is right. Finally, the engineer needs to set up the monitor mix for the drummer, which the drummer uses to hear their instruments and the instruments and vocals of the rest of the band. With a fully electronic kit, many of these steps can be eliminated.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theelectricdrum.wordpress.com/brief-history-of-electronic-drums-part-1/|title=Brief History of Electronic Drums – Part 1|date=2015-07-10|website=The Electric Drum|language=en|access-date=2019-02-22}}</ref>

Drummers' usage of electronic drum equipment can range from adding a single electronic pad to an entire drum kit (e.g., to have access to an instrument that might otherwise be impractical, such as a large [[gong]]), to using a mix of acoustic drums/cymbals and electronic pads, to using an acoustic kit in which the drums and cymbals have triggers, which can be used to sound electronic drums and other sounds, to having an exclusively electronic kit, which is often set up with the rubber or mesh drum pads and rubber "cymbals" in the usual drum kit locations. A fully electronic kit weighs much less and takes up less space to transport than an acoustic kit and it can be set up more quickly. One of the disadvantages of a fully electronic kit is that it may not have the same "feel" as an acoustic kit, and the drum sounds, even if they are high-quality samples, may not sound the same as acoustic drums.

Electronic drum pads are the second most widely used type of [[MIDI]] performance controllers, after electronic keyboards.<ref name="Manning">Manning, Peter. ''Electronic and Computer Music''. 1985. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. {{ISBN?}}</ref>{{rp|319–320|date=November 2012}} Drum controllers may be built into drum machines, they may be standalone control surfaces (e.g., rubber drum pads), or they may emulate the look and feel of acoustic percussion instruments. The pads built into drum machines are typically too small and fragile to be played with sticks, so they are usually played with fingers.<ref name="Huber">Huber, David Miles. "The MIDI Manual". Carmel, Indiana: SAMS, 1991.</ref>{{rp|88|date=November 2012}} Dedicated drum pads such as the [[Roland Octapad]] or the [[DrumKAT]] are playable with hands or sticks and are often built to resemble the general form of acoustic drums. There are also percussion controllers such as the [[vibraphone]]-style [[MalletKAT]],<ref name="Huber" />{{rp|88–91|date=November 2012}} and [[Don Buchla]]'s [[Marimba Lumina]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buchla.com/mlumina/description.html |title="Marimba Lumina Described". ''buchla.com''. n.p. n.d. Web |publisher=Buchla.com |access-date=2012-11-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101162651/http://www.buchla.com/mlumina/description.html |archive-date=1 November 2012 }}</ref>

[[MIDI]] triggers can also be installed into acoustic drum and percussion instruments. Pads that trigger a MIDI device can be homemade from a [[piezoelectric sensor]] and a practice pad or other piece of foam rubber,<ref>White, Paul. "[http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/aug95/diydrumpads.html DIY Drum Pads and Pedal Triggers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221126/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/aug95/diydrumpads.html |date=3 March 2016 }}". ''Sound on Sound'' SOS Publications. Aug 1995. Print.</ref> which is possible in two ways:

* [[Trigger (drums)|Triggers]] are sensors that can be attached to acoustic drum kit components. In this way, an electronic drum sound will be produced when the instrument is played/struck, as well as the original acoustic sound, if so desired.
* [[Trigger pad]]s can be mounted alongside other kit components. These pads make no significant acoustic sound themselves (if not modified to do otherwise), but are used purely to trigger the electronic sounds from the "drum brain". They are played with the same drum sticks as are used on other drum kit components.

In either case, an electronic [[sound module|control unit]] (sound module/"brain") with suitable sampled/modeled or synthesized drum sounds, amplification equipment (a [[PA system]], [[keyboard amp]], etc.), and [[Foldback (sound engineering)|stage monitor]] speakers are required to hear the electronically produced sounds. See [[Electronic drum#Acoustic triggered drum kit|Triggered drum kit]].

A trigger pad could contain up to four independent sensors, each of them capable of sending information describing the timing and dynamic intensity of a stroke to the drum module/brain. A circular drum pad may have only one sensor for triggering, but a 2016-era cymbal-shaped rubber pad/cymbal will often contain two; one for the body and one for the bell at the center of the cymbal, and perhaps a [[cymbal choke]] trigger, to allow drummers to produce this effect.

Trigger sensors are most commonly used to replace the acoustic drum sounds, but they can also be used effectively with an acoustic kit to augment or supplement an instrument's sound for the needs of the session or show. For example, in a live performance in a difficult acoustical space, a trigger may be placed on each drum or cymbal and used to trigger a similar sound on a [[drum module]]. These sounds are then amplified through a [[Public address system|PA system]] so the audience can hear them, and they can be amplified to any level without the risks of [[audio feedback]] or [[bleed (audio)|bleed]] problems associated with microphones and PAs in certain settings.

The sound of electronic drums and cymbals themselves is heard by the drummer and possibly other musicians in close proximity, but, even so, the [[foldback (sound engineering)|foldback]] (audio monitor) system is usually fed from the electronic sounds rather than the live acoustic sounds. The drums can be heavily dampened (made to resonate less or have the sound subdued), and their tuning and quality is less critical in the latter scenario. In this way, much of the atmosphere of the live performance is retained in a large venue, but without some of the problems associated with purely microphone-amplified drums. Triggers and sensors can also be used in conjunction with conventional or built-in microphones. If some components of a kit prove more difficult to mic than others (e.g., an excessively "boomy" low tom), triggers may be used on only the more difficult instruments, balancing out a drummer's/band's sound in the mix.

Trigger pads and drums, on the other hand, when deployed in a conventional set-up, are most commonly used to produce sounds not possible with an acoustic kit, or at least not with what is available. Any sound that can be sampled/recorded can be played when the pad is struck, by assigning the recorded sounds to specific triggers. Recordings or samples of barking dogs, sirens, breaking glass, and stereo recordings of aircraft taking off and landing have all been used. Along with the more obvious electronically generated drums, there are other sounds that (depending on the device used) can also be played/triggered by electronic drums.

====Virtual drums====
Virtual drums are a type of audio software that simulates the sound of a drum kit using synthesized drum kit sounds or [[Sampling (music)|digital samples]] of acoustic drum sounds. Different drum software products offer a recording function, the ability to select from several acoustically distinctive drum kits (e.g., jazz, rock, metal), as well as the option to incorporate different songs into the session. Some computer software can turn any hard surface into a virtual drum kit using only one microphone.

===Hardware===
{{main|Drum hardware}}

Hardware is the name given to the metal stands that support the drums, cymbals, and other percussion instruments. Generally, the term also includes the [[Hi-hat (instrument)|hi-hat]] pedal and clutch, and [[bass drum pedal]] or pedals, and the [[drum stool]].

Hardware is carried along with sticks and other accessories in the [[traps case]], and includes:
* [[Cymbal stand]]s
* [[Hi-hat stand]]
* [[Floor tom]] legs
* [[Tom-tom drum]] brackets or arms
* [[Snare drum stand]]
* [[Bass drum pedal]] or pedals
* [[Drum key]]
* Assorted accessories such as spare washers, cymbal sleeves, wire snare cords, washers for tension rods, etc.

Many or even all of the stands may be replaced by a [[drum rack]], which is particularly useful for large drum kits.

Drummers often set up their own drum hardware onstage and adjust it to their comfort level. Major bands on tour will often have a [[Guitar technician|drum tech]] who knows how to set up the drummer's hardware and instruments in the desired location and with the desired configuration.