For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation).

Drum carried by John Unger, Company B, 40th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry Mozart Regiment, December 20, 1863

A drum is a percussion musical instrument, consisting of a membrane called a drumhead that is usually stretched taut over a cylindrical tube that is open at the other end. The membrane is struck, either with the hand or some other object like a drumstick, and the tube forms a resonating chamber for the resulting sound. A drummer is a person who plays the drums.

In most popular music and jazz, drums usually refers to a drum kit or set of drums, and drummer to the band member or person who plays them.

In the past, drums were used as a means of communication - see drum (communication).

Examples of drums:

• ashiko
• Basler drum
• bass drum
• bodhrán
• bongo drum
• boucarabou
• conga drums
• goblet drum
• davul
• dholak
• djembe
• djun-djun
• doyra
• khol
• log drum
• message drum
• monkey drum
• snare drum
• steel drum - not a membranophone, but referred to as a drum
• tabla
• tabor
• taiko
• talking drum
• tapan
• tenor drum
• timbales
• timpani (kettledrum)
• tom-tom drum

In the Sachs-Hornbostel scheme of musical instrument classification, drums belong to the membranophone class.

See also

• drum and bass
• drum kit
• drum machine
• musical instrument
• Percussive Arts Society
• hearing the shape of a drum

External links

• Drumtopia Drum News has drumming news, drum tab search and a directory of drum resources.
• CSE - The Drums and Percussion Page
• Drum Machine Museum
• Synthtopia has information on the classic Roland TR-909 and Roland TR-808 drum machines.
• Fun stories involving drums