Drum

What it means

A drum is a percussion instrument in which a stretched head produces the sound; the classification system calls such instruments membranophones. The shell or frame carries the head and shapes the sound, without itself vibrating significantly. Drums come with one or two heads, in countless sizes and body shapes — from the flat frame drum through cylindrical and kettle drums to goblet drums. Most have no determinable pitch; exceptions are the timpani and a few other instruments whose tension is deliberately tuned.

In the notation

Drums are notated on a percussion staff line, with several instruments on a percussion system with a fixed assignment of the lines. Indications of beater, striking point, and damping stand alongside as word instructions, because the same note sounds very different depending on execution.

Musical use

Drums are among the oldest and, worldwide, most widely distributed instruments. In the orchestra, bass drum and snare drum supply impact and rhythmic contour; in the drum kit of popular music, bass drum and snare together with the cymbals form the framework. In numerous musical cultures, drums carry complex rhythmic structures in which different ways of striking the same head produce different sounds — a richness that European notation can capture only incompletely.

Performance practice

Watch for even head tension all around, and tune both heads to each other if the instrument has two. The striking point changes the sound greatly: the centre of the head sounds full and short, toward the rim thinner and richer in overtones. Let the beaters spring back rather than pressing the head down. Damp deliberately when the ring would disturb, and check the effect in the room. Natural heads react strongly to weather — check them before every use and protect them from moisture.

Bear in mind that the tuning of the heads is a decision even on instruments without a determinate pitch: the relationship between batter head and resonance head determines timbre and ring duration. Try it out in the context of the whole ensemble, not alone. For soft passages, lighter beaters or a different striking point are worthwhile rather than mere restraint. Check the tension hoops and screws before a performance. With natural heads, weather protection belongs to the equipment, and after playing the instrument should dry slowly.