Drums have been around from the beginning of time, with the earliest evidence dating back to 6000 BC. Many civilizations have played an essential part in societal life and are utilized for religious rites and festivals.
What are the many varieties of drums? It’s hard to place a monetary value on it. The many types of drums used across the world are discussed in this page, and a summary of the primary forms of drums. We begin with the western drum set, then go on to lesser-known instruments like the djembe and udu, marching band drums and other devices. If you’re still deciding which instrument to play and are contemplating percussion, this page will help you comprehend the many drum kinds available. Maybe you’re just interested and want to learn more. In any case, here’s a rundown of the most frequent types of drums you’ll hear.
Different Types of Drum Names With Pictures
Drum types include tympani, orchestral drums, drum kits, and more. Different drum types produce different sounds and can be used in different styles of music. Here is the latest list of all types of drum names with pictures and images that you should know about.
1. Drum Set
Acoustic drum kits are most common in western cultures, and they may be found in nearly every genre of popular music. These kits don’t require any additional amplification and come in a wide range of sizes and configurations, with the size and design ranging from a musician to musician.
2. Power Drum Kit
If you’ve ever seen a rock band perform live, you’ve probably noticed that the drummer uses very loud drum equipment to make an effect. Three tom-toms with diameters ranging from 12, 13, and 16 inches, as well as a 22-inch bass drum, are among the drum set pieces. The snare drum on these sets is typically 14 inches in diameter, although it can vary in size depending on the musician’s preferences.
Overall, rock n’ roll drums are more prominent than other kits’ and produce a lot of bass and loudness, resulting in an aggressive sound. Check out our most excellent drum tracks post if you want to hear some intense drumming; some of these men genuinely carry a punch.
3. Fusion Drum Kit
Two genres are blended in fusion music to produce a new sound experience. The beauty of fusion is that it may incorporate nearly any combination of musical styles, allowing a band to be quite inventive. Frank Zappa and Weather Report are two well-known fusion musicians. Fusion drummers often use three toms with diameters of 10, 12, and 14 inches and a bass drum with a diameter of about 20 inches. Fusion drums aren’t as loud or as deep sounding as rock drums due to their smaller size, but they are more sensitive, allowing for quicker, more intricate rhythm sections.
4. Jazz Drum Kit
Jazz drums are the tiniest acoustic drum set, with the highest pitch tone and fastest reaction for complex rhythm playing. To produce a more realistic sound, toms and snare drums are generally the same diameter as those in a fusion set but have less depth. In addition, the bass drum is significantly shallower, with a depth of about 14 inches, compared to those used in fusion or rock, which are roughly 18 inches deep. Gretsch, Ludwig, and Yamaha are among the most popular brands among musicians because of their ability to generate bright, clear tones.
5. Virtual and Electronic Drum Kit
Sensors in electronic drum sets receive and deliver a beat signal to a sound module, which allows the instrument to create sound. The sensors detect the power of each strike and react similarly to an acoustic drum set, allowing the artist to perform dynamically. Virtual kits are great for practicing at home with little background noise, but they may also be used to record or experiment with other sounds. Electronic drum kits are available in beginner and professional models; thus, quality and price can vary significantly between companies.
6. Auxiliary Drum Set
These are complete electric kits with built-in sensors in the drum and cymbal components and any accessories. The volume of auxiliary equipment may be adjusted manually, and it’s frequently utilized with apps and recording applications. Due to its capacity to modify each drum’s tone, high-quality models may even be used in a live environment and function exceptionally well in experimental forms of music. Mesh heads, rather than pads, are used in most current E-kits to provide the musician a more realistic sensation and improved playability. The main drawback is that they may be costly, and practical usage necessitates some technical understanding.
7. Trigger Drums
Drum triggers are tiny devices that latch onto a drum skin’s rim. When the drummer hits the device, a sensor detects the vibration of the drummer’s skin and sends it to a linked module. Depending on the musician’s selection, the module then plays a drum sample or an artificial noise. Triggers generate a hybrid blend of acoustic and digital tones, which can help you get the most out of your set. Drum triggers proved to be particularly popular among 90s pop, dance, and heavy metal artists due to the variety of samples available. As a result, they aid recording and mixing by minimizing the need for microphones to capture the drum’s tone.
8. Hand Drum
Hand drums have long been utilized by several civilizations worldwide, including Cuba, China, and Africa. You might have gathered from their name that these instruments are meant to be played by hand, but they can also be hit with mallets or tippers. Interestingly, many hand drums have a deeper meaning when utilized in cultural or ceremonial contexts, and they frequently necessitate a particular playing style.
9. Congas Drum
Congas are often linked with Cuba, but they originated in the Congolese Bantu region of Africa. They’re usually made of wood and are meant to be tall and thin, similar to Africa’s conical-shaped Makuta drum. Congas are sold in sets of two or three, each of which is different, allowing the performer to play a variety of high and low notes. The smallest drum is the ‘Quinto,’ the medium size is the ‘conga/tres,’ and the biggest is the ‘Tumba.’ When it comes to playing style, congueros generally produce Cuban carnival-type beats using their fingers and hands.
10. Bongo Drum
Bongos are the most well-known hand drum and are Afro-Cuban in origin. They come in pairs with one tiny (macho) and one bigger (hembra) drum and a slightly tapered/conical-shaped hardwood shell. Bongos are now made from various materials, including fiberglass and aluminum, so their tone varies somewhat between brands. The bongos should be played using the palm and the fingers. When it comes to playing style, you may master several approaches, but the tone and rhythm of the bongo is most commonly heard in cha-cha music and salsa due to the momentum created by the beat.
11. Tabla
Tabla drums are a pair of non-identical drums that generate distinct sounds that originated in India. Animal skin covers both the smaller and more prominent drums, which have a tapering, cylindrical shell. The bigger drum is called a ‘bayan,’ with a brass metal shell, while the smaller drum is called a ‘dayan,’ with a teak or rosewood shell. The bayan delivers deep strikes because of the varied sizes and materials utilized in the tabla’s shells, whilst the dayan is used for higher notes. These drums are most commonly heard in traditional Indian music and are played in various forms with the palms and fingers utilizing pressure methods.
12. Frame Drum
Frame drums, which are made up of a minimalistic frame and drum skin, can be found worldwide in places like Ireland, Asia, and India, to mention a few.
The skin was initially made of animal hide, and it lets the musician make a variety of sounds depending on where they struck it. Hitting the skin in the middle, for example, will generate deep bass notes, but hitting it near the edge would produce higher pitch sounds with many overtones.
13. Pandeiro Drum
Pandeiros are a type of traditional Brazilian instrument built from a shallow wooden shell and animal hide. With its cooper or steel cymbals arranged around the outside shell, they resemble tambourines. These instruments, which range in size from 8 to 12 inches in diameter, accompany Capoeira martial dances. Because of their low pitch and delicate tone, they blend nicely with voices and other instruments. To play one, the performer should hold the device in their left hand without touching the cymbals, then alternate tapping the skin with their right hand’s thumb and fingers.
14. Tambourine Drum
Because of its mobility, the tambourine was invented in Europe around 1500 and has remained a popular instrument. The first versions were small hand drums with one or two layers of animal skin or intestine spread across a shallow shell. In contrast to current variations, which frequently employ cymbals to accentuate rhythm portions of a song, their designs did not usually contain them. Tambourines are a wide-ranging instrument. Some, for example, lack skin and must be played by striking the ring with your palm or with a stick as part of a drum set. Others may have one or two rings of jingles, as well as tuneable or non-tunable skins.
15. Bodhran Drum
The bodhran is an Irish frame drum with a shell of 12-24 inches in diameter and 4-8 inches deep. Traditionally, the body was made of wood, and the beater surface was made of goatskin, but nowadays, producers frequently utilize plastic shells and fake skins. The bodhran has only one side of the skin, similar to the pandeiro, to allow the drummer to regulate the dynamics of each strike.
To change the pitch of the drum, the performer can move their hand around inside the bodhran. The drum may also be adjusted by tightening or loosening the skin with the crossbar and hex key. This implies the drummer may perform in various pitches to fit in with the rest of the band or ensemble.
16. Goblet Drum
Darbuka or chalice drums, sometimes known as goblet drums, were utilized initially in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Goblet drums are thought to date back to the early Neolithic era, approximately 3600BC, according to some historians. Our forefathers finally introduced the darbuka to the Middle East as time passed. Goblet drums are hollow-shelled and generally constructed of clay, metal, or wood. This allows them to make various sounds depending on whether you hit the center or the rim. The rim creates bright, crisp tones, while the center provides more power and resonance. Darbukas should be played with the drummer holding the instrument under one arm and striking beats with their fingers and palms.
17. African Drum
African drums are an essential element of ancient African culture, and they have been honored for generations. African drums are frequently utilized symbolically in rituals and political events rather than only for pleasure in western societies. Take a peek below to discover more about the world of African drums, which are highly diverse and available in various styles…
18. Djembe Drum
Because of its capacity to create a wide range of pitches, the djembe is one of the most versatile African drums available. The goblet-shaped shell is crafted from a single piece of hollowed-out wood and is covered in a goat leather drum skin. The Mandinka people have traditionally used the trunk of a Lenge tree for spiritual and harmonic purposes. When the full palm hits the drum center, the upper body chamber generates the deep bass strokes, while the extended, thin lower portion projects the loudness. When a performer smacks their palm towards the edge of the djembe, the goatskin produces a high-pitched tone.
19. Talking Drum
Talking drums date back to the Ghana Empire, making them one of West Africa’s oldest instruments. They were formerly played by African griots while telling stories and transmitting news, which was crucial because peasants seldom had time to read or write! The player wraps their arm around the instrument’s body and squeezes it occasionally to play a talking drum. The animal’s head is then beaten with a mallet by the other hand. The outside ropes that link the skin to the drum move as the drummer squeeze the drum, causing the skin to distort and generate sounds of a varied pitch. The drum’s ‘talking’ quality comes from this pitch fluctuation.
20. Udu Drum
The term udu comes from the Nigerian Igbo language and signifies pot or vessel. The udu, on the other hand, differs from conventional African clay water pots in terms of design since it has an additional circular hole on one side of its body. Udu was frequently utilized in women’s ceremonies since women of the Igbo tribe were almost entirely responsible for obtaining drinking water. To play the udu, musicians would strike the side hole with the palm of one hand and seal the top hole with the palm of the other. As a result, a calming yet slightly spooky sound was heard, which was considered an ancestor’s voice. You may also play the udu with a little water inside to achieve a slightly different pitch.
21. Marching Snare Drum
Marching snare drums may resemble those found on a drum set, but they are very separate drums. The shell is much deeper than a regular version, and the skin is composed of Kevlar, a more robust synthetic material than ordinary synthetic skins. This extra-durable substance enables the marching snare to endure high pressures, resulting in a powerful, bullet-like, piercing sound. In terms of playability, only one snare drum is used, while drum rolls and solos are performed with two drum sticks.
22. Multi-Tenor Drum
Tenor drums are often referred to as ‘quads’ (if there are four), ‘quints’ (if there are five), or squints (if there are six) depending on the number of drums in the set. Each set is linked and fastened to amount or harness so that the player may carry it. When it comes to tone, the tenor set provides a song a high-pitched vitality, while the drums are played with either two sticks or mallets. There are four prominent drums and two accent drums known as “spocks” or “shots” among a set of six tenor drums. These have been fine-tuned to generate enthralling, bright, and precise sounds.
23. Bass Drum
Bass drums are the most enormous drums in a marching band and are sold as single pieces. The bass drum generates the lowest, booming tone of all the instruments due to its vast diameter and depth. The bass drum is generally connected to a strong shoulder strap to handle the increased weight due to its size. Musicians choose a soft mallet because of its ability to generate a strong yet smooth bass tone when it comes to playability. Surprisingly, there are also tuned marching bass drums. These FFs may be adjusted to a particular note to assist the rest of the band lineup.
24. Front Ensemble Drum
The stationary percussion section is the marching band’s front ensemble. Cymbals, bells, glockenspiel, woodblocks, and marimba are among the instruments played by these players. When cymbals clash together, they produce a loud smashing sound, but they have a more subtle sound when softly tapped. When the metal bars are struck with a forceful mallet, the bells and glockenspiel produce a brilliant, chime-like tone.
Wood blocks, which are generally made of teak, provide the music an especially brilliant rhythm when pounded. The marimba functions similarly to a wooden xylophone, with the exception that resonator pipes amplify the sound beneath the keys. Because the instrument is too huge to transport, it is only used in the front ensemble.
25. Hybrid Drum
Hybrid drums are a mix of acoustic and electronic drums that come in a variety of styles. Drummers frequently build their own hybrid drum set based on their requirements, such as drum pads or drum triggers. In our hybrid drums area, you can learn all about it.
26. Marching Bass Drum
The marching bass drum is also very similar to a drum set’s bass drum. The only difference is that it is carried on the shoulders of the marching drummer and is played with beaters held in the drummer’s hands. Because the marching bass drum can be pretty heavy, the marching drummer must have a lot of strength to keep it for an extended period.
27. Steelpans (Steel Drum)
The steelpan (also known as a steel drum) is an exotic drum instrument that originated in the Caribbean. It can produce some fantastic sounds and is versatile enough to play full melodies. The steelpan is one of the most well-known drums, and its sound has become synonymous with the Caribbean. Steel drums have been sampled and used in various music styles over the years, appearing in many well-known songs and tracks.
Summary
Drums are one of humanity’s oldest musical instruments; they originated in various cultures and played an essential role in early tribal groups. The variety of drums we’ve seen in this article demonstrates how widespread drumming is around the world. Drum style is often a clue to the culture and style of music with which they were played. Many drums that appear to be simple can be deceivingly tricky to master. You can play hand drums with your bare hands may lead you to believe they are simple instruments. They certainly aren’t!
To begin with, there are numerous types of hand drums, each with its own set of characteristics and sounds. Second, hand drums can be played using various techniques, which frequently include the use of sticks or hammers. We hope that this article has helped you better understand the different types of drums available worldwide.