How to Understand the Parts of a Drum Set

There are several drums and cymbals which make up a typical drum kit. Understanding the function of each of the parts is crucial in learning how to play the drum kit and acquiring the sound which the drummer is looking for.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

The Hi-Hat

1. Notice the hi-hat cymbal. It is the 2 cymbals on a rod with a foot pedal attached.
2. Keep in mind that the hi-hat provides the tempo of the drum beat. It can be played with the foot and/or the drum sticks. The hi-hat is usually the most used part of the drum set.
3. Use the pedal to bring the top cymbal down to the bottom cymbal. This will result in a slight crashing cymbal sound.
4. Experiment with the foot pedal and then implement the sticks. The hi-hat has a myriad of uses when playing the drum kit, so use your imagination as you play. Once you've got the hi-hats down, see Section 2.
5. Adjust the distance between the top and bottom cymbal on the hi-hat by using the t-rod on the side of the hi-hat rod. Simply loosen to adjust, then tighten when the top cymbal is in the desired position.

The Cymbals

6. Understand the difference in the cymbals. A basic drum set has 2 cymbals, the crash and the ride. The ride cymbal is bigger in diameter than the crash cymbal.
7. Strike the ride cymbal near the edge with a drum stick. Notice the loud, continual ringing sound it provides.
8. Hit the top part of the ride cymbal with a drum stick. This provides a bell sound, and accordingly, is known as the bell.
9. Move on to the crash cymbal. As its name implies, the crash cymbal provides a "crashing" sound when it is struck. There are different sizes of crash cymbals. Different sizes deliver varied sound. The sound will also vary from brand to brand.
10. Play the crash cymbal, then the ride to notice the difference in sound each provides. The crash is generally used at the end of drum fills while the ride is played instead of the hi-hat for parts of the chorus.

The Drums

11. Visualize the different drums in the drum set. There is one sitting on a small stand. That is the snare drum. The biggest drum, which is accompanied with a kick pedal is the bass. The next biggest drum, which has 3 legs, is the floor tom. The remaining 2 drums are the tom toms. They are usually attached to the top of the bass drum.
12. Hit the snare drum with a drum stick. Notice the load "pop" the snare provides. The snare is used to keep the beat and it's rare to see a drum kit without one.
13. Move on to the tom toms. You'll notice a slight difference in diameter. The smaller drum will be set up on the left side with the other next to it on the right. Hit each one with a drum stick and notice the difference in pitch. The smaller tom tom provides a higher pitch than the bigger tom tom.
14. Strike the floor tom. Notice the deeper pitch. It's designed to provide a tone between what the bass drum and bigger tom tom provide. The floor tom is set up to the drummer's right when part of a drum kit. The toms are used for fills when playing a drum beat.
15. Play the bass drum by stepping on the attached pedal. The sound the bass drum provides is very distinctive. It's a loud, deep tone. The bass drum provides the pulse of most drum beats.

Tips & Warnings

• Cymbals come in many forms, providing all kinds of tones from a bell sound to a Chinese gong. One of the most common not previously mentioned is the splash cymbal. Visit a music store and explore the numerous cymbal types to accompany your drum kit.
• Place a pillow in the bass drum to help muffle the sound.
• Tune the drums by using a tuning key to tighten or loosen the tuning prongs on the rims of the drums. The tighter the drum, the higher the pitch.