Types of Small Drums
Drums provide the primal rhythm of music, their hypnotic beat inviting people to dance and shake their bodies in time with the beat and get lost in song. Many drums are massive, and create deep sounds when struck with hands or sticks. Small drums can pack a powerful punch, though, creating a steady beat that is the center of much African and Latin music.
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Snare Drums
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Snares are often used in a drum roll. Snare drums come in several sizes, but are usually small enough for musicians to carry via a strap which goes around their neck. According to Drum Junction, the smallest snare drums have a diameter of 10 inches and are known as "popcorn" drums, with a depth of three or five inches. Snares consist of a round metal frame with two covers, made of either plastic or calfskin and are played using wooden sticks which produce a "sharp rattling sound," according to DSO Kids.
Bongo Drums
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Bongo drums are played with the hands, not sticks. Bongo drums can be large or small, with miniature versions tiny enough to tuck under the player's arm or rest firmly in a lap. Played with the hands, bongo drums come in conjoined pairs or singles and were invented in Cuba in the late 19th century, according to Rhythm Web. Most modern bongos have a leather top stretched over a metal frame, though simple versions for children may be made entirely of plastic. Bongos are often used in salsa and other types of Latin music.
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Bodhrán
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Some bodhrán are decorated with traditional Celtic artwork. Sometimes called "the heartbeat of Irish music" according to the Ceolas website, the bodhrán is a drum that looks like an over-sized tambourine and is used in Celtic music. Though the drum has been played in Ireland for centuries, it only became a common feature of Irish music in the 1960s and 1970s and is originally believed to be imported by travelers from Africa or Spain. Bodhráns run between 10 and 26 inches in diameter and are played using a small wooden baton called a beater, which varies in size and shape.
Bata Drum
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The bata drum was brought to Cuba by African slaves. Brought to Cuba by slaves from Africa, there are three types of bata drum, the smallest of which is the okónkolo. Batas have an hourglass shape and were originally used in Nigerian religious ceremonies, but now appear in Latin music where the okónkolo is played with the hands and used to "keep a steady pulse and to provide the foundations of the groove," according to the BBC. The drums can be rested in the player's lap or carried by a strap around the neck.
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