How Do Drums Work?

Video Transcript

"How do drums work? Well, there are many different parts, and they are all for completely different things. First of all, there are the cymbals. There's usually about three or four of them, on a basic drum set. You have your crash symbols, you have a ride cymbal, which is a larger cymbal than the crash. Then, you have your hi-hat, which is for keeping the main tempo. Those are two cymbals that are together, that you hold down with your foot, and there is obviously different stands, for each one. Then, you have your snare drum. Your snare drum always goes right in front of you, and it's the main drum you're hitting, with your left hand. It's the main thing that's also keeping the rhythm with the hi-hat. Then, on a basic drum set, you have toms, which are different drums that go around the set. There's usually on a basic drum set, there is a hi-tom, and then there is a lo-tom. One goes right above the snare, and the lo-tom usually goes right next to you, on your right. Those are the toms. Then, there are the bass drums. The bass drum is the biggest drum of all. It goes on the ground, and there's usually a pedal that goes along with it, and it's the big bass drum, that goes right in front of you, right next to the tom, and the hi-tom. Now, that is a basic drum set, but what you have to realize, is there are hundreds of different sets. On a basic set, there is only those few different things, but it also depends on what style of music you're doing. If you're playing for Metallica, usually you can have two bass drums, sometimes six or seven different toms, and also sometimes seven cymbals, so it really depends on what kind of music you're doing, but the basic drum set that is usually for beginners, and if you want to start out doing a set, there's usually a snare, hi-tom, lo-tom, usually four cymbals, and a bass drum, and that's all you really need, to get started on a drum set."