Parts of a drum set

Drums and cymbals: listen and compare

Crash

A bright cymbal for accents, often at the start of a new phrase.

Closed hi-hat

Two cymbals held together for a short, crisp timekeeping sound.

Open hi-hat

The same two cymbals, apart: a longer sound. Close them to cut it short.

Ride

A cymbal with a clear ping for keeping a steady pattern.

High tom

The higher-pitched tom. Use it to begin a fill around the drums.

Middle tom

A tom between the high and floor tom in this kit.

Snare

A sharp drum with wires underneath. Try it on beats 2 and 4.

Floor tom

The lower-pitched tom, usually beside the drummer.

Hi-hat pedal

The foot pedal closes the hi-hat cymbals with a short chick sound.

Bass drum

The low drum played with a foot pedal. Try it on beats 1 and 3.

Hands, feet and hardware

Sticks strike the snare, toms and cymbals. A bass drum pedal moves a beater into the drumhead; a hi-hat pedal opens and closes two cymbals. Stands hold the kit in place. These browser pads demonstrate the sounds, rather than the physical position of a real kit.

Try the core of a first beat

Count 1 · 2 · 3 · 4. Try bass drum on 1 and 3, then snare on 2 and 4. Add a steady closed hi-hat when that feels comfortable. This is one beginner rock pattern; different music uses these instruments in different ways. The virtual kit has an example to hear before playing along.

What does a five-piece drum kit mean?

The five pieces usually count drums: bass drum, snare, two mounted toms and a floor tom. Cymbals, pedals and stands are additional parts. This browser kit has three hi-hat actions for one pair of cymbals, so ten pads do not mean ten separate instruments. Real kits vary.