
Drums have been used for communication purposes throughout history.īefore the development of the drum set, drums and cymbals used in military and orchestral music settings were played separately by different percussionists if the score called for bass drum, triangle and cymbals, three percussionists would be hired to play these three instruments. The drums found were made with alligator skins and they have been found in China, where they were used mostly for religious purposes. There are records of them from as early as 5500 BC. ( July 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This section needs additional citations for verification.

The drum kit is a part of the standard rhythm section, used in many types of popular and traditional music styles, ranging from rock and pop to blues and jazz. While many instruments like the guitar or piano are capable of performing melodies and chords, most drum kits are unable to achieve this as they produce sounds of indeterminate pitch. The drum kit is usually played while seated on a stool known as a throne.

In the 2020s, some kits also include electronic instruments (Hornbostel-Sachs classification 53). A drum kit consists of a mix of drums (categorized classically as membranophones, Hornbostel-Sachs high-level classification 2) and idiophones – most significantly cymbals, but can also include the woodblock and cowbell (classified as Hornbostel-Sachs high-level classification 1).

A drum set – also called a drum kit, trap set (an abbreviation of the word "contraption") or simply drums – is a collection of drums, cymbals and other percussion instruments, which are set up on stands to be played by a single player, with drumsticks held in both hands and the feet operating pedals that control the hi-hat cymbal and the beater for the bass drum.
