Drum Set

A drum set can contain a multitude of percussion instruments, but in jazz it usually consists of only a few parts. The lowest drum, or bass drum, is played with a pedal. Also played with a pedal is the hi-hat, a duo of small cymbals that crash together, and are used for crisp accents. The snare drum is played with sticks. It has a sharp attack, and sits directly in front of the drummer. On the edges of the set are usually a crash cymbal, used to punctuate moments of intensity, and a ride cymbal, played continually to add color to the overall sound. In addition, drummers often use two hollow-sounding drums of varying pitches, called a low tom (or floor tom) and a high tom.