Snare drum 
Toms
Tom-tom drums or toms for short are drums without snares and played with sticks, and are the most numerous drums in almost all kits. They provide the bulk of most drum fills and solos.Main article: tom-tom drum
They include:
- Traditional double-headed rack toms, of varying depths.
- Floor toms.
- Single-headed concert toms.
- Rototoms.
The smallest and largest drums without snares, such as octobans and gong drums, are sometimes considered toms and sometimes not, and if not there are many borderline cases.
The naming of common configurations is largely a reflection of the number of toms, as only the drums are conventionally counted, and these configurations all contain one snare and one or more rarely two bass drums, the balance being toms.
Bass drum
The bass drum (also known as kick drum) gives a regular but often varied foundation to the rhythm. Beginners tend to play simple bass drum patterns, moderate players complex ones with many strokes, and accomplished players more subtle ones with fewer strokes.The bass drum is the lowest sounding drum and usually gives the basic beat along with basic patterns. Some drummers may use two or more bass drums or play with a double pedal, giving the ability to play a double bass drum style with only one bass drum.
Other drum
Octobans were designed for use in a drum kit, extending the tom range upwards in pitch.
Timbales are tuned much higher than a tom of the same diameter, and normally played with very light sticks. They have relatively thin, fragile heads and a very different tone to a tom, but are used by some drummers to extend the tom range upwards. Alternatively, they can be fitted with tom heads and tuned as shallow concert toms. Attack Timbales and mini timbales are reduced diameter timbales designed specifically for drum kit usage, the smaller diameter allowing for thicker heads for the same pitch and head tension.
Similarly, most hand drums cannot be played with drum sticks without risking damage to the head and to the bearing edge, which is not protected by a drum rim. For use in a drum kit they may be fitted with a suitable drum head and played with care, or played by hand.
Cymbals
Cymbals are as important in most drum kits as the drums themselves. The oldest idiophones in music are cymbals, traditionally associated with Turkey where Zildjian has predominantly made them since 1623
Beginners cymbal packs normally contain four cymbals: one ride, one crash, and a pair of hi-hats. A few contain only three cymbals, using a crash/ride instead of the separate ride and crash. The sizes closely follow those given in Common configurations below.
Most drummers soon extend this by adding another crash, a splash or a china, or even all three.
Ride cymbal
The ride cymbal is most often used to keep a constant rhythm, every beat or more often. Development of this ride technique is generally credited to Baby Dodds.
Most drummers have a single main ride, near their right hand, most often 20" but 16"-24" are not uncommon. It is most often a heavy, standard cymbal, but some drummers use a swish cymbal, sizzle cymbal or other exotic as the main or only ride, particularly for jazz. In the 1960s Ringo Starr used a sizzle cymbal as a second ride particularly for use during guitar solos.
Hi-hats
The hi-hat has a similar function to the ride cymbal; The two are rarely played at once, but one or the other keeps the fine rhythm much of the time, played by the right stick of a right-handed drummer. Changing between ride and hi-hat, or between either and a leaner sound with neither, is often used to mark a change from one passage to another, for example to distinguish verse and chorus.
Crashes
The crash cymbals are the strongest accents, marking crescendos and climaxes, vocal entries, and major changes of mood. A cymbal crash is often accompanied by a strong kick on the bass drum pedal, both for musical effect and to support the stroke.
In the very smallest kits, in jazz, and at very high volumes, ride cymbals may be used as crashes. Some hi-hats will also give a useful crash, particularly thinner hats or those with an unusually severe taper. At low volumes, producing a good crash from a cymbal not particularly suited to it is a highly skilled art. Alternatively, specialised crash/ride and ride/crash cymbals are specifically designed to combine both functions.
Other cymbal
Effects cymbals
All cymbals other than rides, hi-hats and crashes are called effects cymbals when used in a drum kit.
Most extended kits include one or more splash cymbals and at least one china cymbal. Major cymbal makers produce cymbal extension packs consisting of one splash and one china, or more rarely a second crash, a splash and a china, to match some of their starter packs of ride, crash and hi-hats.
Some cymbals may be considered effects in some kits but basic components of others. A swish cymbal may for example serve as the main ride in some styles of music, but in a larger kit which includes a conventional ride cymbal as well would be considered an effects cymbal.
Accent cymbals
Cymbals of whatever type used to provide an accent rather than a regular pattern or groove are known as accent cymbals. While any cymbal can be used to provide an accent, the term is applied only to cymbals whose main or most often sole purpose is to provide an accent.
Accent cymbals include crash and splash cymbals and many china types, particularly the smaller and/or thinner ones
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