Drum hardware

The drum kit

1 Ride cymbal | 2 Floor tom | 3 Toms 4 Bass drum | 5 Snare drum | 6 Hi-hat

Other components

Crash cymbal | China cymbal | Splash cymbal | Sizzle cymbal Swish cymbal | Cowbell | Wood block | Tambourine Rototom | Octoban | Hardware

Drum hardware refers to the parts of a drum or drum kit that are used to tension, position, and otherwise support the instruments themselves. Occasionally, the hardware is used percussively as well (as in the rim shot).

Drum parts

Drum head

1 Holder clamp, 2 Rim, 3 Tension rod, 4 Lug, 5 Snare butt

A drum "hoop" or "rim" may be made of metal, wood, or other materials and is used to hold a drumhead against a drum shell, either with bolts through metal "claws" attached directly to a hoop, or bolts through holes in a flanged rim. The bolts, called "tension rods," are screwed into threaded "lugs" attached to the drum shell, in order to tighten and tune the drumhead.^[1] A "drum key" is a type of wrench often used to screw the tension rods into the lugs.

Drum Badge

1 Drum badge and grommet, 2 Snare strainer, 3 Throwoff lever

While not required for operation, most drum manufacturers label their products by way of a drum "badge". The badge is a label attached to the drum shell with a grommet, which is embossed with the manufacturer's name or logo, and often a serial number as well. The grommet doubles as a "vent" hole for two-sided drums.^[2]

Bass Drum Legs

The bass drum(s) in a drum kit usually sit on the floor, and as such require support to prevent rolling. Two adjustable legs are attached by clamps to either side of the shell.^[3]

Bass Drum Pedal

Most kit bass drums are sounded by a beater which is actuated by a pedal mechanism. See bass drum pedal for more information.

Tom drum

Tom-toms have clamps attached to the shell to mount them on stands and holders. Rim-mounted clamps are known as "Rims" or "ISS" mounts. floor toms have clamps to hold their three legs.^[4]

Snare drum

Snare drums will often have a "strainer" on one side and a "butt plate" on the other to hold the snare wires to the drumhead. Snare tension is controlled with a screw on the strainer. A strainer may also have a "throwoff" lever to deactivate and move snares away from the drumhead if a tom-tom sound is desired.^[5]

Stands and holders

1 Hi-hat rod and clutch 2 Tom and cowbell clamp holders 3 HiHat legs and pedal

Metal stands and holders are used to support percussion instruments or microphones. Floor stands are often tripods and telescoping. Snare drum stands have three arms as a "basket" to cradle the drum. Tom-Tom stands and holders may sit on the floor or be clamped through a mounting bracket on top of a bass drum, and have extending rods which attach to clamps on the tom-tom. Cymbal stands have a threaded bolt or "cymbal post" to hold a cymbal down with a nut. Cymbal "stackers" allow additional cymbals to be added to an existing stand.

Tom-tom and cymbal stands may have a "boom arm" attached to extend holder reach, and a "tilter" to move instruments into a desired position. Smaller "clamp holders" may also be used to attach more instruments to existing stands. Drum "racks" are stands surrounding a drum kit onto which percussion instrument holders may be clamped. "Memory locks" are clamps used to make drum and telescoping positions permanent.

Hi-hat stands, remote hi-hats, and X-hats are also considered to be hardware.^[4]

For details on hi-hat stand hardware, see Hi-hat

Drum throne

The drum "throne" is a three or four-legged padded seat or stool the drummer sits on while playing. Thrones may be shaped like round cushions or in a saddle design. Throne heights may be adjusted to accommodate the drummer.^[4]

Drum pedals

Bass drum pedals, timpani pedals, and hi-hat pedals are considered to be drum hardware.^[4]

Drum hardware manufacturers

• Axis Percussion
• Gibraltar Hardware
• Pearl Drums
• Sonor
• Tama
• Drum Workshop
• Yamaha
• Mapex
• Pacific Drums
• Sound Percussion
• Ludwig
• CB Percussion

References

1. ^ International House of Blues Foundation. "Making a Drum" 2003
2. ^ Vintage Drum Guide. "Drum Badges" 2007
3. ^ Marshall, Paul. Radcliff, Mike. "Glossary of Terms (Drum kit/Drumset)" 1999
4. ^ ^{a b c d} "Pearl Drums Hardware" 2004
5. ^ Okamoto, Gene. " HOW TO REPLACE AND ADJUST SNARES" 1995-2003

[1]