Parts of the Drum Kit

So now we've started to get into making our own beats it's important to understand a little bit about what the different sounds are and what role they play in making a drum beat.

Take a look at the picture of a standard drum kit below:

Now, out of all the different parts, the three most important ones are:

1. the Snare
2. the Bass Drum (aka "Kick")
3. the Hi Hat

These three instruments hold down the core of the beat, while all the others just add extra excitement at certain times. In general...

The Snare holds the beat steady. That's why it usually hits steadily on the 2 and the 4. In hip hop, a clap or snap can serve the same purpose.

The Bass Drum defines the rhythm and tells you when to nod your head! That's why you almost always hear the Bass on the first beat of the bar ("the 1")

The Hi Hat accents the rhythm and adds flavor to the overall feel of the beat. One important thing to know about the Hi Hat is that it can open and close. When it's closed, it makes a nice, tight sound ("tick, tick, tick"). When it's open, it makes a loud ringing sound ("TSHH!")

Let's take a look at this video of a guy playing the drums. Pay attention to which instruments he's hitting and what kinds of sounds they make. Try to count along with him (1,2,3,4) as he plays, remember: the snare hits on the 2 and the 4!

click here

Now that we know something about how real drums are played, we can use this information to put together our own beats using the Redrum...