The standard size for a bass drum is 20” or 22”, both of which are suitable for most kinds of modern music. Drummers who play heavier music often enjoy the benefits of using lager bass drums, such as 24” or even 26” or 28” diameter kicks. Jazz players however are prone to using smaller 18” or 16” bass drums, which give more of an accent-type thud, and are quieter in acoustic situations. It is also possible to convert a tom or floor tom into a bass drum using special conversion tools, which can provide a unique sound for certain types of music. Bass drum depth is also important, as deeper kick drums produce ‘boomier’ tones, while shorter depths produce a more sudden, quicker sound. In recent years, the normal depth for most bass drums has increased from 14”, to 16”, with rock-style bass drums often being 18” deep. To stop bass drums from resonating too much and producing a ‘booming’ sound, some drummers put a pillow inside their bass drum to muffle the tone.

In heavier styles of rock music, two bass drums are often used to allow for faster and more complicated kick patterns. Most players use identical bass drums so that the difference between the two bass drums is inaudible, but some players experiment with different sized bass drums, or even three or more bass drums in a single kit. ‘Double pedals’ are a recent invention which simulate the effect of two bass drums by using two separate beaters on one bass drum, which is useful for live situations where there may be a lack of space. In the studio or at home though, most players use two actual bass drums so that notes can articulate more clearly through two dedicated kick drums.

The following bass drums are currently available through Ebay:

Tama 26 Starclassic Black Logo Bass Drum Head BK26BMTT ES    US $54.95

Mapex QUALIFIER BASS DRUM Snow White 22 X 14 Inch    US $259.99

Pearl 24 Smooth White Logo Bass Drum Head ES    US $59.95

Take the snare stand and loosen the arms that form the snare basket at the top. Place the snare drum with the wires facing downwards into the basket, and, while making sure the snare drum is in the centre of the basket, tighten the claws around the drum until it is stable. Some people like to have their snare drum facing towards or away from them, so try out a few angles to see which is most comfortable for you. The toms will most likely be part of the bass drum, so the tom arms should be placed inside the sockets in the bass drum and tightened up. The angle of the toms is dependant on your preference, but having them almost flat is a good starting place.

The high hat stand is somewhat more complex in its design, so begin by taking the high hat ‘clutch’ off the top of the stand. Place the bottom high hat cymbal on the stand, and then put the top high hat cymbal in-between the two felts in the ‘clutch’. The clutch can then be placed back on top of the stand, and the pedal should be pressed fully down, so that the two cymbals are together. You can then screw the clutch tightly to the stand, and depress the pedal. Your ride and crash cymbals should be placed on top of the washers on the stands, with felts both underneath and on top of the cymbals to prevent friction damage. Screw the nut to the top of the stand loosely – the cymbal should be able to move freely, but shouldn’t fly off.

Tuning your drums is one of the most important steps in properly setting up a drum kit, and is overlooked by far too many players. Doing this improves their tonal quality much more, even if you are using poor quality or cheap heads on them. To do this, tune the lugs on the drums up, and then using your drumstick tap the head of the drum near the lug, and listen to the pitch of the drum. Repeat this step for the other lugs on the drum, and make sure to tune them all to the same pitch/note – this makes all the lugs on the drum in harmony with each other, producing a clear note, rather than a muddy thud like an improperly setup drum kit.

You can find the following drum sets on Ebay right now:

Gretsch USA Custom Drum Set 16x24 9x13 16x16 Twilight Glass Glitter HOT    US $3,399.00

Girl Toy Children Drum Set Kids Musical Electric Guitar Educational Learning NEW    US $27.95

Drum Set charm pendants drummer band music musical instrument    US $1.25

Conventional drumsticks are also available with nylon-tips, which protect the stick from damage when striking cymbals and drums, as well as increasing the brightness of cymbals when struck. In addition, some players prefer to use sticks which are created out of plastic, acrylic, or even aluminium, as they can produce an alternative sound which may suit a specific style of music better.

Brushes are a staple of jazz music, and are used to the present day to obtain a specific sound and style of playing. The brushes are used to create unique patterns on the snare drum in a circular motion, and because of their light weight they can be used to play much more quietly and delicately on cymbals. Because of the low volume of traditional jazz and blues music, the quiet nature of wire or nylon brushes are very useful, but they do not suit playing heavier styles of music. To simulate the effect of brushes at an even lower volume, some players use their bare hands on the drum kit.

Although primarily a percussionist’s tool, mallets can be used with the drum kit to create special effects. This can include complex cymbal crescendos, and the use of large/deep toms to create timpani-style sounds and textures. Mallets do not suit conventional playing styles, and those who use them for this purpose often end up breaking them.

‘Rods’ (also known as ‘hot-rods’) are somewhere in-between sticks and brushes, as they are of similar size to a wooden drumstick, but are comprised of approximately a dozen thin wooden rods bundled together. This gives them a unique bouncy feel as rods are not a solid object, which can make playing very fast difficult. Furthermore, when playing vigorously the small plastic holder that keeps the rods together can fly off. The advantage to using rods is that they are much quieter than normal sticks, making them especially useful for gigs when you need to keep it down. They are available everywhere through many manufacturers, including Pro-Mark who produce several versions of rods, such as the louder ‘Thunder Rods’ and the quieter ‘Cool Rods’.

Multi Rod drumsticks by Seabright Stick Co Wides    US $10.00

Multi Rod drumsticks by Seabright Stick Co Ultra light    US $10.00

LOT 6 Firestix Light Up Drumsticks PURPLE HAZE Trophy    US $99.77

On 1 – high hat and bass drum together
On 2 – high hat
On 3 – high hat and snare together
On 4 – high hat

Keep practicing it slowly, and speed it up gradually – accuracy is key, so don’t go trying to play it too fast and getting all mixed up.

When you can do this, try this variation on the previous beat:
On 1 – high hat and bass drum together
On 2 – high hat
On 3 – high hat, snare, and bass drum together
On 4 – high hat and bass drum together

Now we’re going to speed it up a bit – at the same tempo as before, count “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and” in your head, so it’s twice as fast. The rhythm has now been divided up into 8 beats rather than 4. Try to play this pattern with the new rhythm:
On 1 – high hat and bass drum together
On the “and ” of 1 – high hat
On 2 – high hat and snare together
On the “and ” of 2 – high hat
On 3 – high hat and bass drum together
On the “and ” of 3 – high hat
On 4 – high hat and snare together
On the “and ” of 4 – high hat

Fills are a major part of rock music, so now you can get involved with those toms and cymbals surrounding you. Try this simple fill:
On 1 – snare and bass drum together
On the “and ” of 1 - snare
On 2 – high tom
On the “and ” of 2 -
On 3 – snare and bass drum together
On the “and ” of 3 - snare
On 4 – floor tom and bass drum together
On the “and ” of 4 - snare

If you can handle that one, try this out too:
On 1 – bass drum and high hat
On the “and ” of 1 – high hat
On 2 – bass drum and high hat
On the “and ” of 2 - snare
On 3 – bass drum and snare
On the “and ” of 3 - snare
On 4 – high tom and floor tom
On the “and ” of 4 – high hat

You should now be well on your way to being able to play basic rock music, so keep practicing these examples, listen and learn by ear to other drummers, and try to recreate their beats and fills on your kit.

The following rock drum items are currently for auction on Ebay:

Rubber Duck Ducky Duckie Rock Rocker Band Guitar Drums Singer Microphone Drummer    US $4.00

Hard Rock Cafe LOS ANGELES Blue DRUM Kit PIN 5068 Grid Pattern Back    US $9.99

ROCK BAND UNIVERSAL DRUM PEDAL STICKS HIT PADS ACCESSORY HIT KIT XBOX PS2 PS3    US $20.50

Octobans were originally created by Tama back in the 70's, and are a special type of tom drum whose pitch is affected by the depth of the drum rather than by the diameter of the drum. Octobans are normally six inches in diameter and can be over twenty inches deep and produce a very short, percussive sound.  Octobans are normally bundled together in sets of either  two or four.  They are an interesting addition to a standard drum kit, but have pretty limited use in conventional drumming.

Percussive extras such as the cowbell, woodblock, and jam block are common extras on contemporary drum kits, and can be used as alternative sounds in complex rhythms. Jam blocks were created specifically for drum kit use, and share similar tonal qualities with the traditional woodblock – especially useful for Latin and exotic patterns and fills. Tambourines are also popular additions to kits, and can be mounted directly onto the high hat in some cases, which has the advantage of being able to shake the tambourine when you move the high hat pedal up and down.

Electronic drum kits can provide unique sounds for your project as well.

Remo Roto Toms Very Good Condition    US $50.00

6 8 10 ROTO TOMS TUNEABLE DRUMSSTAND NEW    US $164.95