Drum Terminology

GRUNTERSDAD said:
So if you have a pair of Bongos, and two or more Congas is that a set of percussion, or two sets of drums.? And why aren't bongos sold in sets of three like congas?
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Well if you go way back, bongos, percussionwise, would be played with just percussion meńor - maracas, clave, and such. They are sold in threes but I've never seen anybody with them.

Congas/tumbadoras would have been in threes, but with three people playing one at a time. I've heard three congas called a full set. Tumba, segundo, quinto. Although that's not official or anything like that. There is also the super tumba and the requinto, with the super tumba being a somewhat newer addition, while the requinto has been around a good long time. The requinto would be in place of the quinto in a traditional ensemble.
 
I prefer kit to set, but either is fine with me.

Stool, definitely, hate the throne term.

Hi and lo toms, tho floor tom has always been interchangeable.

Heads, oh hell yes. Skins? Never.

Kick works for me. Not really militant about it, if someone says bass drum ok, but I'll refer to it as kick.

Cymbals, period. Ride, crash, china, splash, hihats, etc....all fine. Plates?
Uh, no.
 
From our friends at Wiki..


A drum kit (primarily American), drum set (primarily British/Australian)
 
GRUNTERSDAD said:
From our friends at Wiki.. A drum kit (primarily American), drum set (primarily British/Australian)
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Wiki is incorrect on that.

Here in the UK, it was always - and usually still is - 'drum kit', although the American term 'drum set' is coming into use more often.
 
My dodgy little stool is definitely not a 'throne'.

And why do we mix inches and millimetres? "A 12x8 tom with 6mm shells."

My favourite is 12.7mm tom arms, which are actually 1/2" tom arms.
While the Pearl-stye arm is still called 3/4"
 
I laugh like a brainless adolescent when I hear someone referring to sitting on their stool.
There's been some hilarious CL pictures mocking the term too.

I called a cymbal a pie once, but it was only on this forum and because I read others referring to it that way.

I take it back - LOL
 
Does anyone here prefer depth before diameter? Please, I'd like to know if this person even exists.

Morrisman, good ob about mixing millimeters with inches. I never noticed that before. How unorganized!

And the drum throne....a throne conjures a mental image of someone in control. Last I checked, the drummer was near the bottom of the totem pole.

And don't forget to describe the totem pole in terms of height before diameter.

I can see drums being called skins, just like when people say to dial a phone.

But heads? There's nothing about a drum head that is anything remotely related to a head.

And why are hi hat cymbals called hats anyway? This makes no sense.

Bo's right, let's call the whole thing off :)
 
wildbill said:
I laugh like a brainless adolescent when I hear someone referring to sitting on their stool.
There's been some hilarious CL pictures mocking the term too.

I called a cymbal a pie once, but it was only on this forum and because I read others referring to it that way.

I take it back - LOL
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Therefore you must be. Ever heard of a "Milking throne"? No. I thought not. Its a stool, look on Wiki if you must.
 
wildbill said:
I laugh like a brainless adolescent when I hear someone referring to sitting on their stool.
There's been some hilarious CL pictures mocking the term too.

I called a cymbal a pie once, but it was only on this forum and because I read others referring to it that way.

I take it back - LOL
Click to expand...

Some CL things are just funny. I've seen symbols, thrown, petals, Zilgen for sale. Thrown! Like a ball! That's just good fun there.
 
Personally, I prefer "drum kit." I used to refer to it as a "drum set" - and I'm still trying to stop myself from referring to it as a "set."
 
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