Once you have your first drum kit purchased and setup, with a bit of practice you will soon find yourself getting around the drums and cymbals well. As your skills develop, it will not be long before you start looking for ways to expand the palette of sounds you are able to produce with your kit. It is at that point that you might decide that it is time to accessorize.

The Cowbell

Every drummer likes more things to hit and an all-time favorite is the cowbell, one of the most popular percussion instruments to ever find its way into a drummer’s arsenal. Mississippi Queen by Mountain and All Right Now by Free are just two examples of tunes that without a cowbell, you just cannot play the song and do it justice.

Cowbells come in a variety of sizes and the tone they produce depends upon size. Larger cowbells, as would be expected, produce a lower, darker tone. Smaller, thinner, cowbells have a tinny, higher-pitched tone that can still be useful as a novelty. Most quality cowbells have a long sustain. This helps them be heard from a distance. Remember that the intended setting of a cowbell is off in a field somewhere attached to the neck of a cow.

Actual cowbells for cows have a clapper welded inside that strikes the bell when the animal moves. When used as a percussion instrument, a leftover drumstick from a broken pair works well. When striking a cowbell, use the butt or shoulder of the stick to get the best tone unless the tone you are looking for is the novelty sound that can be obtained with the tip of the drumstick. Strike the bell on the edge and give it a good whack. You will chew up the stick quickly but that is just part of the deal. There is plenty of great music to be made by pounding out a straight quarter-note pattern during a rock groove or following the clave in a hot Latin number.

“There are no rules when it comes to muffling percussion equipment. Whatever works, works.“

To moderate sustain, percussionists, and singers who want to contribute to the rhythm section, typically hold the cowbell in one hand and the striking stick in the other. When mounted around a drum kit, the cowbell’s sustain has to be moderated in other ways. Gaffer’s tape can be wrapped around the outside or a small rag can be stuffed into the mouth of the cowbell. There are no rules when it comes to muffling percussion equipment. Whatever works, works.

The Woodblock

Decades ago, a common companion to the cowbell was the woodblock. This instrument is just what the name says it is; a small, rectangular block of wood usually with a slit cut into the block along the top of one side to create a soundboard. The woodblock served as an “old school” way to play quietly on the backbeat.

Use of the woodblock in this way has been replaced by the cross-stick or rimshot though use of the woodblock in orchestra settings is still viable. In the middle of the previous century it was not unusual to see a mounting device designed to hold both a cowbell and woodblock at the same time that could be clamped onto a bass drum hoop.

The Side Snare

The snare drum is the signature voice of the drum kit. So what do you do when you would like to speak with a slightly different voice? Add another snare drum of course.

The side snare, as it is commonly referred to, is usually a smaller snare drum that is placed to the left of the hi-hat, or in the case of left-handed drummers who switch the kick and snare around, to the right of the hi-hat.

“It’s all about what sound you are trying to provide to the music.“

The drum is used to offer a different, usually higher-pitched, snare back-beat or for fill work, etc. Some drummers have a side snare that is very similar to their main snare. It’s all about what sound you are trying to provide to the music. Once again, there are no rules here.

The Chime Tree

Certain accessories are what might be referred to as a “twice a show” sound. Perhaps the chime tree falls into this category. A chime tree is usually comprised of one or two rows of round metal bars varying steadily in size from left to right and hung vertically from a horizontal wooden stick. This instrument is typically mounted on a cymbal stand and played with a stick or metal striker in a sweeping, steady motion, from one side to the other. This creates a pleasant wind chime-like sound in either an upward pitch swing or downward pitch swing, depending on the direction the bars are struck.

“Certain accessories are what might be referred to as a ‘twice a show’ sound.“

The sound always gets the attention of the audience and makes for a nice way to transition from one section of a song to another or to bring a song to a close. You have to be careful though. This is a great sound about twice a night but much more than that and it loses its uniqueness.

The chime tree is standard issue in most professional percussion setups. It is an easy way to add a percussion flavor to a drum set and a beautiful sound to your palette.

Rototoms or Octobans

Rototoms and Octobans are different instruments that serve essentially the same purpose: to extend the pitch/tonal range of your drum kit. Rototoms are single-headed drums made up of a rim mounted on a metal frame configured in such a way that you turn the rim to tune the head up or down. This allows you to tune the drums to a pitch fairly easily.

Octobons are a Tama product where several drums with tube-like shells that have the same diameter but different lengths are placed together on a stand. The drums produce different pitches, as would a set of Rototoms, but are tuned with tension rods like conventional drums.

The compact design of these drums make them a convenient way to add more options to your tom work since four or eight of them can be added around the kit without taking up the real estate necessary to add that number of toms. A similar product, Deccabons , is offered by ddrum.

The Gong Drum

Your non-drumming friend or partner will ask, “Why does that drummer have a bass drum up in the air like that?”

Your snappy answer is simply, “That’s not a bass drum. It’s a gong drum.”

What is a gong drum you ask? As the name implies, it is a drum played like a gong. More specifically, it is a bass drum-sized tom drum, suspended such that it can be struck with sticks like a tom. The tuning is typically low of course, given the size of the drum, and the drum is allowed to sustain, thus the “gong” moniker.

No large rock drum kit is without one. Check out Neil Peart with Rush or Todd Suchermann with Styx. Both have a gong drum prominently displayed to the drummer’s right, suspended above the floor tom area. For an extreme example, check YouTube for videos of a band from the 1960’s-70’s called Spirit. Their drummer, Ed Cassidy, used two large concert bass drums that he referred to as “field drums,” one on either side of the kit. He can be seen and heard playing them in live versions of a tune entitled Nature’s Way.

Specialty Cymbals – Splash, Trash, China, and Gong Cymbals

Buddy Rich had one. Ed Shaughnessy, original drummer for The Tonight Show, also had one. Stewart Copeland, drummer for The Police, routinely used two. Yes, splash cymbals are everywhere and you can put them to use too.

Splash cymbals are the small, high-sounding cymbals typically used in the front of the kit due to their quiet, high-pitched tone. All the cymbal companies make them and lots of drummers use them. Listen to “Wrapped Around Your Finger” by The Police for a good example of Copeland’s use of the instrument.

The placement of specialty gear around a drum set is partially controlled by the ability to access the instrument, as well as the nature of the sound it makes. Instruments with low volume and a high-frequency tone can be heard better in non-amplified settings if they are mounted high and forward on the kit. In amplified settings with proper microphone placement, this is not as much of an issue.

Splash cymbals are the low-volume alternative to crashes. During soft passages of music, they can be very useful in adding subtle emphasis. Use mallets to roll into soft crescendos behind a singer. For a more assertive sound, couple the splash with a snare hit.

For a really assertive sound, hit the snare and go for the china cymbal at the same time. A china cymbal typically has a bow that is turned-up a few inches from the edge and a triangular bell with a flat top. This type of cymbal is usually mounted upside down on a cymbal stand and played by striking the underside of the cymbal at the ridge created by the turned-up edge.

The sound is commonly referred to as “trashy” because many of these cymbals sound more like a trashcan lid than a cymbal. Well-known rock drummer Carmine Appice places a china-type cymbal or two high above the front of the kit and plays them on the upbeat (the “and” of the beat) as if they were the bell of a cymbal. This might be another accessory that you will want to use sparingly.

A favorite accessory in this category is the mighty gong. Every rock drummer who has dreamed of putting together a concert-level drum kit dreams that it will include at least one large gong. But it is not just an iconic feature of large rock drum sets. Gongs have a long history of use in rituals, meditation, and music. The instrument can be traced as far back as 2000 B.C. and is present in Chinese history beginning around the year 500 A.D.

“Gongs have a long history of use in rituals, meditation, and music.“

Gongs have a complex sound structure and what seems like endless sustain. To properly “play” the gong, one must first set the gong in motion by lightly tapping the surface in a circular pattern. Once this is done, take a large soft mallet and strike the gong with a firm swing. Your ears will be rewarded for your efforts. Gongs truly produce a sound that is both intense and peaceful at the same time.

There are many, many styles and sizes of gongs. Spend some time reading online about gongs before you make a purchase so that you understand the available options and how those options might impact the sound you are trying to achieve. This will help ensure that you identify the right gong for the right purpose and sound and steer you to an instrument that you just might own for a lifetime.

Electronics

When electronics drums were first introduced in the late 1970’s, the sound they produced was unique to say the least. A few hit songs featured the pitch-bend tom or one of the other limited tones these machines could generate. If you wanted to get that sound, you needed that particular electronic kit or module. Outside of professional cover bands and studio drummers, the kits were hardly worth the expense.

Fast-forward almost four decades and it is a different world electronically for drummers. Today’s modules offer high bitrate sampling and memory storage unheard of just a few years ago. Triggered loops and backing tracks have become the standard of top-level touring groups around the world.

The basics here are that you can play pads that produce tones through an electronic module, connect triggers to your acoustic drums which will fire off the sounds of the module, and/or use the module as a way to store or trigger pre-recorded samples and tracks to supplement the sound of your drums or your band.

“Today’s modules offer high bitrate sampling and memory storage unheard of just a few years ago. Triggered loops and backing tracks have become the standard of top-level touring groups around the world.“

Models and standards can change quickly so do your homework to get up to speed on what is available and keep your finger on the pulse of the industry so that you stay apprised of new capabilities.

Wrap Up

For a true drummer at heart, there is nothing better than spending time playing a set of drums and cymbals to your favorite music or with a band. Accessorizing your kit to add more sounds will make the experience even better. As you add capabilities, you create “your sound” and this will make all the difference in your character as a drummer and what you bring to your music projects.

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If you are just starting to learn to play the drums, the many choices available in shell construction, drum sizes, and finish options can leave you dazed and confused at best. One way new drummers, or their parents, deal with this overload is by simply selected the cheapest drum kit they can find or choosing drums that have an appealing color. If you are new to this wonderful instrument, here are a few tips to help you sort through the myriad of possibilities that are involved in selecting your first or second drum kit.

The many choices available in shell construction, drum sizes, and finish options can leave you dazed and confused…

Years ago, printed drum catalogues offered drummers a glimpse of drum kit configurations that made sense for various musical styles. The types of wood the drums were made of was rarely discussed and the finish options were mostly pearl wraps. The kits were sold with “cymbals not included” but the hardware, which referred to cymbals stands, snare stand, hi-hat, and bass drum pedal, was included in the purchase price. This made buying a drum kit quite easy as everything you needed was part of the kit and had been manufactured by, or at least distributed by, the same company.

What is a “shell pack?”

In more recent times, drum manufacturers and retailers have begun to sell drum kits in a “shell pack.” This means no hardware of any kind is sold with the kit. Only the drum “shells” are included which is not quite technically correct because the shell packs do of course include the lugs, tension rods, rims, and drumheads necessary to make the drum complete. These packs also occasionally include the rim mounts for the toms.

You can expand or contract the kit options to fit your needs and your budget.

This change in retailing allows for drummers to put together their own kits with as many cymbal stands or other hardware options as they like. If you prefer one company’s drums and another’s hardware, you can mix and match at will. You can expand or contract the kit options to fit your needs and your budget. All this flexibility works if you know what you want. If you are new to drumming, this may not be the case.

A multi-purpose drum kit

When buying your first drum kit, you need to think about what style of music you are playing the most. Hopefully, you are learning how to play all styles so that you can be the best musician possible but most people have a preferred musical genre or find that they are working in a particular music scene more often than others. Buying a kit that will fit multiple styles of music is a good way to go in the beginning.

One way to do that is to purchase moderately-sized drums. A “fusion” kit might be a good way to go. Fusion refers to a joining of the jazz and rock music styles so this type of kit could include a 14” snare or maybe a deep 13” snare, toms that range from 10” – 14”, and a 20” bass drum. (The measurements given are for the diameter of the drum.) This represents the best compromise between the typical drum sizes found in the drum industry today.

Another way to go, if you can afford to do it, is to buy a large kit and only use the appropriate parts of the kit for the style of music you playing at a given time. Let’s say you find a massive kit with mutiple toms ranging in size from 10” to 18,” two bass drums, 14” snare drum, and 13” side snare. If you were playing a jazz trio gig and needed a small drum kit, take the 10” rack tom and a 14” floor tom along with the 13” side snare. Use a conversion kit to make the 18” floor tom into a bass drum and now you have a great jazz kit all ready to go. Playing a country show on a small stage? Take one of the bass drums, the 14” snare drum, 12” and 13” rack toms, and a 14” or 16” floor tom. If you are playing a big rock show, set the whole kit up at once. Rental companies that provide gear for touring acts and television shows work off this same principle.

Really listen to the kit you are thinking about buying and go with what sounds best to your ear.

Most “entry level” drum kits do not mention what wood the shells are made from. Many of them are made from an affordable type of Mahogany called “Luan.” As you move up slightly in price, the type of wood begins to get discussed. Maple and birch are the two types you will see most often though other, more exotic, types, including the more expensive African Mahogany, are used in high-end professional drums. Birch shells provide a good mix of high and low frequencies. Maple shells have a bit more emphasis on the low frequencies than birch but either will give you a very acceptable drum tone.

Give a listen to both types of shells and decide what fits your musical taste and budget. Maple drums tend to be a bit more expensive than birch but prices have been coming down on all types of music gear in recent years so watch for sales and other special pricing opportunities. Like other instruments, drums can vary in tone so really listen to the kit you are thinking about buying and go with what sounds best to your ear.

The case for buying cases

You will also need to ask yourself how often you intend to move the drum kit. Drums can get scratched up easily especially if the finish is “natural” wood instead of a pearl wrap . A guitar player will rarely carry a nice guitar around without a case but you will see drummers do this often.

A guitar player will rarely carry a nice guitar around without a case…

If you are not playing live gigs or taking the kit to school functions, the purchase of a good set of cases can be delayed but as your playing improves, you will be called upon to move the drums more and more. Hard shell cases offer the best protection but a good set of padded bags will do the job well. The best advice here is to spend a little less on the drums and include a set of cases with your purchase.

Your second drum kit

By the time you are ready for your second set of drums, you will be more astute to what you are looking for and what genre of music you are working in the most. A shell kit makes a lot of sense in this instance because you can use the same hardware from your other kit and still have two kits available to you that fit different needs.

Professional drummers have multiple drum kits that fit whatever sound they, or the people that hire them, are looking for. As you begin your drum career, a few wise choices will take you to the one kit that you need for now.