Drumming On! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bass Drum

Typically used to keep time, there are three broad categories of bass drums. They can be used in bands or orchestras, where they are often seen mounted on some kind of frame. As a kick drum, the bass is part of a drum kit; the bass drum is also easily spotted in marching bands or drum corps, where drummers wear a harness to keep it in place.

Answer: Tambourine

While tambourines may not always be considered a type of drum, if the instrument has a drum head, it is! Originating in ancient Egypt, the tambourine is used in many types of music. Some may think that playing a tambourine takes little skill, however, it takes a lot of practice to execute a killer thumb roll! By the way, the jingles on a tambourine, that make sounds when stroked or shaken, are also called zils.

Answer: Steelpan Drum

Okay! Let's settle this once and for all! Is a steelpan drum really a drum? Not exactly. It is a idiophone, a instrument that makes sounds by vibrating. It is not technically a drum because it doesn't have a - you guessed it - drum head or membrane. It is, however, made with a different type of drum - a large cylindrical container - so it made the list.

Answer: Snare

Snare drums are usually played with drum sticks, however, a brush or rute (bundle of thin rods attached to a drum stick handle) can also be used to produce different sounds. Each snare drum is made with two heads; there are wires on the bottom head called snares that help produce the staccato sound.

Some variations of the snare drum place the snares on the top head or on both. There is a tension rod that can be adjusted for each head that allows for differences in tone and pitch.

Answer: Conga

Used in the musical types called conga, which is characteristically played with three drums, and rumba, which is usually played with one drum, there are three types of conga drums. The quinta, or lead drum, has the highest pitch, the tres dos is the middle pitched drum, and the tumba is the lowest pitched. A mainstay of Latin music, conga drums are constructed with staves like barrels.

Answer: Bongo

Another drum popularly used in Cuba, there is still a debate regarding exactly where the bongo originated. Some say its ancestor was created in Africa, however, its first documented use was in the eastern Cuba. Known as a "bongosero", a bongo drummer usually holds the smaller drum between his knees, while the larger drum is placed on the side of their handedness.

It is normally played with the hand, and struck with either the fingers or palm.

Answer: Tom-Tom

Tom-toms look quite a bit like snare drums, but they aren't! There are different styles of tom-toms, but they typically only have one head - snare drums have two - that makes them easier to tune! The drum kit in the picture belongs to the great drummer, Alex Van Halen; the tom-toms are located at the top of the kit. Both he and Phil Collins are known for using four tom-toms in their drum kits.

Answer: Goblet Drum

The goblet drum is known by so many different names because of its widespread popularity in parts of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Eastern Europe. Why is it called a goblet drum? Because its body is shaped like a goblet! Some people also use the name chalice drum. Dating all the way back to 1100 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, it is played either under the arm or positioned on the leg.

Answer: Timpani

Also called kettle drums, timpani are played with a special drum stick called a timpani stick. They were first used primarily in the military, however, timpani are a popular addition to many different styles of bands. Usually they are played in a set of four drums that are all different sizes.

Answer: Slit Drum

Like a steelpan drum, a slit drum is an idiophone. Made of wood or bamboo, most slit drums have just one slit, or opening, at the top, however, some contain more. The width or thickness of the material used for construction is what produces a change in sounds when the slit drum is struck with a mallet.

The drum is completely enclosed except for the slit or slits at the top, so that the sound can continue to vibrate off its inside.