Percussion vs. Drum — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 23, 2024
Percussion refers to a family of musical instruments that produce sound when struck, shaken, or scraped, while a drum is a specific type of percussion instrument characterized by a cylindrical body with a membrane stretched over one or both ends.
Difference Between Percussion and Drum
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Percussion instruments encompass a wide variety of instruments, including drums, cymbals, xylophones, and tambourines, among others. These instruments are primarily classified by their method of sound production being struck, shaken, or scraped. In contrast, drums specifically consist of a body (shell) with a tightly stretched membrane (head) that produces sound when hit. Drums can vary in size, shape, and sound, depending on their construction and the materials used.
The role of percussion in music ranges from keeping rhythm to creating sound effects and adding texture to a piece. Drums, as a subset of percussion, often serve the specific role of maintaining the rhythm and tempo within an ensemble. They are central to the rhythm section in various musical genres, from rock bands to symphony orchestras.
Percussion instruments can be tuned or untuned. Instruments like xylophones have pitched notes that can play melodies and harmonies, while instruments like bass drums and cymbals are typically untuned, providing rhythm without specific pitches. Drums may be somewhat pitched, like timpani, which can be tuned to specific notes, or they may be untuned, such as bass drums and snare drums, focusing more on rhythm than melody.
In terms of playing techniques, percussion instruments offer a vast range of methods, including striking with sticks, mallets, or hands, as well as shaking or scraping. Drum playing generally involves sticks or hands and can include various techniques to alter the sound, like striking different parts of the drum or adjusting the tension on the drumhead.
Cultural and historical contexts for percussion instruments are diverse, reflecting their use in virtually every musical tradition around the world. Drums, for instance, have been used not only in music but also for communication, ceremonial purposes, and in the military. Their universal presence across cultures underscores their fundamental role in music and society.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Family of instruments played by striking, shaking, or scraping.
A specific type of percussion instrument with a body and stretched membrane.
Variety
Includes drums, xylophones, cymbals, etc.
Includes bass drums, snare drums, bongos, etc.
Role in Music
Rhythm, texture, and sometimes melody.
Primarily rhythm and tempo.
Tuning
Both tuned and untuned instruments.
Mostly untuned, some like timpani are tunable.
Playing Techniques
Striking, shaking, scraping with various tools.
Striking generally with sticks or hands.
Compare with Definitions
Percussion
Instruments that produce sound through impact or friction.
She plays percussion in the school band, including the xylophone and triangle.
Drum
A drum with a sharp, distinct sound, used in many genres.
The snare drum kept the beat during the jazz performance.
Percussion
Percussion instruments typically played with the hands, like congas.
The band's sound heavily features hand percussion.
Drum
Small, paired drums, played with the hands.
Bongo drums added a lively rhythm to the beach bonfire.
Percussion
Additional percussion instruments used for effect, such as cowbells.
Auxiliary percussion adds unique sounds to their music.
Drum
A percussion instrument with a membrane stretched over a shell.
He learned to play the drum from a young age.
Percussion
A group of musicians primarily playing percussion instruments.
The percussive ensemble showcased a variety of rhythms.
Drum
A West African drum played with bare hands.
He took djembe lessons to improve his drumming skills.
Percussion
Percussion instruments that can play different notes, like marimbas.
He performed a solo on the tuned percussion during the concert.
Drum
A large drum that produces a low, booming sound.
The bass drum thudded during the parade.
Percussion
The striking together of two bodies, especially when noise is produced.
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone.
Percussion
The sound, vibration, or shock caused by the striking together of two bodies.
Drum
A percussion instrument sounded by being struck with sticks or the hands, typically cylindrical, barrel-shaped, or bowl-shaped, with a taut membrane over one or both ends
A shuffling dance to the beat of a drum
Percussion
The act of detonating a percussion cap in a firearm.
Drum
A cylindrical container or receptacle
A drum of powdered bleach
Percussion
A method of medical diagnosis in which various areas of the body, especially the chest, back, and abdomen, are tapped to determine by resonance the condition of internal organs.
Drum
A house or flat.
Percussion
The section of a band or orchestra composed of percussion instruments.
Drum
An evening or afternoon tea party of a kind that was popular in the late 18th and early 19th century
A drum at Lady Beresford's
Percussion
Percussion instruments or their players considered as a group.
Drum
A piece of reliable inside information
He had got the drum that the police wouldn't lock us up
Percussion
(countable) The collision of two bodies in order to produce a sound.
Drum
A long, narrow hill, especially one separating two parallel valleys.
Percussion
(countable) The sound so produced.
Drum
A fish that makes a drumming sound by vibrating its swim bladder, found mainly in estuarine and shallow coastal waters.
Percussion
(countable) The detonation of a percussion cap in a firearm.
Drum
Play on a drum
He channelled his energies into drumming with local groups
Percussion
(medicine) The tapping of the body as an aid to medical diagnosis.
Drum
Give (someone) reliable information or a warning
I'm drumming you, if they come I'm going
Percussion
(music) The section of an orchestra or band containing percussion instruments; such instruments considered as a group; in bands, may be separate from drum kits.
Drum
A percussion instrument consisting of a hollow cylinder or hemisphere with a membrane stretched tightly over one or both ends, played by beating with the hands or sticks.
Percussion
(engineering) The repeated striking of an object to break or shape it, as in percussion drilling.
Drum
A sound produced by this instrument.
Percussion
(palmistry) The outer side of the hand.
Drum
Something resembling a drum in shape or structure, especially a barrellike metal container or a metal cylinder wound with cable, wire, or heavy rope.
Percussion
The act of percussing, or striking one body against another; forcible collision, esp. such as gives a sound or report.
Drum
A circular or polygonal wall supporting a dome or cupola. Also called tambour.
Percussion
Hence: The effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear.
The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds.
Drum
Any of the cylindrical stone blocks that are stacked to form the shaft of a column.
Percussion
The act of tapping or striking the surface of the body in order to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the sound emitted or the sensation imparted to the fingers. Percussion is said to be immediate if the blow is directly upon the body; if some interventing substance, as a pleximeter, is, used, it is called mediate.
Drum
Any of various marine and freshwater fishes of the family Sciaenidae that make a drumming sound by vibrating certain muscles attached to the swim bladder.
Percussion
The act of playing a percussion instrument
Drum
(Anatomy) The eardrum.
Percussion
The act of exploding a percussion cap
Drum
To play a drum or drums.
Percussion
The section of a band or orchestra that plays percussion instruments
Drum
To thump or tap rhythmically or continually
Nervously drummed on the table.
Percussion
Tapping a part of the body for diagnostic purposes
Drum
To produce a booming, reverberating sound by beating the wings, as certain birds do.
Drum
To perform (a piece or tune) on or as if on a drum.
Drum
To summon by or as if by beating a drum.
Drum
To make known to or force upon (a person) by constant repetition
Drummed the answers into my head.
Drum
To expel or dismiss in disgrace. Often used with out
Was drummed out of the army.
Drum
A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.
Percussion instrument
Drum
Any similar hollow, cylindrical object.
Replace the drum unit of your printer.
Drum
A barrel or large cylindrical container for liquid transport and storage.
The restaurant ordered ketchup in 50-gallon drums.
Drum
(architecture) The encircling wall that supports a dome or cupola.
Drum
(architecture) Any of the cylindrical blocks that make up the shaft of a pillar.
Drum
A drumfish (family Sciaenidae).
Drum
A tip; a piece of information.
Drum
A small hill or ridge of hills.
Drum
A social gathering or assembly held in the evening.
Drum
A person's home; a house or other building, especially when insalubrious; a tavern, a brothel.
Drum
(informal) A drumstick (of chicken, turkey, etc).
Drum
(intransitive) To beat a drum.
Drum
(ambitransitive) To beat with a rapid succession of strokes.
The ruffed grouse drums with his wings.
Drum
(transitive) To drill or review in an attempt to establish memorization.
He’s still trying to drum Spanish verb conjugations into my head.
Drum
To throb, as the heart.
Drum
To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc.; used with for.
Drum
Of various animals, to make a vocalisation or mechanical sound that resembles drumming.
Drum
An instrument of percussion, consisting either of a hollow cylinder, over each end of which is stretched a piece of skin or vellum, to be beaten with a stick; or of a metallic hemisphere (kettledrum) with a single piece of skin to be so beaten; the common instrument for marking time in martial music; one of the pair of tympani in an orchestra, or cavalry band.
The drums cry bud-a-dub.
Drum
Anything resembling a drum in form
Drum
See Drumfish.
Drum
A noisy, tumultuous assembly of fashionable people at a private house; a rout.
Not unaptly styled a drum, from the noise and emptiness of the entertainment.
Drum
A tea party; a kettledrum.
Drum
To beat a drum with sticks; to beat or play a tune on a drum.
Drum
To beat with the fingers, as with drumsticks; to beat with a rapid succession of strokes; to make a noise like that of a beaten drum; as, the ruffed grouse drums with his wings.
Drumming with his fingers on the arm of his chair.
Drum
To throb, as the heart.
Drum
To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc,; - with for.
Drum
To execute on a drum, as a tune.
Drum
With out) To expel ignominiously, with beat of drum; as, to drum out a deserter or rogue from a camp, etc.
Drum
With up) To assemble by, or as by, beat of drum; to collect; to gather or draw by solicitation; as, to drum up recruits; to drum up customers.
Drum
A musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretch across each end
Drum
The sound of a drum;
He could hear the drums before he heard the fifes
Drum
A bulging cylindrical shape; hollow with flat ends
Drum
A cylindrical metal container used for shipping or storage of liquids
Drum
A hollow cast-iron cylinder attached to the wheel that forms part of the brakes
Drum
Small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling food and game fishes of shallow coastal and fresh waters that make a drumming noise
Drum
Make a rhythmic sound;
Rain drummed against the windshield
The drums beat all night
Drum
Play a percussion instrument
Drum
Study intensively, as before an exam;
I had to bone up on my Latin verbs before the final exam
Common Curiosities
Can all drums be tuned?
Not all drums are tunable. Some, like bass drums and snares, generally maintain a consistent pitch, while others, like timpani, are designed to be tunable.
What differentiates percussion from other families of instruments?
Percussion instruments are defined by their method of sound production striking, shaking, or scraping—rather than by the material they are made from or the type of sound they produce.
How are percussion instruments used in orchestras?
In orchestras, percussion instruments provide rhythm, accentuate climaxes, and add color and texture to the music.
What are some common techniques for playing drums?
Common drum-playing techniques include using sticks or brushes, employing various grips, and striking different areas of the drum to achieve different sounds.
Are electronic drums considered percussion?
Yes, electronic drums are considered percussion instruments as they mimic the sound and function of acoustic drums through digital means.
What are some health benefits of playing percussion?
Playing percussion can improve coordination, increase physical fitness, and enhance rhythmic skills.
How does one choose a percussion instrument to learn?
Choosing a percussion instrument often depends on personal interest, the desired sound, and the role the player wants in musical ensembles.
How do you maintain percussion instruments?
Maintenance varies by instrument but generally includes regular cleaning, checking for wear, and replacing parts like drumheads and mallets as needed.
What role do percussion instruments play in modern music genres?
In modern music, percussion instruments keep time, provide foundational rhythms, and often drive the dynamic energy of a piece.
What's the historical significance of drums?
Historically, drums have been used in rituals, ceremonies, and for communication, reflecting their cultural importance across different societies.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
