Different parts of a bass drum include the main body of the drum, as well as apparatus for securing connections and allowing placement for this floor-standing drum model. Drummers and other musicians are often intimately familiar with the parts of the bass drum setup, but for beginners, understanding each of the specific parts can help with drum maintenance, setup, and setdown. It can also help buyers to purchase the best and most quality engineered models of drums.
The most substantial part of a bass drum is called the drum shell. This is often made from wood, though it may be partially constructed with metal or even plastic components. The drum shell is the cylinder that provides the internal area for resonating sound within the bass drum.
Other parts of a bass drum called, rims, fit onto the drum shell. They attach the drum head, the surface that is hit by the drummer, to the drum shell. Different parts of the drum head provide various aspects of functionality for the bass drum.
Some small but important parts of the bass drum include hardware called lugs or keys. These items help to fasten elements of the drum, and can be also used to change the tone or sound of the drum. This hardware can also include rods that run the width of the drum shell.
Another crucial element of parts of a bass drum is the additional kick pedal. This part is generally separate of the round drum, but gets connected to it in specific ways for practice and performance use. The kick pedal consists of a metal apparatus with a pedal that can be raised and lowered by the drummer’s foot, along with a mallet that will hit outward against the bass drum surface when the pedal is depressed.
One more category of parts of a bass drum is composed of the spurs or legs that the drum stands on. These are often adjustable. Drummers will use them during the setup process to ensure that the drum stands solidly on the floor.
All of the above parts of the bass drum allow this element of a modern drum set to be effective in providing the low booming bass sound that is so popular in many kinds of percussion. In some cases, where the bass drum is mobile, such as in marching band setups, the spurs or legs may not be part of the setup, and the kick stand may be replaced with a set of hand held mallets. Otherwise, these parts of the bass drum are somewhat universal in modern designs.