What’s the Best Tom Drum for Me? |
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Any average drum kit usually includes a couple of toms and a floor tom - these unmissable drums are essential for beats and fills and come in many different sizes and made of different materials. The diameter and depth of a tom, as well as the materials used to make it have a big influence over the sound. Then there’s the colour range and different ways in which tom drums can be mounted. To help you get to know all of the most important features to look at when shopping for toms, we’ve put together this Buyer’s Guide and answered all of your most frequently asked questions about tom drums. If you have a question and can’t find the answer here, feel free to contact us! 1. What’s a Tom Drum?A tom (or tom tom) is a type of drum that has been used as part of a drum kit since the beginning of the twentieth century. Most drum kits come with two standard (hanging) toms and a floor tom. A tom drum - just like the other drums of a drum kit - is played with sticks, brushes, rods, or even the hands. The biggest difference between a snare drum and tom is that tom drums are not fitted with snare wires, and as such, shape a rounder, less sharp sound. Toms are often used to play variations and fills, like the drum roll to mark the transition from the verse to the chorus. Any drum kit can be expanded at will by adding a few more toms or floor toms. The standard diameter of a tom drum can vary between 6 inches and 20 inches and the bigger the tom shell, the deeper and lower pitched the sound. The most commonly used tom diameters are 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 inches and most toms tend to have an even-numbered diameter. So apart from a 13 inch tom, you’re much less likely to come across a 7, 9, 11, 15, 17 or 19 inch tom. Normal Tom Drums
2. What’s the Difference Between a Tom and a Floor Tom?Tom shells are usually smaller and designed to be suspended. These ‘hanging toms’, or rack toms are anchored via a tom mount which is then mounted onto the bass drum. Toms can also be mounted onto a multi-clamp so they can be secured to a cymbal stand. Floor toms are pretty self explanatory since they simply sit on the floor on a set of three legs. As such, the difference between tom drums and floor toms isn’t necessarily anything to do with the size and sound, but in the way it can be set up and positioned. In practice, floor toms are usually the largest tom included in a drum kit. For more information about mounting toms, see Question 4.
3. Which Toms Are Compatible with My Drum Kit?
Tips:
Floor Toms Product Request Form
4. How Do You Mount Toms?If you buy a separate tom, then you’ll also need to pick up a separate tom mount. Note: most drum manufacturers use their own mounting systems and sometimes this system can also differ from series to series. Always double check the mounting system of the tom and make sure to pick up the correct kind of tom mount. When you buy an extra floor tom, a set of three legs will always come included, unless otherwise stated. Tom Mounts & Tom Stands
5. What Kind of Drumheads Do Toms Need & How Do You tune Them?In most cases, toms are fitted with a tunable drumhead on both the top and bottom. Drumheads are always included and pre-installed as standard, but some drummers remove the bottom drumhead to get a dryer and shorter sound out of their toms. If your drumheads get worn down, damaged, or you just want to try a different or better sound, then you’ll need new drumheads. See our purpose-made Drumhead Buyer’s Guide for further help. If you’re looking for tuning instructions, see our blog: How To Tune a Drum Kit. Drumhead Buyer's Guide
Links & More InformationProduct Categories Toms Blogs & Buyer’s Guides Drumhead Buyer's Guide
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