The sound is produced by a membrane ["skin" or "head"] stretched over an opening. Most, but not all, membranophones are generally called drums. They are classified according to material, if it's single or double headed, shape, skin(s), skin fastening, playing positions, and manner of playing.[1]
Membranophones can also be divided into small divisions based on length and breadth of sound production:[3]
Mirlitons, as the kazoo in the picture, are a special class of membranophone, and is the only class that does not consist of true drums
Tubular drums include a wide range of drum shapes all conforming to a "tube" shape, or generally, having a depth greater than the radius of the membrane. The Hornbostel-Sachs Classification defines 8 subcategories of tubular drums:Cylindrical,Barrel-Shaped,Double-Conical,Hourglass-Shaped,Conical,Goblet-Shaped,Cylindro-Conical, andVase-Shaped drums.[4]
Mirlitons,Kazoos andSwazzles vibrate in sympathy with sounds travelling across a membrane. These are the only membranophones that are not truly drums.
Cylindrical drums are straight-sided, and generally two-headed. A buzzing, percussive string is sometimes used. Examples include thebass drum and the Iraniandohol.
Conical drums are sloped on the sides, and are usually one-headed. Examples include the Indiantabla and the Venezuelanchimbangueles.
Atimpani is a kind ofkettle drumAcuica is a kind offriction drum
Barrel drums are normally one-headed, and may be open at the bottom. They bulge in the middle. Examples include theDhak from eastern parts of India,bendre, made by theMossi of Burkina Faso out of a largecalabash, and thetrong chau of Vietnam.
Hourglass drums (orwaisted drums) arehourglass-shaped and generally two-headed. The drumheads are laced onto the body, and the laces may be squeezed during performance to alter the drum's pitch. Examples include folk drums in India (like thedamaru) and much of Africa, as well as sometalking drums.
Goblet drums (orchalice drums) are one-headed andgoblet shaped, and are usually open at the bottom. Examples include the Egyptiandarbuka, West-Africandjembe, and the Arabdarabukka.
Footed drums are single-headed and are held above the ground by feet. The space between the drum and the ground provides extra resonance. Examples include a range of East African and Polynesian drums.
Long drums are a diverse category, characterized by extreme length. Examples include the single-headed hollow tree trunk drums of Africa and the ornately carved and dyedgufalo of the Nuna in Burkina Faso.
Kettle drums (orpot drums orvessel drums) are frequently played in pairs, and have a vessel or pot body, are one-headed and usually tuned to a specific note. Examples include thetimpani and theIndian tabla.
Frame drums are composed of one or more membranes stretched across a frame. Examples include thetambourine andbodhrán.
Friction drums produce sound throughfriction, such as by rubbing a hand or object against the drumskin. Examples include the Braziliancuica and the Spanishzambomba.
Thepredrum category consists of simple drum-like percussion instruments. These include theground drum, which, in its most common §—Form, consists of an animal skin stretched over a hole in the ground, and thepot drum, made from a simplepot.[7]
Water drums are also sometimes treated as a distinct category of membranophone. Common inNative American music and themusic of Africa, water drums are characterized by a unique sound caused by filling the drum with some amount of water.[8]
Thetalking drum is an important category of West African membranophone, characterized by the use of varying tones to "talk". Talking drums are used to communicate across distances.[9]
Military drums orwar drums are drums in various forms that have been used in the military.
