Drum Set

The Drum Set (ドラムセット), also called a drum kit or simply drums is a collection of percussion instruments which form a larger cohesive one. Someone who plays a drum set is called a drummer or simply a drum player.

Construction
The modern drum set's instruments typically consist of the following:
 * A snare drum on a stand between the player's knees.
 * A bass drum on the floor between the player's knees, operated by a pedal by the right foot.
 * 1 or more tom-toms, typically 1-2 rack/hanging toms mounted on the bass drum, and 1 floor tom on the player's right.
 * 3 cymbals; a hi-hat to the far left, a crash cymbal behind the snare, and a ride cymbal to the far right behind the floor tom.

The drum sets components can be divided into 4 categories:
 * Breakables (Snares, cymbals, sticks, stools, and sometimes bass drum pedals)
 * Shells (Bass Drum and toms)
 * Extensions (Non-standard instruments like tambourine)
 * Hardware (Stands and pedals)

This distinction is important when it comes to multiple bands using a single drum set. Drummers often want to bring their own equipment, as it may be better than what is provided or be personalized. Breakables refer to what is provided by the guest drummer. Snare drum and cymbals are core to this, as they are particularly individualistic. Players may need a certain tone or may be made of a different material. Snare and cymbals are also the most-used components and can be broken easily by poor technique. Snares frequently don't match the kit they are paired with as well.

Three-Piece
A 3 piece set is the most basic variety. It features a snare drum, a hi-hat, a bass drum, a single hanging tom, and a suspended cymbal, the latter two being mounted on the bass drum. It is mostly used in small bands, or as drum sets for children.

Four-Piece
A 4 piece set is a step up from the 3 piece, adding another tom, either a second hanging tom or a floor tom, and another suspended cymbal to give a distinct ride and crash. The 4 piece with floor tom is very popular in jazz and rock music, while the 4 piece with a second hanging tom is useful for small, cramped venues like cafes, pubs, and lounges.

Five-Piece
The 5 piece is the most common, and therefore standard kit. It adds an additional tom, either a second hanging tom or floor tom, to give 3 toms total. This allows for low, mid, and high range drums, and thus greater capabilities. 5 pieces may also have one or more effect cymbals, including the splash cymbal or china cymbal. This requires more stands, and as a result, many professional level drum kits provide no hardware at all, allowing the player to select what they need.

Performance
Drumming consists of two main elements: Grooves and fills. Grooves are the rhythmic patterns provided by the drum to set the "feel" for the song and help keep everyone in time. Fills are deviations from the normal pattern to add ornaments and accents to the music, particularly through the use of cymbals. Fills can be a few simple beats, or a few bars long. They are useful to add flavor and to help indicate or transition to different parts of the song.

Drum solos are also quite popular. While other solos like on guitar tend to have rhythm instruments playing in the background, all other players stop to put the focus on the drummer. These are the most popular in jazz, but can also be observed in rock.

Drummers have to develop a specific technique for holding their sticks. There are two types: traditional, and matched. The traditional grip features an overhand grip for the right and an underhand for the left. This was originally developed for military side drum playing, but has carried over to the drum set. The matched grip uses the same grip for both hands, almost always the overhand. There is variation in both grips, and a lot of disagreement over whether or not this impacts the sound produced significantly.

Scoring
Drum sets are most commonly used in rock, jazz, blues, and pop music. They can also be seen in concert bands, marching band front ensembles, and symphony orchestras, but typically only for pieces which are arrangements of a song in one of the previously mentioned genres of music. They may also be used if there are not enough percussionists to play the individual instruments, and thus substitute the concert varieties for what is available in a drum kit.

As portrayed in Hibike! Euphonium
Narai Tanabe has played the drum set in many pieces such as Takarajima and Gakuen Tengoku. He has proved to be quite proficient in the instrument.