A thin membrane that is stretched across a drum shell and placed under tension. The drumhead is the part of the drum that is played. Modern drumheads are made of plastic; historically they were made from animal skins. Note for beginners: Heads DO wear out and need eventual replacement.

A drummer’s seat.

The stands and other (usually metal) mounting devices for the drums and cymbals of the drum-set.

The main part of drum, a cylindrical body onto which drumheads are placed. Shells of modern drums are made of many kinds of wood and metal, including maple, birch, oak, steel, copper, and brass.

A metal or wooden circular fitting matched to the size of drum that goes over the drumhead and is screwed into the lugs to allow tension to be placed on the head.

Small hand-held tool used to adjust parts of the drum-set, most importantly the tension on the drum heads (via the tension rods).

A threaded rod that goes through the rim and into the lugs, allowing a drummer to tighten or loosen a drumhead using a drum key.

A threaded metal fitting on the side of a drum into which a tension rod is placed. The rod comes through the rim/hoop, pulling down on it, and placing tension on the drumhead.

A lever on the side of a snare drum that allows the snares to be brought up to or disengaged from the resonant head.