Drumshell Sizes
The size of a shell is
measured in diameter by depth. A 14 inch snare, with a depth of 5 and 1/2 inches
would be notated as: 14x5-1/2 (5.5). A 12 inch tom that is 10 inches deep would
be: 12x10. (Some companies reverse this notation, but we won't raise a fuss.)
We all know that the bigger
the diameter of a drum, the deeper it will sound. For example: a 16 inch floor
tom sounds much lower than a 12 inch tom. The depth of the shell also affects
the tone, as well. The deeper the shell, the lower the sound and vice versa. But
the depth effects more than the tone of a drum. A deeper drum will also be
louder and therefore project more. A shallow drum won't project as well, but it
will have better resonance and a purer tone. This is why power toms became so
popular in the 70's, for rock music-- projection and low end thud. This is also
why smaller drums are so popular with jazz music-- cleaner, fundamental tones.
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Mike Radcliffe |
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Drum Tech 
