71 The Sound of Drums-Mid

The Sound of Drums FOCUS Question How do drums make different sounds?

Hit That Drum! Drums are fun to play! Most drums are round. Many of them have a drumhead over one of the open ends. The drumhead is the part you hit.

Hit the drumhead Bang! It vibrates. This means it moves back and forth very fast. The drumhead makes the air vibrate. The vibration moves through the air. It hits our ears. We hear sound! Think About It Why do you think the drumhead was given that name?

Hands, Sticks, or Feet People hit drums with their hands or with sticks. Some people even play drums with their feet! Hit the drum hard to make a loud sound. Hit the drum softly to make a quiet sound.

Tight or Loose Tight drumheads make high sounds. Bing! Loose drumheads make low sounds. Bong! Some drums have parts called rods. You can turn them to make the drumhead tight or loose. Wowser! People once used horses to pull the drumheads of large kettledrums tight.

Sizing Up Drums Large drumheads make low sounds. They vibrate a little slower. Boom! A large drum has a lot of air inside. The sound has room to bounce around inside the drum. This makes a large drum loud. Be Safe! Loud sounds can hurt your ears. Use earplugs to protect your hearing.