Percussion instruments have dated from perhaps the most ancient of times. Two rocks hammered together or pebbles rattled in a gourd rhythmically, sounded as some of these earliest instruments. Since the 17th century percussion instruments have been divided into two large groups. These groups are the idiophones, instruments whose bodies vibrate to produce the sound, including cymbals, rattles and bells; and membranophones, all kinds of drums. Drums are the best known of the percussion instruments and they vary greatly in size and shape. Normally a drum consists of a hollow vessel with a skin or some other membrane stretched over one or both ends. Some exceptions include the African slit drum, made form a hollow log and the Caribbean steel drum made from a metal barrel. Drums are usually played using the hands or by striking the membrane with one or two mallets. This produces the sound.

The modern drum ensemble (trap set) includes the snare drum, the tenor drum (tom tom), and the bass drum. The snare drum was developed from the double-skinned drum of medieval times known as the tabor. Also called the side drum, it has the feature of a wire or gut strings stretching across the lower skin. When the drum is struck these strings vibrate to give the characteristic crisp sound associated with this drum. The tenor drum, usually larger in size, is closely related to the snare drum but lacks the snares across the lower head. More recently, in some instances the lower head has been removed. The bass drum is the largest of the drums and was first introduced in the 18th century in Turkish Janssary bands. Similar to the tenor drum, but larger, it produces a deep, booming sound that can carry for miles.