Tenor drum

A tenor drum is a low-pitched cylindrical drum. The term has different meanings in the band and orchestral contexts.

Band Tenor Drum

Tenor drums (commonly as mounted sets of 3–6 drums) are worn by percussionists in a drumline. They are also known as Toms or Quads. Typically there are four main drums and one or two accent drums (typically 5 or 6 inches in diameter). The accent drums are also known as shot, gock, or spock drums. Sometimes there are other accent instruments added such as cow bells or cymbals.

Most of the time tenor drums are tuned tightly giving them a higher-pitched sound that can be heard from miles around. The gock drums are generally tuned as high as possible to produce a piercing sound. Occasionally they are tuned lower as well. In fact, some drumlines consist of multiple tenor lines, or high-toms and low-toms.

Orchestral Tenor Drum

In a symphony orchestra's percussion section, an tenor drum is a low-pitched variant of the snare drum, although usually without snares and played with softer sticks. Under various names, the drum has been used by composers since the mid-19th century. It is particularly noticeable in scores by 20th century English composers such as Britten and Walton, and American composers such as Copland.