Drum is a percussion instrument, which is covered with a tight membrane on one or both sides of a solid and usually barrel-shaped drum body. Drums can be beaten by hand or with a drum pestle. Drum is an important instrument in African traditional music and modern music, and some bands are completely composed of percussion instruments dominated by drums. Besides being a musical instrument, drums were also used to spread information in many ancient civilizations.
Drum is a traditional percussion instrument in China. According to the Book of Rites, there was a kind of "earth drum" in the early legend, that is, a drum made of clay. Because the drum has a good resonance effect, the sound is rich and loud, and the sound travels far, so it has long been used by Chinese ancestors as an army to cheer. According to legend, in the battle of Zhuolu, where the Yellow Emperor conquered Chiyou, "The Yellow Emperor used the skin as a drum to kill Kui, which earned him a reputation of 500" (Taiping Yulan, volume 582 quoted Imperial Century). In ancient times, drums were revered as heavenly artifacts, mainly as sacrificial utensils.
China, together with Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt and ancient India, is the birthplace of the earliest drums in the world. Historically, China drums spread to neighboring countries, such as North Korea and Japan, and also absorbed many foreign drums. The traditional drums in China are the mainstream in the Central Plains, and the drums of ethnic minorities in the border areas are influenced by both traditional drums and foreign drums, especially Arabian and Indian drums. When playing, drums are usually arranged in zigzag, figure-eight, semicircle or arc. The drum head can be tilted 15 ~ 45 degrees, which can be used for vertical stroke, sitting stroke, side stroke or oblique stroke, and can be used for slap stroke, round stroke and horizontal stroke. When playing, the player stands one side of the drum upright on his right knee, with one side of the drum facing forward, presses the upper edge of the drum with his right wrist to fix it, and taps the drum pestle with his thumb, forefinger, middle finger and ring finger of his right hand. Hold the board with your left hand and clap your hands. It is used to accompany the instrumental ensemble Fan Shi Drum or Kunqu oratorio. Generally speaking, each beat is light and the rhythm is mastered.