Tom drum

The drum called "Thammattama", played by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, is used in a number of Buddhist rituals in that country.

[2][3] It is commonly heard in Theravada Buddhist temple Vihāras paired along with the reed instrument called horanava.

The British colonists complained loudly about the noise generated by the "tom-toms" of the natives throughout South Asia.

[5] It is likely that the term tom-toms thus comes from their experiences in colonial Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) or South India.

The term "tom-tom" also has variants in the Telugu and Hindi languages, but only in Sri Lanka is there an indigenous drum with the same name (thammattama).

Through close collaboration with Gene Krupa's concept of fully tunable toms, the Slingerland drum and banjo company were the first, in 1936, to begin offering fully tunable tom-toms (top and bottom heads) with metal or wooden rims, tension rods, and lugs.

"Power" toms are one inch deeper than standard, with sizes of 10×9 or 10×10, 12×11, 13×12, which overtook the classic setup in popularity during the 1980s.

Unlike most other drums, they have a variable definite pitch and some composers write for them as a tuned instrument, demanding specific notes.

Notable users include Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, Bill Bruford, Simon Phillips, Jason Bittner, Mike Portnoy and Dom Howard.

Typically, a tom consists of a shell, chromed or plated metal hardware and head.

Tom-toms can be fitted with an adjustable mounting for a floor stand, or attachment to a bass drum or marching rig.

A crucial factor in achieving superior tone quality and insuring durability, especially with wood, is the creation of perfectly round shells and much research and development has been put into this manufacturing technology.

Wood or composite shells can be finished by laminating in plastic in a large variety of colours and effects (e. g. sparkle or polychromatic); natural wood may be stained or left natural and painted with clear lacquer.

The tension rod assembly needs to be precision-machined, cast and fitted to enable predictable and secure tuning without inhibiting resonance or introducing extra vibration.