The Drum

  
What is a drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments.  Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a drum stick, to produce sound. There is usually a resonance head on the underside of the drum, typically tuned to a slightly lower pitch than the top drumhead. Drums are the world's oldest and most ubiquitous musical instruments, and the basic design has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years.

Construction

the shell almost invariably has a circular opening over which the drumhead is stretched, but the shape of the remainder of the shell varies widely. In the western musical tradition, the most usual shape is a cylinder, although timpani, for example, use bowl-shaped shells.Drums with two heads covering both ends of a cylindrical shell often have a small hole somewhat halfway between the two heads; the shell forms a resonating chamber for the resulting sound. 

History:

The drum is the oldest known instrument in the world dating back to 4000 BCE in Egypt in the northeast corner of Africa. It is present throughout every region of Africa playing different roles amongst the various peoples.Drums made with alligator skins have been found in Neolithic cultures located in China, dating to a period of 5500–2350 BC. 

How to position your drum:

This grip is played with your palms facing downward.   Notice how every finger tip is lightly rested on the drumstick.  Make sure you do not grip the stick too tightly, or you will limit its’ rebound.  It is debated which finger is used to grip the stick. Some will use their thumb and index finger; others will use their thumb and middle finger.  Both are fine, as long as you chose one early and stick to it!