Drum
heads are a membrane stretched over the open ends of a drum. When
you strike the head, the sound resonates inside the drum shell, creating
the percussive sound. You can strike the head using a variety of instruments:
your hand, mallets, brushes, or sticks.
Drum heads were originally made using animal skins. In 1956 Chick
Evans pioneered the use plastic to make drum heads and an entire industry
was launched shortly thereafter with Mylar. Skin is still sometimes
used by historical performance groups seeking authenticity and to
make hand drums.
Drum heads are held in place by the rim. Bolts screw the rim into
the shell using lugs, which tunes (adjusts the tension of) the head.