Parts of a Drum Kit: Free KS1 Music Worksheet

What children learn from this worksheet

This worksheet introduces the idea that a drum kit is not one instrument but a small family of percussion instruments played together. By naming and colouring the bass drum, tom drums, snare drum and cymbals, children begin to notice that each part has a different size and shape, and that bigger drums tend to make lower, deeper sounds while cymbals make a bright, ringing crash. The counting task practises early number skills while children use the new words. The picture shows a simple kit; a real one usually also has a hi-hat (two cymbals that clap together when the drummer presses a foot pedal) and a foot pedal that beats the bass drum, which are worth mentioning if your child has seen a drummer play.

How percussion instruments make sound

Percussion instruments are instruments you make sound with by hitting, shaking or scraping them. When a drumstick strikes a drum skin, the skin wobbles very fast (it vibrates), and that vibration moves the air to make the sound we hear. Cymbals work the same way: the metal vibrates when it is struck. You do not need a real drum kit to explore this idea. Tapping an upturned saucepan, a biscuit tin or a cardboard box lets children feel and hear the same vibrations, which makes the worksheet a useful starting point for hands-on play.

Using this sheet at home or in class

For the youngest children, talk through the picture first and point to each part as you say its name, before your child writes the labels. The colouring task asks for one colour for the drums and another for the cymbals, so children practise sorting the parts into two groups. Once the colouring is finished, the counting questions can be answered out loud before they are written down. To extend the activity, ask children to tap a steady beat on a table and then add a louder hit for the bass drum, helping them connect the picture to real sounds and to the idea of a steady pulse.

Building musical vocabulary

Naming the parts of the drum kit gives children words they can reuse across the whole of Key Stage 1 music. Words such as beat, loud and quiet, fast and slow, and percussion all come up naturally when talking about drums. Encouraging children to describe the sound a drum might make, rather than only naming it, supports the curriculum aim of listening with concentration and understanding. There is no need to teach technical drumming terms at this age; recognising that there are several drums and several cymbals is plenty.

Frequently asked questions