Sound & signal
Tom
A tom is a pitched drum with no snare wires, sitting between the kick and the snare in range. In dance music toms mostly appear in fills and in the descending rolls that lead into a drop.
In practice
Toms are pitched drums in the low-mids — the busiest region in any blend, and they can clash harmonically.
Treat a tom roll as an event to mix around rather than through. If a fill lands during a transition, either be clear of it or have the other record’s low-mids already cut, because that is the frequency range everything in a blend is fighting over. And because they carry pitch, a long descending tom roll into a drop is one of the few drum elements that genuinely benefits from the two records being in key.
Pitched
Unlike a snare
Low-mids
Where they sit
Mix around
Not through
Where these come from: Arrangement and transition practice, not a catalog figure. For what we can measure, see where toms usually appear.
Why it matters
Toms are pitched, which is what separates them from every other drum in a kit and makes them a harmonic consideration. A tom roll states notes, so it can clash with an incoming record’s key in a way a snare fill never does.
They also occupy the low-mids, the most crowded part of a blend. A tom fill arriving while another record’s bassline and pads are present is three things competing for one region, which is why fills so often sound muddy in a mix and clean on their own.
Frequently asked
Are toms pitched?+
Yes, and that is what separates them from snares. A tom roll states notes, so it can clash harmonically with whatever else is playing.
Why do fills sound muddy in a mix?+
Toms sit in the low-mids, which is already the most crowded part of any blend. Add a second record’s bass and pads and three things are competing for one region.
Should I avoid mixing over a tom roll?+
Mix around it where you can. If you cannot, have the other record’s low-mids cut before it arrives.
Related terms
Fill
A fill is a short break in the drum pattern — a tom run, a snare roll, a beat left out — marking the end of one section and the start of the next.
Snare
The snare is the sharp drum that answers the kick, usually on beats two and four. In dance music it is often a clap or a layered mix of both, and it is what tells you where you are in the bar.
Ride cymbal
A ride is a large cymbal played in a steady repeated pattern, carrying the pulse the way a hi-hat does but with more sustain and a wash behind each hit.
Frequency range
The audible spectrum runs roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and DJ mixers divide it into three: lows carry the kick and bass, mids carry vocals and most instruments, highs carry hats and air.
Explore: Spectrogram analyzer · Fill · Snare · All DJ terms