Measuring the sizes of drums is a fairly simple process. You need to measure how long the drum is on the surface from edge to edge, and you need to measure how tall the drum is from top to bottom. This will give you the size and depth, and that’s how all drum sizes are stated in their descriptions.
If you want a more in-depth explanation, keep reading. We’re going to talk through absolutely everything you need to know about measuring drums. We’ll discuss standard sizes and drum shell specifics, and we’ll touch a bit on cymbals as well.
Whenever you’re looking to buy drums, you’ll see that all the drums in a set have varying sizes. They’re made like that so that they produce different tones. If two drums are the same size and have the same shell material, they’re going to sound relatively similar with the same tuning. So, a drum set will have different sizes to add variety.
Interestingly, the preferred sizes for drums have changed up a bit over the years. In the 70s, every drummer loved having massive toms to play down, whereas most modern drummers are happy with a small rack tom and standard floor tom.
The sizes you need for your drum set come down to personal preference. You should decide what tones you love and get drum shell sizes accordingly.
With that being said, here is a list of standard sizes that you may find:
Snare Drums
14” x 5” – 8”
13” x 5” – 8”
12” x 3” – 6”
Rack Toms
8” x 6 – 7”
10” x 7 – 8”
12” x 8 – 9”
13” x 9 -10”
Floor Toms
14” x 10 – 12”
16” x 14 – 16”
18” x 16 – 18”
Bass Drums
16” x 14 – 16”
18” x 14 – 18”
20” x 16 – 18”
22” x 18 – 20”
24” x 20 – 22”
If you’re unsure of what the sizes of your current drums are, there are two options to follow up with. Firstly, you could look up the make of your drum set online. You’ll be able to match pictures with the kit you have, and those will typically tell you what the sizes of your shells are.
This won’t always work, though. Some kits are outdated, and finding an online version of that specific kit will be a lot more difficult. You also may not even know the name of your drum set as it won’t have any clear badges or insignias on it. If that’s the case, or if you don’t want to look online, you’ll need to pull out a measuring tape.
It’s important to know that all drums are measured in inches. That’s the universal way of classifying their sizes, even in countries that use the metric measuring system. If your tape measure only shows centimeters, you’ll need to do a conversion.
When measuring the size of your drums, it’s best to remove the top and bottom drumheads to allow the most accurate reading. You should also remove the hoops that hold the heads on the drum.
Once you’ve done that, you should take the measuring tape and line it across the surface of the drum. You’ll get the size of the drum by measuring one side to the other. This diameter reading will be the main size to work with, and it should be anywhere between 6” to 24”.
When it comes to measuring diameters, drum shells usually don’t have decimals to worry about. If the shell is half an inch more or less somewhere, you may be measuring wrong. The shell may also be a bit warped, causing it to stretch.
Both the top and bottom sides of the shell should measure the same length across. Also, ensure to measure from side to side with the most space between the edges.
It’s even more important that you remove the heads and hoops of drum shells when measuring their depth. You should do this as you’ll get the most accurate measurement when lining the measuring tape on the inside of the shell.
Take the tape, attach one side to the top of the shell at the bearing edge, and then pull it down to the bottom. This is how you’ll get your depth reading.
Unlike the top and bottom sides of a shell, depths will often have decimals in them. This is mostly true when it comes to snare drum sizes. Getting a snare drum that has a depth of 5.5” is fairly common.
When measuring the sizes of your drums, getting the depths of everything will be a long process, considering that there is a lot more variety in this measurement than there is with diameter readings.
Once you have the diameter and depth, you’ll know the exact size of your drum. Some people prefer putting the depth first in size descriptions. This means that it may say 8” x 14” instead of 14” x 8”. Both ways of stating size are correct, though.
Cymbals are measured in the same way that drums are at their surface. You get a diameter reading, measured from one side to the other. When measuring cymbals, you should also make sure to measure from the furthest distance possible on each side.
Cymbals sizes are easily identified by the type of cymbals that they are. After playing drums for a while, you can often tell the size of a cymbal purely by looking at it. Since all cymbals are fairly shallow, you don’t measure their depths.
Hi-Hats usually range anywhere from 10” to 16”. The most common size for hi-hats is 14”, though. Crash cymbals range from 16” to 20”. While you may find crash cymbals that are smaller, those ones usually form parts of cheap cymbal sets that aren’t worth getting.
Ride cymbals range from 18” to 24”. They’re the largest types of cymbals, and the most common size for them is 20”.
Splash cymbals are small cymbals, and they range from 6” to 12”. Finally, china cymbals have the widest range when it comes to size, and you’ll find ones that are 6”, while others can be as large as 24”.
All drum shells are measured in inches. Even if you live in a country that uses the metric system, drums made in the country will also be measured in inches. So, it’s good to get accustomed to inches compared to centimeters.
Drum sizes are read by stating the depth compared to the diameter. For example, a drum with a depth of 8” and a diameter of 14” will be referred to as an 8” x 14” drum. However, those numbers can be read in a reverse way as well.
There is a list of standard drum sizes to become accustomed to. Knowing these standard sizes will give you a general idea of how drums will sound. For example, most snare drums are 14”, so getting a 12” snare drum will give you a unique tone compared to normal drum setups.
Here are the standard drum sizes to know about:
Snare Drums
14” x 5” – 8”
13” x 5” – 8”
12” x 3” – 6”
Rack Toms
8” x 6 – 7”
10” x 7 – 8”
12” x 8 – 9”
13” x 9 -10”
Floor Toms
14” x 10 – 12”
16” x 14 – 16”
18” x 16 – 18”
Bass Drums
16” x 14 – 16”
18” x 14 – 18”
20” x 16 – 18”
22” x 18 – 20”
24” x 20 – 22”
Drum measurement is the way of telling how large drums are. It gives them identity, and that informs you on how they’re going to look, feel, and sound. Most drums have standard sizes that they stick to, and you’ll find those sizes being used on all the drum sets that you can buy.
If you want a drum that doesn’t stick to the standard measurements, you’ll need to get it custom ordered. Just note that it will be a lot more expensive than buying a drum with a standard shell size.
You measure snare drums the same way you measure all drums. You need to take the measuring tape and see how many inches it is across on the surface. Then you need to see how many inches tall it is from the inside of the shell.
Thankfully, measuring drums is a simple thing to do. You just need your drum set and some measuring tape. It’s more important to be aware of drum sizes and how they can affect your setup.
A 16” bass drum is going to sound and feel a lot different from a 22” one. Knowing that will make buying a new drum set easier since you’ll know exactly what you need to look for. Some drummers love deep toms, while others prefer shallower ones. That’s something else to look out for when sizing drum sets.
Founder of TheDrumNinja
I’m crazy about drums, it’s been my passion since I was 12 years old. I played in numerous bands going through different styles like Rock, Progressive, Pop & Jazz-Rock. After being featured in major music publications (Drumeo, Guitar Guitar, AudioIssues, MusicThinkTank) I started this website to share my knowledge and create a resource for drummers of all levels.
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