Tenor Drum

As Printed on a Score

Labels the tenor drum line (Tenor Drum, T. Dr. later), written like the snare drum on a single line, with tremolo strokes for rolls. Since the notation is identical, the label is the only guide to which drum is meant; read it at every change of instrument in a shared percussion part.

Abbreviations: T. Dr.

How Composers Use It

Deeper than the snare drum and usually without snares, it gives a dark, muffled roll suited to processions, funeral marches and ominous tension. Choose it when the snare drum would sound too bright or military, and specify soft or hard sticks, since the drum’s colour changes markedly with the beater.

Related Terms