kick drum

noun

plural kick drums
: a bass drum that is part of a drum kit and that is typically played by stepping on a pedal attached to a mallet
The kick drum provides the deeper thumping tones that drive the songs …Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, quoted in Rolling Stone

Examples of kick drum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While the kick drum and bass synth are deep, the speaker struggles to reproduce most of the sub-bass content in the track, but that's to be expected given its size. PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024 Most of the album’s 4/4 kick drums pulse with a sense of liberation — these ones pound with urgency. Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024 The kick drums distort at high volumes, but thankfully, the higher-frequency percussion remained relatively crisp. PCMAG, 28 Oct. 2024 For example, the kick drum and vocals push through the mix a little too forcefully. PCMAG, 8 Oct. 2024 The kick drum, usually one of a kit’s loudest pieces, has an eight-inch play surface that features a dense triple-layer cushion covered with a double-ply mesh. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2024 The deep, pounding kick drum has plenty of definition without ever sounding overbearing. PCMAG, 24 July 2024 Praise is also warranted for drummer Deen Castronovo, who had two kick drums, several cymbals and many toms at his disposal and used all of them liberally, rightfully so. Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 11 July 2024 For these concerts, Yeh gracefully alternates between two percussion setups: one next to the conductor’s podium — with a vintage American Legion kick drum from her personal collection — and one behind the violins. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kick drum was in 1975

Dictionary Entries Near kick drum

Cite this Entry

“Kick drum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kick%20drum. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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