Music of the drum: Drumming as a holistic OT intervention

What is Drumming?

Drumming is any activity that involves making music by hitting a surface with a tool or body part. Drumming as a form of music is deceptively straightforward, yet its varieties are globally diverse and unique. Drumming can be as simple as hand-tapping a table, or as complex as playing a 20-instrument drum kit. Sizing of the drum can range from small, such as a 4- to 6-inch hand drum, to medium, such as a 3-foot-tall Conga drum, to a very large instrument, such as an enormous bong-style Korean Cheongo (Matney, 2021). The shape, materials, and sound of each drum are remarkably dissimilar, yet somehow familiar.