Snare drums have a sharp, loud sound and have been featured in country music since the 1920s, sometimes played with brushes instead of traditional drumsticks. A drum brush is a fan of wires extending from a handle, and drum brushes give a softer sound to many percussion instruments. Drum brushes are often employed in older-style country music because of their unique sound.
Modern popular country music bands, like Tim McGraw's band, use entire drum sets that include a snare.
Bass drums make deep, low sounds and also have been used in country music since the 1920s. Bass drums are often played using pedals and the drummer's feet. They are rarely played with brushes but are valued for their loud booming sound and are mostly used to keep time for the rest of the band.
Cymbals are flat, metal dishes that give percussion music a sharp, high note. They can be part of a whole drum set or played individually. Drummers in country songs can also play the cymbal with brushes, giving the song a soft, sweeping sound. The most common cymbals in a drum set are the high-hat and the suspended cymbal.
Cymbals are not often a dominant part of country music but provide a contrast to the lower, deep bass and snare drums.
Other percussion instruments used in country music include simple claps and thigh-slapping. These simple percussion sounds were part of country music before the drum band was lifted. Also, triangles and tambourines can be used in country music for their high notes and beat-keeping abilities. Older styled country songs also have used spoons or other metal instruments dragged over washboards or plucked strings on a muted rhythm guitar for a distinctive percussion sound.