Bass Drum of the The 72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada with the Canadian Coat of Arms (Queen Elizabeth II Crown) and Seaforth Badge. The drum is white and red in colour. Written on the drum is: "PIPES AND DRUMS / E II R / CANADA / 72ND / SEAFORTH CADETS" A bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. Bass drums are percussion instruments and vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum (in Italian: gran cassa, gran tamburo). It is the largest drum of the orchestra. The kick drum, a term for a bass drum associated with a drum kit. It is struck with a beater attached to a pedal, usually seen on drum kits. The pitched bass drum, generally used in marching bands and drum corps. This is tuned to a specific pitch and is usually played in a set of three to six drums.